Review: My Mother and the Michigan/Ohio War

Review: My Mother and the Michigan/Ohio War | Miners Alley Performing Arts Center | Golden, CO | Curtain Up! | Eric Fitzgerald

Miners Alley Performing Arts Center debuts the regional premiere of My Mother and the Michigan/Ohio War, Paul Stroili’s sharp and heartfelt new dramedy (drama/comedy) that first appeared last year at The Purple Rose Theatre Company in Michigan. Under the skillful direction of Len Matheo, this production highlights Stroili’s combination of Midwestern humor, family tensions, and emotional honesty, delivering a story that’s just as funny as it is unexpectedly tender.

Recently widowed Izzy (Cindy Laudadio Hill) tries to honor her late husband Freddy’s dream of staging a reenactment of the Michigan–Ohio War, only to find herself caught between her feuding adult children, Carey (Kate Poling) and Josh (Orion Carrington). As Carey clings to her Michigan pride and Josh doubles down on his Ohio State loyalty, their long‑standing rivalry turns even the smallest decisions into battlegrounds. Izzy’s attempts to downsize the family home, sort through Freddy’s belongings, and keep the peace only increase the chaos. Amid the escalating conflict, the family is forced to confront old wounds, shared history, and the love that still connects them. In the end, Izzy learns that honoring Freddy means finding her own way forward rather than acting as referee in everyone else’s war.

The real Michigan–Ohio War of 1835–36—a mostly bloodless border dispute over the Toledo Strip—serves as both comic inspiration and thematic backbone for Stroili’s play. Remembered mainly for bureaucratic posturing and a single non-fatal stabbing, the “war” reflects this family’s pattern of petty conflicts and exaggerated loyalties. By referencing this nearly-war, Stroili demonstrates how tiny territorial lines—such as state borders, childhood bedrooms, and old grudges—can ignite battles that feel monumental at home, even when the actual stakes are love, loss, and the need to be understood.

Stroili is drawn to stories in which humor serves as a pressure valve for the things families struggle to say out loud, and My Mother and the Michigan/Ohio War is no exception. Stroili uses wit not as decoration but as revelation—letting jokes expose fault lines, soften grief, and illuminate the emotional blind spots his characters carry. His punchy dialogue and sly asides invite the audience to laugh first and recognize themselves second, a structure that allows the play’s deeper themes—loss, loyalty, aging, and the myths we inherit—to land with surprising clarity. In Stroili’s hands, humor isn’t an escape from the serious stuff; it’s the way we survive it.

Cindy Laudadio Hill anchors the production as Izzy, delivering a performance that’s both warmly grounded and mischievously alert. Hill slips in and out of the fourth wall with ease, confiding in the audience as if they’re old friends and even coaxing one willing participant into the evening’s unfolding adventure. Her timing is crisp, her emotional shifts unforced, and she carries the play’s blend of humor and heart with a naturalness that makes Izzy feel fully lived‑in.

Kate Poling delivers a simmering, tightly wound intensity in Carey, a woman whose Michigan pride and hidden resentments linger just beneath the surface. Polling channels that anger into a sharply focused performance — every gesture and line is purposeful, giving Carey clarity and drive that cut through the family chaos. She never allows the character’s frustration to become one-dimensional; instead, she shapes it into something precise, authentic, and unexpectedly revealing.

Orion Carrington delivers a memorable debut at Miners Alley as Josh, portraying the character’s subtle and specific OCD diagnosis in a quiet, affecting way. A proud Buckeye fan engaged in an ongoing rivalry with his Michigan-loving sister, Carrington subtly lets that rivalry influence Josh’s decisions without overdoing it. With a background that includes various television and film roles, Carrington brings professional ease to the stage, but it’s his steady presence and open, slightly vulnerable charm that make Josh feel real and compelling within the family dynamic.

Although Freddie Campbell never appears onstage—husband to Izzy and father to Carey and Josh—his funeral is the event that opens the play, and he operates as a quiet fourth character throughout. Nearly every conflict, memory, and moment of chaos revolves around him, especially his grand plan to stage a reenactment of the real Michigan–Ohio War. Freddie’s ambitions, loyalties, and lingering influence shape the family’s decisions, giving the play an emotional core that remains fully present even in his absence.

Len Matheo’s direction feels almost symbiotic with Stroili’s writing, as if he’s found a creative counterpart who shares his appetite for meaningful scripts wrapped in humor. Matheo leans into the play’s blend of wit and emotional undercurrent with an instinctive touch, shaping scenes so the jokes land cleanly without ever obscuring the deeper currents of grief, loyalty, and family mythology. It’s the kind of partnership you often see between directors and playwrights who speak the same artistic language—Matheo understands exactly where Stroili hides the heart of the piece, and he brings it forward with clarity, warmth, and a lightly mischievous spirit.

Scenic designer Jonathan Scott-McKean creates a lived-in, gently chaotic environment, with stacks of shipping boxes highlighting the ongoing transition as Izzy moves out of her home. Crystal McKenzie’s costumes give each character a unique visual rhythm, reflecting personality, loyalty, and emotional state without feeling exaggerated. Lighting designer Vance McKenzie applies a skillful touch, using changes in color and focus to lead us through the play’s tonal shifts and to frame Izzy’s audience asides with a warm, conspiratorial glow. John Hauser’s sound design provides the perfect atmospheric enhancement—musical cues and subtle textures that support humor and emotional moments while remaining in the background.

This production is a confident, well-crafted evening—exploring familiar family-drama themes but never losing its authenticity or emotional depth. It tells a story that feels like a genuine portrait of a family in transition, infused with Paul Stroili’s lively comedic touch. With Len Matheo’s steady direction and an ensemble that performs with both precision and warmth, My Mother and the Michigan/Ohio War offers a warmly engaging night at the theater. The production runs through March 29 at Miners Alley Performing Arts Center.