At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, lights dimmed, ominous background music lowered and excited chatter simmered down in Carrboro’s ArtsCenter as it prepared to begin its second performance of “The Treasurer.”
A man walked into the theater, looking around. He stepped onto the stage and coldly told the audience that he is certain he will be going to hell, assuring they will find out why later on.
Colorful lights began to shine and the show started.
The 90-minute play, written by playwright Max Posner, takes audience members on a partially dark and partially comical journey through the mind of a man solely known as “The Son” as he faces his complicated and unpleasant relationship with his mother, Ida.
The show explores the feelings of guilt, frustration and self-hatred that come along with flawed and changing family dynamics, particularly when a parent and child are made to essentially switch roles once the parent reaches a certain age. The play has an added layer of complexity knowing that Ida abandoned her son when he was only 13 years old. She is left widowed now, forcing him to manage her finances and figure out a living situation.
Ida, played by Marcia Edmundson, is selfish and manipulative throughout the entire show. She tells long stories and sheds tears to get what she wants, no matter how much it costs her son.
Her personality is mostly conveyed through humor. The supporting actors, Ben Apple and Jessica Flemming, were responsible for that, as they played multiple characters ranging from The Son’s uninvolved siblings to annoyed Talbot’s employees, erupting audience laughter with nearly every line they delivered.
Jenny Duve, a senior studying environmental health, said she could relate to the show's material.
“I've been dealing with a lot of family stuff like that, especially as we’re in this turning point of our lives, transitioning and seeing our parents and grandparents age," Duve said.
