The Memory Of Water

This was all right Stephenson's first play and opened in London in 1996, winning the "Olivier Award for Best Comedy" that year.""

Three sisters meet on the eve of their mother's funeral; as the conflicts of the past converge, everyday lies and tensions reveal the particular patterns and strains of family relationships. Teresa is seemingly content with her second marriage and health food business though she is an obsessive organizer to the point of extremes. Mary is a vaguely discontented successful doctor with an equally successful lover Mike, who is, alas, married. Catherine is the youngest and most immature and binges on shopping for inappropriate clothes, go-nowhere love affairs, and drugs. There's also the about to be buried mother who returns to haunt her three daughters in order to ensure everything is alright with the three of them before she is laid to rest.

Stephenson's story is a tragedy, peppered with laughter, about mothers and daughters who fail to successfully navigate the troubling shores of love and antagonism and also tend to fail in establishing healthy and enduring connections with sisters and lovers.

This Student Edition features the full text of the play and an introduction that includes a plot summary and a discussion of the themes, characters, structure, language, style and production history of the play. Notes on words and phrases in the text, questions for further study and a bibliography provide students with everything they need to study and appreciate this award-winning play.