In Little One, part of the New York International Fringe Festival, a brother and sister portray their lives growing up in an ordinary suburban neighborhood. The siblings were adopted into their family. Aaron (Daniel Arnold) arrived as a little boy who sadly lost his parents in a fire, but was otherwise loving and well-adjusted. Claire (Marisa Smith) came into the family severely traumatized, likely abused, and not even knowing her own name.
This one-hour play has a cast of two, but through their interactions and storytelling asides, other characters develop a voice too. We hear about the adoptive parents, who are kind and desperate to get Claire get well. There’s also a side story about their neighbors, Roger and Kim Lee, a story that holds our interest and comes full circle by the end.
Aaron wants to help his sister as much as his parents do. His childhood memories revolve around family trips to the therapist’s office, and he learns how to tiptoe around Claire so as not to trigger upsetting memories. But Aaron is also a typical brother who taunts his little sister, and as they get older he resents the focus that is always on Claire.
There was never a dull moment or an awkward pause in Little One, which was written by Hannah Moscovitch and directed by Amiel Gladstone. The actors hook the audience from the beginning. Daniel Arnold is a FringeNYC alum. His emotional range is wide as he switches from good-natured kid to annoyed brother as quickly and believably as any teenager would. Marisa Smith is also a seasoned actor. As Claire, she slips from sane to psychopathic in an instant, as she struggles to battle her childhood demons. She’s learning how to be a daughter and a sister, but deep trauma keeps bubbling up to her surface.
The only stumble came at the end. The characters and plot developed with such patient control, but when the issues were resolved, they were all resolved at once. Overall, it was a satisfying ending to the story, but there was a lot to take in during the final few moments. It cast me out of Aaron and Claire’s world a little too abruptly after an hour of being happily enveloped in it.
