La Mama Theatre presents the semi-autobiographical Stars Of Track And Field, written by Amanda Miha. The work is a brave and honest exploration of family relationships and mental illness. Kristina Benton plays a broken former athlete and mother struggling to deal with the chronic pain she must endure following a catastrophic car accident that ended her running career. She's joined onstage by Hayden Burke, who plays her protective teenage son, Stephania Pountney, her exasperated teenage daughter, and Joe Petruzzi, her somewhat hopeless husband. Each actor is strong and gives the script the commitment that it deserves. The writing successfully captures the difficulties and nuances of the family's dynamics. Furthermore, the performances convey the confusion and pain the family is suffering. Benton is never totally irrational and Petruzzi is never completely incompetent yet the audience innately understands the confusion and hopelessness that the family is experiencing. The pace of the play is tight on the whole, but the flow is jarring in some areas. This is most apparent during the scenes where simultaneous conversations between brother and sister and husband and wife occur. The syncopated conversations could have been more rehearsed; however, one gets the impression that they will improve as the run matures. Stars Of Track And Field is a remarkable work, poignant and important.
