Realistic
Beside Herself
This play tells the story of Catherine and Orson, as well as their daughter Beth and her Wife, Roberta. Catherine and Beth are deceased, with the story rapidly changing perspectives and time periods in a series of semi-disconnected shorts. The two primary time periods are Orson and Roberta in the present talking about their lost relationships (at separate locations) and multiple points in the past that link with varying levels of strength to what's being talked about in the present. The viewer learns of intimate details around the family through these snippets, from simpler loving/ argumentitive/ etc. moments to more charged moments, particularly strong memories that are difficult to forget. As the play progresses, it shares the details of Catherine's declining health, as well as Beth's descent into addiction which led to their deaths. Orson, we now learn, leads a group discussion circle of people who have lost their loved ones, which is where he and Roberta are talking in the present. We also learn, as the play ends, that Orson is helping Roberta with her young daughter Lily who lives on in Beth's memory.
