'Something Said,' a production by Sun and Wine Arts Company, written and directed by Claire Yorston and staged at Backdock Arts, explored the emotional complexities of sisterhood, childhood trauma, and the struggle to reconcile with a painful past.
The plot centres on two sisters, Lorelai and Sabrina, who have been estranged for a decade. Lorelai (27), played by Yorston herself, is a psychologist coping with her traumatic upbringing. She is abruptly reconnected to her 17-year-old sister Sabrina, played by Avalokita Hoffman, when Sabrina initiates contact by writing her letters.
The play opens with Yorston delivering a monologue about multiverses and sisterhood. Her performance as Lorelai is deeply introspective, portraying a woman who seems simultaneously self-protective and self-destructive. The interplay of strength and vulnerability in her performance is gripping, especially during the "what if" monologue, where she grapples with the realisation that she is letting her sister slip away once again.
Avalokita Hoffman's portrayal of Sabrina is natural and sweet, embodying youthful innocence. Sabrina’s initial letters are filled with hope and curiosity, delivered by Hoffman without any hint of anger or resentment, but rather with a sincere desire to reconnect. This juxtaposition with Lorelai’s bitter and anxious attitude is striking—Sabrina appears to symbolise all that Lorelai has lost, including her ability to trust and show vulnerability.
Emma King and Carter Firmager provide strong supporting performances, with King particularly standing out in the flashback sequences where Lorelai confides in her teenage best friend Sarah about her abusive parents. These flashback moments are carefully woven into the script to draw attention to the parallels between Lorelai’s neglect and feeling of abandonment in her youth and Sabrina’s current search for explanations as to why her sister left. Yorston’s script skilfully unravels layers of the sisters’ past through letters and flashbacks, with each sequence revealing new insights into their relationship, including Lorelai's pivotal choice to contact CPS, leave home at 16, and ultimately adopt Sabrina; a decision that remains unfulfilled.
The stage design includes a split-stage layout that mirrors the inner worlds of the sisters and emphasises the age and emotional gap between them. Lorelai's side is minimal and clinical, including a desk and chairs for her therapy office, whereas Sabrina's side is cozy and disorderly like a teenager's room. The music in the play serves as a subtle backdrop during scenes where the sisters silently go about their daily routines side by side, which only further emphasise the isolation that each one experiences. The lighting design helps to differentiate the sisters' emotional states: bright, warm lighting for Sabrina's hopeful letters and harsh, focused lighting for Lorelai's tense monologues.
Tensions reach a climax as the sisters express their innermost feelings through overlapping monologues. Lorelai's pent-up frustrations and anguish are laid bare, while Sabrina fears abandonment once more. Despite her youth, Sabrina comes across as the more emotionally mature of the two, trying to break through the walls her sister has built between them. One of the play’s most powerful lines, "I'm glad you got the healed version of the people who should have been my parents," encapsulates the bittersweetness of Lorelai’s journey. Yorston has captured the weight of unresolved trauma and the resentment that festers when one feels abandoned. Lorelai's complex relationship with her parents—recovered alcoholics who sought rehab and redemption after she left home and her sister was placed in foster care—prompts reflection on forgiveness and whether true healing is ever possible.
The play concludes with a bittersweet tone as the sisters have their first in-person meeting. Despite the awkwardness and unspoken tension, a glimmer of hope shines through. Sabrina's curiosity and efforts persist, while Lorelai maintains her guarded demeanour, unsure whether she can open up to her little sister after being alone for so long. The line, "In another universe, I hope we get another chance at being sisters," prompts the audience to contemplate the fragility of family ties and the courage it takes to confront the past.
'Something Said' is a deeply moving theatre piece, driven by beautiful performances and Yorston’s poignant writing. The story of Lorelai and Sabrina is both heart-wrenching and hopeful, remind us that while we cannot change the past, we can choose how to move forward. This production showcases the strength of intimate, character-driven storytelling, and it's clear that Sun and Wine Arts Company have brought something truly special to the stage.
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