Full of clever, sometimes-brutal humor, and tender, relatable discussions about moving through life’s most overwhelming shifts, Parents in Chains, presented as a “disguised” reading by Ensemble Theatre Company in association with J. Todd Harris, is a smooth, comic pleasure. Jay Martel’s brand-new play follows six parents on a series of group text chains initiated to keep each other “informed” while their daughters, recent high school grads, are on a “last hurrah” road trip from L.A. to S.F. before starting new lives (mostly at college) in the fall. The conversation thread amongst parents, including type-A steamroller Murial, distracted, incomprehensible Connor, and depression zombie Rick, quickly devolves into tribal allegiances and a series of side-convos that illustrate how these middle-aged adults are coping with finding meaning in a life that has, in a variety of ways, taken from them that “thing” they had passionately invested in for so long — whether it be a relationship, a career, or a child.
Pete Gardner, Sharon Lawrence, and Thomas Sadoski star in the Ensemble Theatre Company’s world premiere production of “PARENTS IN CHAINS” by Jay Martel, directed by Andy Fickman and now playing at the New Vic Theatre. | Photo: Loren Haar 
Matt Walsh stars in the Ensemble Theatre Company’s world premiere production of “PARENTS IN CHAINS” | Photo: Loren Haar 
Sharon Lawrence stars in the Ensemble Theatre Company’s world premiere production of “PARENTS IN CHAINS” by Jay Martel, directed by Andy Fickman and now playing at the New Vic Theatre. | Photo: Loren Haar 
Thomas Sadoski stars in the Ensemble Theatre Company’s world premiere production of “PARENTS IN CHAINS” by Jay Martel, directed by Andy Fickman and now playing at the New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara. | Photo: Loren Haar 
Jorja Fox stars in the Ensemble Theatre Company’s world premiere production of “PARENTS IN CHAINS” | Photo: Loren Haar 
Pete Gardner stars in the Ensemble Theatre Company’s world premiere production of “PARENTS IN CHAINS” by Jay Martel, directed by Andy Fickman and now playing at the New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara. | Photo: Loren Haar
Directed by Andy Fickman, Parents in Chains is a fun departure from the standard theatrical performance where performers interact directly, balancing emotional pacing between everyone in the scene. The “dialogue” in this show is almost completely written as text messages, meaning the characters are talking to each other, but not face to face. Actors must react to line delivery based on the character’s assumed inflection, and there’s no moderating factor of face-to-face communication. Yet because texting is such a prevalent (and often-preferred) conversational option, this style of solo reaction seems natural on stage, since it is the reality of much of our communication.
The cast is a rotating set of actors mostly known for television work, so check etcsb.org for specifics. Parents in Chains is smart, accessible, and funny; it’s an exciting drop-in to the Ensemble season, and a satisfying story of people fumbling, struggling, and finally making connections.
Parents in Chains runs at the New Vic through March 30. See etcsb.org for tickets and showtimes.
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