Marin Theatre completes its 2025-26 season with Sharr White’s adaptation of Larry Sultan’s photo memoir Pictures From Home. Directed by Jonathan Moscone, it runs in Mill Valley through May 31.
Using Sultan’s book as source material, the play follows Sultan (Daniel Cantor) through his process of documenting his parents, Irving (Victor Talmadge) and Jean (Susan Koozin), for his project.
There is no way to explain this show in a way that does it justice.
It helps that this show, which at its core is a story about a father and son, is directed by Moscone, whose own relationship with his father has been partially explored onstage. This experience with the kind of lightness of touch a relationship between family members requires really shows in the restraint and in the loving humor apparent onstage.
Similarly, Cantor’s choice to portray Sultan as a man who cannot be ignited, no matter the provocation, keeps this from becoming the sort of show that has become all too common when discussing family relationships. These are not perfect people, so is Sultan hiding behind a faux pacifism? Maybe, but the refusal to give the sort of violent catharsis to his anger works to give a deeper level of drama than any knock-out yelling fight would.
Then there are Talmadge and Koozin, who both are masters of the side-eye. These people love each other and their son, but they have no illusions about perfection in themselves or their offspring. Somehow Talmadge and Koozin can convey this as easily non-verbally as they can with dialogue.
And yet, even with all these superlatives, it’s not enough to convey what this show is and how excellently it is done. It’s funny and heartfelt without being saccharine. It’s provocative without being jaded, and tragic without being self-pitying. It never loses its joy, but never avoids depth.
The whole production is great. The set by Kate Noll is excellently detailed and well thought out, creating interesting stage pictures. Lights by Russell Champa and Charlie Mejia are nuanced and moody. Costumes by Meg Neville are well researched and faithfully recreated. And sound design by Cliff Caruthers finds the small sliver of space where it enhances the story without ever pulling attention to itself. Even with recognition of how well each artist involved executed their art form, it’s still impossible to prepare someone for this show.
Go see it. It’s the only way to understand how excellent Pictures From Home is.
‘Pictures from Home’ runs through May 31 at Marin Theatre, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. Tues–Sat, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 2pm. $15-$75. 415.388.5208. marintheatre.org.
