Perhaps it is just me but lately I’ve noticed particularly with plays a lot of the titles feel like the theatrical equivalent of clickbait. I get the challenges of getting people to engage with something original without the IP or music to attract an audience but it can also create an unnecessary barrier of expectation between the audience and the play they are seeing. Let’s remember that some of the greatest plays ever written also have simple titles like Our Town, Hamlet, or Doubt. Anyway, I say this because seeing the new play at Immigrants Daughter which is going to be at GSLC Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe My Brother was a Vampire I actually enjoyed the play but felt a bit hoodwinked by the title. It also has the subtitle “a horror comedy” on the poster and maybe I missed something but I saw very little of either in this play.

That’s not to say it’s bad. It’s not. As an exploration of family trauma and the manipulation of siblings I found it quite effective. Ariana Braumas Farber and Tyler Fox play a brother and sister who have dealt with abusive parents and a certain degree of co-dependence on each other that has led to addiction, underwhelming relationships and other dysfunction in their lives. The narrative starts with them in their 30s and then tells their story going backwards until ending as children in a very abusive situation. My friend who saw the play had a very different take on the brother than I picked up on but it’s definitely a character steeped in trauma. Both Farber and Fox are quite good and believable as siblings, which is key in this type of two-hander in a black box to work.

The show is written by local playwright Morag Shepherd and directed by Stephanie Stroud. The only thing I might have changed in the presentation is I wish the 2 actors had moved around a little bit more. I felt like I had Fox’s back to me for most of the play until they switched places and then I had Farber’s back to me. Creating some variety in the movement helps us see both actor’s faces more, which allows us to be more invested in the story.

I am sure audience members who have more challenging sibling relationships will relate strongly to My Brother was a Vampire. I’m lucky and mine are relatively drama-free but there’s always insight to be gained from diving into any human conflict. My Brother was a Vampire is playing at GSLC Fringe 7/25-7/27 and tickets can be purchased here and then at Edinburgh Fringe 8/1 and tickets can be purchased here. Best of luck to them at the festival

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