August 14, 2008
Part of the NY International Fringe Festival
Now That She's Gone: Unraveling The Mystery Of My Mother

By Leonard Jacobs

Barbro Snortland was an enigma, mostly an infuriating one, to her youngest daughter, Ellen, from the time Ellen was born, we learn, until Barbro's death in 2003. Now That She's Gone , however, is considerably more than a poignant and insightful recounting of the lives of a mother and daughter who never connected well.

Directed by John Mitchell, author-actor Ellen Snortland's script examines her tumultuous personal history as an attorney, a journalist, a recovering cocaine addict, and a stage practitioner, set against the backdrop of the American feminist movement of the 1970s and '80s — she is a baby boomer, after all. She also weaves in dramatic material regarding the one gift her mother gave her: an abiding appreciation for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded the United Nations, against all geopolitical odds, to approve.

At precisely 90 minutes, there are moments when you wonder if Snortland will succeed in knitting together the threads of her tapestry. When she does, it's a moment that's thrilling in its simplicity. Yes, Snortland does learn why her mother was the cold, laconic creature she was. No, it wasn't because the elder Snortland didn't want a third child — or three girls, for that matter. Detective work and intuition pay off for this performer in a family story beautifully brought to the stage.

Presented by EMP Theatricals as part of the New York International Fringe Festival at the SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St ., NYC. Aug. 12 - 22. Remaining performances: Fri ., Aug. 15, 3 p.m.; Mon., Aug. 18, 7 p.m.; Fri., Aug. 22, 5:30 p.m. ( 212 ) 279-4488 or ( 866 ) 468-7619 or www.fringenyc.org