Patterns and Petunias 

The Baltimore Playwrites Festival is in their forty-sixth year, receiving submissions of local playwriters, fifty to be exact. Out of these, ten plays are chosen for production. Some are pre-read at The Playwrites Brewery on an open mic night. I was fortunate to attend the open reading of Patterns and Petunias. The play was skillfully written by Ms. Cat Chupien.  It was presented at The Car Club at 12 West North Avenue. The venue was funky, eclectic and the walls were strewn with artwork created by local artists. Provided was ample seating with sofas and chairs. There was a sound system and large projection screen at the rear of the stage, where throughout the production photos appeared to intertwine appropriately with scenes being performed. I was able to let Ms. Chupien know that along with the audience I laughed n cried. Her timing and delivery were impeccable. I told her, “You earned the standing ovation!” I then proceeded to ask her a few questions.

I quired, “Who or what influenced your creation?” She explained, “My playwriting style is highly influenced by the honest and intricate work of stand-up comedians, Maria Bamford and Mike Biribglia. I am fascinated by the family dynamics brought to life by Paula Vogel and Eward Albee. I also love absurdist theatre and vintage vaudeville schtick.” Continuing. She explained, “I think that the BPF limits submissions to fifty. But I am still having a hard time believing that my script was selected. It is surreal to have something come out of my head onto paper and then lived out on stage.” She is humble and grounded. After seeing her life in a production, amazingly she has so much grace, fortitude, and positivity.

Titled Patterns and Petunias it is a perspective from a young girl, growing up in a strict, religious family, which dominates all beliefs onto family members throughout generations, thus the PATTERNS. The cast members include a sister, a mother and a grandmother who is mean, controlling and self-absorb with her own values and needs. This is of course passed to her daughter, and then to the grandchildren. Traumatic and eye opening, it opens a pandoras box of questioning authority and beliefs.

Upon the grandmother’s passing, there came a related renewal in the mother and daughter’s lives. Where there had been angst and dysfunction, which lay in the cobwebbed corners and cluttered home, a renewed sense of freedom arose. The mother and two daughters’ relationship became close n fun, with more understanding of each other.

The grandmother, who had forced her beliefs upon her daughter, was thus passed to the next generation of girls. Now what was once the albatross was gone forever when grandmother passed. Those who had conformed to quiet and still, following the words, to appease the grandmother, were free, finally. After one daughter had become rebellious, the other constantly tried to please, and was the rule follower. Although she was constantly questioning everything she was being taught. This ingenious mix of beliefs, secrets, lies, and dysfunction emersed all their lives, while trying to maintain the value of family.

The reflective stance of this play is both saddening and enlightening. A journey to discover facts from instilled beliefs. Funny and heart wrenching…guess that’s family. Beliefs and values are what are bestowed upon us as we grow.
What we discover is the freedom to “agree” to “disagree and sort fact from fiction, and it all depends on those people who set the examples. In conclusion, this production is flavored with a pinch of harsh reality, a handful of insightful questioning, and a dash of hard funny reasoning!

We are all walking books with our own stories, filled with scars, tears, laughter n memories. However, what we learn and how we cope is the takeaway from such experiences. From this play, we forge fourth, create self-alignment, of love, happiness and self-worth.