by Tim Leininger

River Lipe-Smith and Chloë Grace Moretz in MCC Theater’s 2025 production of CAROLINE – Photo by Emilio Madrid

            The parent-child dynamic can be beautiful, tender, and sensitive, or it can be fraught with bitterness, suspicion, and regret. Such is the dichotomy in Preston Max Allen’s new play Caroline, directed by David Cromer, running through Nov. 16 at The Susan & Ronald Frankel Theater at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space at 511 W. 52^nd St. in New York City.

            Caroline is a deeply sensitive play of three generations as the two older generations face their past conflicts in hopes of not making the youngest generation as screwed up as their lives have been. Chloë Grace Moretz plays Maddie, a single mother of a trans daughter, the titular Caroline (River Lipe-Smith). After an altercation between Caroline and Maddie’s boyfriend that leaves Caroline with an injured arm — the result of the boyfriend acting out against his discovery of Caroline being trans — the two flee West Virginia to find refuge in Evanston, Illinois with Maddie’s mother, Rhea (Amy Landecker).

            Preston Max Allen doesn’t go the stereotypical route of dealing with the issue of Caroline’s transgenderism, avoiding having that be the conflict of the play, and I think this is for the better. We’ve seen that kind of plot for decades with many LGBTQ movies, plays and television, and at this point, it’s almost cliché. Rhea’s response to Caroline being trans is of love and acceptance. Instead, the conflict focuses on Rhea and Maddie, and their inability to reconcile Maddie’s past as an addict, having stolen $70,000 from her parents at one point. They have been estranged for years, with Rhea only just finding out that she has a granddaughter. The distrust that Rhea has of Maddie brings the two into conflict as to how to move forward with Caroline and how she should be raised, with Rhea wanting to take custody of the child with Maddie getting visitation rights. If Maddie refuses the offer, Rhea won’t offer financial support for Caroline and the medical expenses for her to transition physically.

Amy Landecker and Chloë Grace Moretz in MCC Theater’s 2025 production of CAROLINE – Photo by Emilio Madrid

            The conflict between Rhea and Maddie is dynamite and Landecker and Grace Moretz are fantastic as they battle with each other with two valid points of view. Granted, we as an audience have more information than Rhea, so we are maneuvered to be more sympathetic to Maddie and Caroline by being ahead of Rhea. Maddie has been clean for eight years and has put her life in order, but because she has been estranged from her parents for so long, Rhea has not seen any of the progress her daughter has made and can only judge things by her experience with her and that Maddie has just fled an abusive boyfriend. Landecker plays Rhea with a measured elitism as an, at least, upper middle-class woman of means and a bitter streak of perpetual disappointment in her daughter. Grace Moretz’s Maddie is passionate and fiercely independent who only wants what’s best for Caroline.

            Despite the arguments between Rhea and Maddie being well written by Preston Max Allen and deftly directed David Cromer, there is an avoidance in having Caroline be a voice in much of this conflict, which I take umbrage with. There are significant parts of the play where Caroline is in the house with Rhea and Maddie as they argue, but is conveniently not present in the room. It feels like a cheat to focus solely on the conflict between Rhea and Maddie without Caroline. She should have some say in this, giving her more agency and having her witness the toxicity between her mother and grandmother would only help amplify the conflict. Also, there is the absence of Maddie’s father, who is conveniently out of town the entire time of the play with Rhea voicing his opinions by proxy. I get the sense that Max Allen wants the conflict to center around the women, but, again, it feels like a cheat to avoid having to bring that other voice into the plot.

Chloë Grace Moretz and River Lipe-Smith in MCC Theater’s 2025 production of CAROLINE – Photo by Emilio Madrid

            River Lipe-Smith does a solid job as Caroline. They give Caroline an innocent hopefulness that brings the play a bit of light that can be squashed by the eternal conflict of Rhea and Maddie. The warmth between Lipe-Smith with Grace Moretz is particularly great to watch.

            There is some great lighting work by designer Tyler Micoleau, who is transitions from the soft lighting of a motel room to the brilliant lighting of Rhea’s home with textured ease. Lee Jellinek’s scenic design keeps multiple spaces on stage, but when coupled with Darbassie’s lighting, never feels overly cluttered or muddled as to where the characters are at any given time.

            Caroline is an inspirational piece juxtaposing the healthy and unhealthy bonds between mother and child, rooted in two excellent performances by Amy Landecker and Chloë Grace Moretz. There should have been more agency given to Caroline, but the show’s theme of the past having life-long repercussions makes this an engaging intimate family drama.

CAROLINE

TICKETS: https://mcctheater.org/

PRODUCTION

Written by Preston Max Allen

Directed by David Cromer

Production Stage Manager: Kelly A. Martindale

Assistant Stage Manager: Jack Ganguly

Scenic Design: Lee Jellinek

Costume Design: David Hyman

Lighting Design: Tyler Micoleau

Sound Design: Christopher Darbassie

Hair & Wig Design: Robert Pickens

Make Up Design: Suki Tsujimoto

Voice & Text Coach: Gigi Buffington

Props Supervisor: Samantha Shoffner

DEI Consultant: Nicole Johnson, Em Chester/Harriet Tubman Effect

Casting: The Telsey Office/Caparelliotis Casting

CAST (in alphabetical order)

Amy Landecker as Rhea

River Lipe-Smith as Caroline

Chloë Grace Moretz as Maddie