What can be said about a piece of art that makes us feel uncomfortable? Does that make it good or bad? TheatreUNI’sproduction of “Independence”, a show that will make you feel uncomfortable, opened last Thursday at the Bertha Martin Theater.

The plot concerns the women of the Briggs family of Independence, Iowa. The cast included the mother, Evelyn, played by UNI alumnus Kristen Teig Torres, and her daughters Kess (Marjorie Gast), Jo (Elizabeth Dehne) and Sherry (Madison Fairbanks).

The play takes place over the course of a week as the most mature of the sisters, Kess, returns to the family home to visit and checkup on Evelyn, who has a history of mental illness. Tensions are high as most of the family feels as though Kess has abandoned them. This is primarily a play driven by the characters. They bounce dialogue off each other as only family members can, giving the play a very real energy.

Torres gives a sweet, sometimes terrifying performance as Evelyn. Early on, her performance was iffy and unconvincing as a woman with mental health issues. But as the play progressed, her performance became more believable; it began to make more sense towards the end. She is able to be both motherly and childish in her relationships with her daughters. She is highly manipulative of her daughter Jo, playing on her kind nature and her love for her mother. Torres plays Evelyn as a woman who has seen the dark side of her family and chooses to ignore it in favor of keeping a happy family façade. She ignores her own problems and instead blames her children for her behavior.

Kess is the eldest daughter and the only one to escape her small town-Iowa upbringing. Kess is an interesting character, as she has to keep her family together while staying out of her mother’s reach. It shows in Gast’s performance that Kess is struggling with her feelings toward her mother and sisters; although, she tries her best to keep everyone happy. Of the family members, she seems to have the most control over her life as she is the one who has to step up when her mother acts out. This is a position that Kess is reluctant to take and was accurately portrayed in the performance.

Dehne’s portrayal of Jo Briggs is a performance that leaves the viewer either in awe or uncomfortable. Without giving away too much about the plot, Jo’s role in the play can best be summed up as tragic. She is the ever-present “good sister.” She dresses conservatively through most of the play and is attentive. However, she is heartbroken and has to confront something that we all have to at some point: the idea that we are naturally becoming our parents. Dehne plays this with the sincerity and fear that accompanies an epiphany like this; she holds nothing back when she finally makes a decision about her life.

The youngest sister, Sherry, is the moody teen. She is apathetic towards her sisters and her mother. Through this, she provides much of the comic relief during the show. She takes few things seriously until the end where her true emotions shine through; it is almost painful to watch as an audience member can clearly relate to what she’s going through on stage. Fairbanks’ performance is real and understated as she inhabits the mannerisms and way of speaking of a rebellious teenager.

The play’s set was extremely realistic, down to the cabinet where glass figurines are shown and a roll-top desk. This is thanks to the show’s scenic designer, John Bagby.

As for the play’s weaknesses, there were a few spots where the actor stumbled over lines, but nothing that really jerked an audience member out of the world of the play.

All in all, “Independence” is a fine example of family drama. Theatre is supposed to hit you like a sledgehammer. It’s supposed to make you uncomfortable. A person walks into a theatre for a show and they know that it’s just that, a show. It’s the actors’ job to make the audience forget what they know. “Independence” does this as it blurs the line between a show and real life. We all have had experiences similar to those portrayed in this play which makes it all the more real. It’s fair to say that it accomplished its goal as one definitely feels something familiar while walking away.