Family Values

The four Gibson sisters — Esther, Ida, Cora and Aaronetta — all live within walking distance of each other. Esther's the oldest, and her intellectual husband doesn't like her family much; Aaronetta's a spinster living with her sister Cora and Cora's husband, Theodore; Ida and her husband, Carl, have a 40-year-old son, who's been dating a woman for a decade but is just now bringing her home to meet the family. Oh, and it's 1938. Paul Osborn's play Morning's at Seven seems so quaint that you may think it's an antique — but in that quietness and quaintness you may be surprised to find a timeless meditation on the roles we play in our families' dynamics, and how these roles shape — and bind — our lives. The play is also funny, just like your own family. Stray Dog Theatre presents Morning's at Seven at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (June 12 through 28; the final Saturday performance takes place at 2 p.m., however) at the Tower Grove Abbey (2336 Tennessee Avenue; 314-865-1995 or www.straydogtheatre.org). Tickets are $15 to $18.
Thursdays-Saturdays. Starts: June 12. Continues through June 28, 2008