The stage is consumed by the Jerome household; the magnificent structure sets the bar for the whole play. The two story, four bedroom house in Brighton Beach, New York with dining room, living room, kitchen, and bathroom seemed as if it was an actual home in which the Jerome family lived in. The smallest details make the play seem more and more real. The old picture frames, antique dial radio, and the outdated furniture give the audience a true feel of the time period (late 1930s).

As the audience is silenced by the dimming of the house lights, the stage lights shine on freshman Wyatt Zalatoris, his cue to begin the play. He plays the character Eugene Morris Jerome, a 15 year old boy who is starting a crucial time in his coming of age. Zalatoris, who puts on a fantastic New York accent, narrates the play. As the play develops, so do the relationships between characters. Kat Elvrom, playing Kate Jerome, the wife of Jack Jerome (Hunter Canedy), and mother of Eugene and Stanley, puts on the powerful woman figure that takes care of the whole family. The mannerisms Elvrom creates for the character are unbelievable. The thick New York accent makes it seem as if she’s lived in Brighton her whole life.

Stanley (Nick Jimenez), an 18-and-a-half-year-old-teenager, who starts helping out the struggling family by giving his paychecks to his parents. The passion shown by Stanley when he has to confess to his mother that he lost a paycheck on a poker game shows true, pure emotion. The viewer gets sucked into the scene, as if Nick Jimenez did not actually exist, but only Stanley Jerome. Also the interaction between Zalatoris and Jimenez shows a genuine brotherly relationship. Even though Eugene and Stan act as if they hate each other at times, the shifts between love and hate are done fluidly by the actors.

Kate’s sister, Blanche Morton (Konnar Hunter) lost her husband from cancer, and has been staying with the Jerome family.  The dependant character played by Hunter has two daughters, Nora and Laurie (Sophie Smith and Sarah Gaines). The older sister, Nora , is a talented dancer who was offered a part in a Broadway musical. After Blanche does not allow her daughter to be in the musical, Sophie Smith transforms the sweet girl into a rebellious teenager. As the relationship shown by Smith and Hunter starts out rocky and no love seemed to be present, it transforms into a heart jerking loving relationship toward the play’s finale. As the youngest daughter Laurie seems to be in Blanche’s spotlight because she has asthma, Gaines portrays the hapless 13 year old perfectly. With pigtails and all, she was very cute but also showed how emotional she could get when talking about her deceased father.

The moderator of the family, Jack Jerome, is a strong male figure that seems to be stronger than he actually is. Struggling from multiple heart attacks, Hunter Canedy shows the loving father who has accepted his nieces as his own. When Jack is not well and cannot go to his job, Canedy shows the sickness on his face for the whole audience to see. And even though he is not well, Jack can still give advice that helps the whole family. Being such a powerful figure in the play, Canedy interacts with the other actors with the authentic love in his eye.

As the play comes to an end, the alternate world of the Jerome family comes to an end as well. Applause fills the PAC while the talented actors take their bow. The joy glowing from their faces shows that being on the stage, creating another world for anyone watching, is truly their joy and passion.