‘Enid’s Mill’ premieres at The Players’ Ring, A poignant 1970s Family Drama of Hope and Homecoming, March 6-22

PORTSMOUTH – “Enid’s Mill,” a tender, richly human story about resilience, memory, and what it means to come home, will be on stage at the Players’ Ring Theatre from March 6 through the 22. 

Picture a snowed-in house tucked beside an old mill holds a decade of grief – and one sister’s persistent hope – about choosing color and light, even on the darkest days. 

Playwright Douglas-Osmundson drew on her personal experiences to bring the story to life.

She grew up in a small town in Westchester County, N.Y., during the time “Enid’s Mill” takes place. She majored in theater in college in upstate New York, the physical setting of the story. 
 
“My brother Robert is a developmentally disabled artist, so essentially, Enid is Robert,” Douglas -Osmundson said.
 
“I think I always knew I wanted to write the story of the challenges of growing up with Robert when and where we did. There are few heroes to hold up and celebrate; the mistreatment Robert experienced from strangers and family members, while dramatic, is not a crowd-pleaser.”
 
Douglas-Osmundson said she wrote a play that she would want to see – a family drama in which there is hope in the struggle with a uniquely painful problem. 
 
“When Robert and I were young, I didn’t see a lot of reason to be hopeful that he would be able
to achieve a high quality of life,” she said.
 
“So, in ‘Enid’s Mill’, I created characters with the empathy and guts to do right by Enid. I wrote about a world that is far from perfect but is profoundly better than the one we knew.”
 
When Cassie (played by Shaughnessey Gower) returns home after a 10-year absence, she confronts the tragedies that tore her family apart and the brilliant, neurodiverse sister she left behind. Surrounded by home-cooked food, brightly-colored paintings, and many unspoken truths, the family navigates a stormy reunion with the power to heal – if Cassie can let them in. 
 
“‘Enid’s Mill’ is a sweet, poignant family drama set in the 70s, so you’ll get some disco,
some wide lapels, a lot of Tupperware, and a compassionate look at some serious
topics,” said director Leslie Pasternack. 
 
“Cassie has been estranged from her family for 10-plus years, which meant leaving behind her developmentally disabled sister Enid (played by Elly Berke). Our playwright has crafted a reunion story for them that is deeply nuanced and humane. Plus, it’s full of humor! These people are flawed and funny and doing their absolute best to reconnect in a trying time.”
 
Pasternack added that the play gives her flashbacks to her own childhood in the 1970s and 80s, and among the many pleasures she finds in it are characters who defy the stereotypes of that era. 
 
“You can live in a time when you are surrounded by examples of casual misogyny or cruelty to
people who are different, and you can still say ‘No’ to those things,” she said. “You can still choose kindness. This idea really resonates for me right now, when these values are once more being tested.”
 
This is a truly ensemble piece, requiring a lot of listening and playfulness to keep the focus moving around the stage as the chaos builds, Pasternack said. 
 
“Every actor brings vulnerability and strength at various moments, with well-observed details
building the picture,” she said. “Elly Berke is doing some of the most technical work in her depiction of Enid. But even that performance depends on finely-drawn interactions with everyone else on stage.” 
Other cast members include Samantha Griffin, Tara Johns, Cara Olansky, Kyle Sidders and Teddy Wilkin. 

In addition to Pasternack, the creative team for “Enid’s Mill” includes Don Goettler, set design and construction; Tayva Young, lighting design; Kelli Connors, costume design; Ben Bagley, sound design and Catharine Davis as production stage manager and props designer.

Curious about the process? The first Sunday matinee show (March 8) will be followed by an optional talkback with the playwright, director and cast.

Note, this production includes references to sexual assault.

The Ring’s neighbor, The Puddle Dock restaurant, and its sister restaurant, Tour on Lafayette Road, are both offering a 10% discount on food to Players’ Ring patrons. Visit their websites to reserve, and present your ticket when you ask for your check.

The Players’ Ring is grateful for the support of its donors and sponsors. Joanie and Jeff Osborn are “Enid’s Mill”s Production Champions. Patrons of the Arts: The Eppes-Jefferson Foundation, The Rosamond Thaxter Foundation, Tour Restaurant, The Puddle Dock Restaurant, RAKA Creative. Supporters: Business Cents, City of Portsmouth Recreation Department, Dowling HVAC, Port City Makerspace. Media Partners: Portsmouthnh.com and Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth. The Ring Works New Play Lab is supported by Kennebunk Savings Bank.
 
 
Go & Do
What: “Enid’s Mill”, written by Martha Douglas-Osmundson and directed by Leslie Pasternack
Where: The Players’ Ring Theatre, 105 Marcy Street, Portsmouth NH
               Phone: 603-436-8123
When: March 6-22. Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Show length is 90 minutes with an intermission.
Cost: General Admission: $32; Seniors (65+)/Students/Veterans/First Responders: $29
This play is included in the Ring’s subscription packages. Visit www.playersring.org for more information and to purchase tickets.