The Staircase: The touching story of a Hawaiian family
16 May 2025 Review
The Staircase, performed by a mostly Hawaiian cast of just four actors, is touching, humorous and, at times, mystifying.
Written by USC graduate Noa Gardner, the play follows a Hawaiian family, an aging mother and her middle-aged son (simply called Mother and Son), as they retell Hawaiian legends, while their own stories bubble beneath the surface. The Staircase revolves around these stories, and what happens to a family when certain pieces of their past remain unspoken.
The performances of Mother and Son, whose everyday interactions in their living room mark the majority of the play, were outstanding. Their unique mannerisms showcased their individual characters, but their subtle interactions as stubborn, mutually dependent people completely brought their respective roles to life. With her effortless humor and impressive monologues recounting Hawaiian creation stories, Mother commanded the audience throughout.
The Staircase features many surreal, supernatural elements, which work to tie these spiritual creation stories together with the family’s current reality — and is a choice which beautifully wraps up the play in a final cathartic scene.
The Staircase tackles themes present in families and in wider societies. The titular staircase — which beautifully centers the set of the characters’ living room — becomes a symbol for the family’s relentless connection, despite external factors and unspoken traumas threatening to push them apart. But within The Staircase’s broader theme of home, larger issues are addressed.
In an interview with Andy Knight of the South Coast Repertory, Gardner spoke on the significance of this theme and the play’s setting.
“I think part of it has to do with how Hawaiians are a minority in our own homeland. We account for only around 20% of the population. It’s a surreal thing. For my family and my ancestors, it’s the only place we’ve ever known. There’s a huge connection to the land. For us, the land isn’t a commodity but a part of your DNA. You can trace it in our creation stories—this idea of the land being sacred because it is you and you are it,” Gardner said.
The Staircase will continue to run at South Coast Repertory’s Julianne Argyros Stage until Sunday, May 18, and tickets can be purchased here.
— Emma Richman