Families are one of the few things that many of us can simultaneously love and loath. Seeing cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends that you haven’t seen in months or years brings a joy that is often hard to find elsewhere. However, there’s always that one uncle that brings up politics a little too often; or that aunt that decides to arrive a few hours late and stays way past everyone else; or even the cousin that always tries to butt into every conversation. That loving joy that you felt originally can shift to a longing for the last family member to leave the house pretty quickly.

The old adage “you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family,” rings too true for many. Even though we can’t pick our family, something that is nearly universal is the love that a family shares. Most parents just want what is best for their kids. Some parents just struggle with being able to express that in ways their kids understand.  Siblings will always love one another, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t annoy each other to no end. The annoying pushing and prodding that families do to each other, always comes from a place of love, even when it’s hard to see it that way. 

The Dumbroskys are just like any other family. They fight, they bicker, and they love each other. The love is sometimes not always apparent. My hope was that as the audience watched this production, they were reminded of both the love and loathing that your family can bring you.