Written and Directed by Laurie Rose Savage
Presented at Matthew Corozine Studio Theater | 357 West 36th Street, Suite 202, New York, NY 10018
October 9, 2026 – October 25, 2026
Photo Credit by Sonder Visuals/Annie Saeugling Photography
Going into Blue Gum, Brooklyn was an interesting experience. Taking the elevator up and walking into the studio felt almost like walking into an apartment, except it wasn’t. It was an actual theater studio, and when you walk in, it’s a small auditorium, only about forty seats. It was so packed, which in my opinion was an indicator that the show was going to be good. It was really, really packed, so much so that people were even standing because there were no seats left.
What I noticed right away was the set. It was a Brooklyn apartment, almost like a small shoebox, and it really captured what a New York City apartment looks like. I loved how so much of the apartment was multipurpose. The living room was also their reading area and chill area, and the kitchen table served as both a place to eat and the dining room table. In one scene, they unfolded the table so it got a little bigger. That’s something a lot of New Yorkers have in their apartments. Since our apartments are so small, we can’t really have a big dining table, so a lot of us have a small table that unfolds in case one more guest comes over. The play really captured what it’s like to live in New York and all the amenities needed to have a small apartment.
But there is more to Blue Gum, Brooklyn than a relatable set.
The play follows the Singer sisters, who come together for a family dinner in their Brooklyn apartment. The older sisters are Melanie Beatrice Singer (Kat Donachie) and Jean Willow Singer (Christine Cartell), and the youngest is Dolly Mirabelle Singer (Maya Mills), who brings her girlfriend, Suzie Diane Cook (Frances Inés Rodriguez). Melanie is the one taking care of their sick mother, and Jean is rough around the edges, a typical New Yorker who runs a restaurant. Dolly is the one who went to college, very much on the go, educated and published. And then there’s their mother, who is in the room the entire play, but we never get to see her.
One of my favorite parts was Dolly. Since she was the youngest, she was way more liberal than her older sisters, and there was definitely a gap between them. At one point, Dolly announced that she was having a kid through a surrogate, and she talked about how it takes 24 months for a baby’s gender identity to form, so the child might not declare its gender until then. The crowd kind of laughed for a second, because usually you find out the gender while the baby is still in the stomach. It was such a funny moment.
I also loved Suzie. She and Dolly got along really well, and at first everyone was cracking jokes and having a good time. Suzie even tried to keep Dolly from getting into arguments with her sisters. But Suzie used to work at Jean’s restaurant, and after the kitchen burned down, she got a new job as a chef for a private client, using some of the recipes from the restaurant. Jean wasn’t happy about that, and an argument broke out. Suzie was basically like, how am I supposed to make ends meet? Things got so heated that she ended up having to leave.
Without spoiling the show, there were so many bombshells after bombshells, and it just made the show so, so interesting. There were jokes after jokes, and so many times the entire audience laughed. But the jokes didn’t make it some asinine show, because there were some very serious moments too. It was almost like a roller coaster, where you’re experiencing tragic moments and then moments that are so funny.
That is what struck me most. I enjoyed how the show mixed the authenticity and struggles of being a New Yorker with the complexities of family life. It showed how family isn’t always straightforward and isn’t always easy. Sometimes it can be turbulent. Melanie talked about how difficult it was taking care of their sick mother and how she had to sacrifice so much, missing appointments and important events to watch over her mother. The nanny was only coming three days a week, so Melanie pretty much had to be a full time caretaker. Her sisters said they shared the responsibility, but it was really Melanie doing most of it. There was even a moment where Dolly thought their mom was the one making her lunch for school, but it was actually her sister. And when Dolly announced she was having a kid, some of the sisters got jealous and felt left out.
They also talked about selling the house, and there was a part I think a lot of people in the audience related to: what happens when someone passes away? Who gets what? Sometimes that can be a big sticking point within families, and they conveyed that point really, really well. The sisters argued a lot, but what they were really arguing for was to be closer to each other. As they grew older, they all had their own lives, and it just goes to show how difficult it is to maintain a good relationship with your family sometimes. Laurie Rose Savage did an amazing job with the writing and directing, because she was able to show the hard parts of family while still making you laugh.
The cast was so on point with their performances and their jokes. Kat Donachie, Christine Cartell, Maya Mills and Frances Inés Rodriguez really felt like a family, and their New York accents really tied into how amazing it was. The show was about an hour and a half, and they never skipped a beat.
Overall, if you’re looking for a show that encompasses what it’s like to be a New Yorker while also addressing what it’s like to have difficult family matters, this is the show for you. I think someone who is a tourist or visiting New York City for the first time would really enjoy the show, because there are a lot of jokes about what it’s like being crammed into a shoebox and dealing with the everyday nuances of family. The play really captured what a New York City family may deal with.
One thing I want to name is the ending. They left it on a cliffhanger. They didn’t reveal whether the mother died or where the sisters go from here. This is a really good play, and I could really see there being a part two. Highly recommend.
Review by Nickson Frederick.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on October 25, 2026. All rights reserved.
