Review: CASSIE AND THE LIGHTS at 59E59 Street Theaters-A Captivating Portrayal of Sisterhood

“Something had to change to keep them safe and fix my family.”  By Cassie in Cassie and the Lights 

59E59 Theaters continue their Brits Off Broadway festival of shows with Cassie and the Lights.  It is a unique, entertaining, and poignant play by Patch of Blue in association with New Diorama Theatre. Finely written and directed by Alex Howarth, the show is based on real life events and interviews with children in foster care. It features a cast that brings the humor and drama of the captivating story to life.

Cassie and the Lights tells of sisters, Cassie, Tin and Kit.  Cassie, who is in her late teens, is the oldest of the three and cares for her young siblings in the absence of their mother.  While Tin and Kit always speak about their mom coming back, Cassie is more realistic as she applies to be the legal guardian of her sisters. But there is an option for the three girls to be adopted by Mark and Alice, a caring couple that would provide a very different future for them. Love, sisterhood and responsibility are the themes that resonate in Cassie and the Lights.

Michaela Murphy as Tin and Emily McGlynn as Kit portray young children wonderfully.  Alex Brain as Cassie is excellent in the role of the loving, dependable older sister. The show’s Musician is Teresa Orione and Helen Chong is the Understudy.

The production uses video projections to offer a perspective of the children’s imagination and the adult world around them. Voices of additional characters are essential to round out the story.  They include Lizzie Williams as Donna; Andrew Mackley as Mark; Chantal Mackley as Alice; Alex Howarth as the Teacher; and Sam Rayner as the Lawyer.

Memorable scenes include Tin presenting a study of stars as Cassie and Kit assist her; Cassie speaking to a friend about her future schooling; the girls at the bowling alley remembering their mother; Kit running away and getting injured; Tin talking about a male classmate; Kit enjoying an ice cream treat; and Cassie applying to social services to be her sisters’ guardian.

The Creative and Production Teams have done a top job of bringing Cassie and the Lights to the Upper East Side stage.  They include writing, direction and scenic design by Alex Howarth; lighting and video design by Rachel Sampley; and marketing design by Casey Jay Andrews. The Production Stage Manager is Madeleine Blossom; the Relighter is Will Monks; the Composers are Imogen Mason and Ellie Mason; the Producer is Xinyi Shen; and the Executive Producer is Amelia Campbell.

Cassie and the Lights is a wonderful depiction of how sisters hold each other dear in difficult circumstances. See it while you can now through July 2nd at 59E59 Theaters located at 59 East 59th Street (between Park and Madison Avenues).  The show is being presented in Theater B and the run time is 75 minutes with no intermission. For ticketing and more information, please visit  https://www.59e59.org/.

Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

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