Chelsea Woolley's Paint Me This House of Love
Is Burning Coal's Latest Theatrical Triumph

Chelsea Woolley's Paint Me This House of Love is Burning Coal Theatre Company's latest theatrical triumph; indeed, Flora Bare's direction of this gem positively shines.

When it comes to the subject of dysfunctional family relationships, keep in mind that:

1. Everyone is entitled to an explanation.
2. Everyone is entitled to a chance to explain.
3. Everyone will interpret (and reinterpret) the "facts" in ways that fit into their own vision.

SO: What will happen when a 33-year-old woman finds herself face-to-face with the father that she has not seen since age eight? How will he explain his absence? How will she interpret the stories of which his explanation is comprised? And how will she interpret her mother's version(s) of the stories?

Paint Me This House of Love is much more than the story of one broken family. It is an exploration of human attempts to cope with and bridge interpersonal gaps and of our need to explain and to justify (to ourselves as well as to others) the depths of our shortcomings.

Quick Question: Is the "me" in the title a direct object? Or an indirect object?

That is, does it mean "paint this house of love for me"? Or does it mean "apply paint to me and thereby create this house of love"?

Chelsea Woolley's Paint Me This House of Love stars Ali Goins as Jules and Monica Hoh as Ci (photo by Kevin Lord)

The Play:

In the opening scene, we meet Ci, a young urban professional who lives in a house that is in need of repair as well as sprucing up. Twenty-five years have passed since she has seen her father Jules, who is now here, about to sit down to a cup of coffee with her.

The two speak in rapid-fire sentence fragments that often convey suggestions of multiple meanings that may or may not be intended. Curiously, the two understand each other's imperfect speech, intuiting the meaning behind what is said and what is left unsaid.

Equally curious is the fact that we, the audience, understand what we hear in this fragmented, scrambled language as well as (if not better than) we would have understood straight-forward, complete sentences.

After a long-and-winding chat (multiple games of cat and mouse, if you will), they establish that Jules will be staying in Ci's guest room for a little while.

In the second scene, we witness Ci's daughter-mother relationship with Rhondi, who is definitely not a fan of Jules (and is now married to her fourth husband).

Every conversation is laced with stories of the past, several of which conflict with each other. Which are true? And how much actual "truth" from the past is necessary to create a foundation on which to build a future?

The name "Michael" crops up repeatedly in these conversations. Presumably, he is a past love interest of Ci's. But how, exactly, does he fit into the puzzle (of the picture that is painted for us) of Ci's life?

The word "monster" is also a frequent part of the conversation concerning the past that Jules and Ci share. For example, we learn that he used to entertain her with stories about monsters and that the two of them used to "play monster." We also hear Ci refer to "monsters that made me cry." Is there a suggestion that they are "creating a monster" as they make plans to reunite?

Be sure to catch the significance of the fact that Ci always addresses her father as "Jules" rather than as "dad." Or does she?

Pay attention to the in-progress game of Scrabble that is set up for two players (although we have no evidence that anyone else has been in the room recently), and be sure to notice that the trays containing the players' letters are not positioned so as to keep the opponents from seeing which letters are in each other's trays. How many levels of metaphorical meanings are suggested here?

And listen carefully as Ci starts to spell out a word that she is placing on the board. Is there a significance in the fact that she fails to finish the word? Or in her subsequent actions?

Julie Hall Oliver (left) and Monica Hoh star as Rhondi and Ci in Paint Me This House of Love stars (photo by Kevin Lord)

The Acting:

Buckets of bravos to Monica Hoh (as Ci) and Ali Goins (as Jules) for the superhuman delivery of their lines in the opening scene! Director Flora Bare, I am sure, deserves much of the credit for the hitch-free, perfectly natural sounding way in which the incomplete sentences are fired between the two, often overlapping each other yet always registering in the audience's ear with crystal-like clarity. The pair also deserve countless kudos for the chemistry created in their interactions.

Julie Hall Oliver has graced local stages numerous times, and she has never missed the mark in delivery of laugh-inducing lines. Her portrayal of Rhondi is no exception, yet Oliver cannot be accused of "playing it for laughs." Rather, she is to be commended for the way in which she reveals her character with humor that is sometimes gentle and often acidic.

For that matter, all three actors reveal the depths of their characters' personalities, warts and all; and all three manage to earn audience sympathy for their characters despite these "warts."

The Tech:

Scenery and lighting design by Stephen White effectively create the living room of Ci's house and easily morphs into the stairwell landing in Rondi's apartment building and later into Rhondi's dining area.

Costume design by Beth Gargan is appropriate for each of the characters and adds a layer of understanding of their personalities.

Sound design by Juan Isler and Addison Florio includes some inspired effects.

Carolyn Briggs-Gaul has assembled all the necessary props to get the job done.

Stage manager Wade Wood makes it all happen.

Monica Hoh stars as Ci and Ali Goins stars as Jules in Chelsea Woolley's Paint Me This House of Love stars (photo by Kevin Lord)

Nice Touches:

• Multiple references to (and uses of) the color orange (including "orange swirl").
• The "choreography" of Jules' "moves" at various points.
• A poignant use of voiceover during the reading of a letter.
• References to local places.
• Rhondi's claim to always carrying money in her shoe.
• The lighting effect that simulates light coming in through windows downstage of the action.

Memorable Lines:

• "I'm good at beautiful."
• "It's up and coming.... It up and went."
• "Why shouldn't a dream be just as much a truth? A fantasy be just as deep a reality?"
• "Nobody goes to Montenegro!"
• "Truth is love."
• "I kept the window open, but the only thing out there was the night."
• "Yes! Please do. Tell me what it appears to be."
• "Generations of women falling for a smile."

The Bottom Line:

Burning Coal Theatre Company's production of Paint Me This House of Love is a complex show that is easy to watch and enjoy. Several of its "meanings" are open-ended, so be prepared to ponder and to make your own meanings as you interpret and reinterpret what you see and hear in this two-hours-traffic on the stage.

Chelsea Woolley's Paint Me This House of Love stars Monica Hoh (left) as Ci and Julie Hall Oliver as Rhondi (photo by Kevin Lord)

Chelsea Woolley's PAINT ME THIS HOUSE OF LOVE (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, 6-9, and 13-16), directed by Flora Bare and starring Ali Goins as Jules, Monica Hoh as Ci, and Julie Hall Oliver as Rhondi (Burning Coal Theatre Company in the Murphey School Auditorium in Raleigh). FEATURETTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCnhTwS9wgY. DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://burningcoal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PAINT-ME-digital-program.pdf. STUDY GUIDE: https://burningcoal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Paint-Me-Study-Guide.pdf. PRESENTER: https://burningcoal.org/, https://www.facebook.com/burningcoaltheatrecompany, https://www.instagram.com/burningcoaltc/, https://twitter.com/burningcoaltc, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3qVv6iWGS3yQtVoFH5_XNQ. PODCASTS: https://burningcoal.podbean.com/. 2024-25 MAINSTAGE SEASON: https://burningcoal.org/now-playing/season-28/. VENUE: https://burningcoal.org/plan-your-visit/ and https://burningcoal.org/history-of-the-murphey-school/. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://burningcoal.org/plan-your-visit/. ACCESSIBILITY: https://burningcoal.org/accessibility/. VENUE: https://burningcoal.org/plan-your-visit/ and https://burningcoal.org/history-of-the-murphey-school/. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://burningcoal.org/plan-your-visit/. ACCESSIBILITY: https://burningcoal.org/accessibility/. PAINT ME THIS HOUSE OF LOVE (2023 Toronto play): https://newplayexchange.org/script/2049915/paint-me-this-house-of-love and https://tarragontheatre.com/plays/2022-2023/paint-me-this-house-of-love/. STUDY GUIDE (Tarragon Theatre of Toronto): https://tarragontheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Paint-Me-This-House-of-Love-Resource-Guide-1.pdf. CHELSEA WOOLLEY (Canadian playwright and librettist): https://newplayexchange.org/users/15124/chelsea-woolley, https://playwrightsguild.ca/playwright/woolley-chelsea/ and https://nnpn.org/affiliated-artists/chelsea-woolley. TICKETS: $30 ($5 college students, $20 teachers and active-duty military personnel, and $25 seniors 65+), except $20 Thursday Special and $5 Thursdays and Fridays for students 18 and under with ID. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-834-4001 or info@burningcoal.org. PLEASE DONATE TO: Burning Coal Theatre Company.

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