THE BASICS:  BIRTHDAY CANDLES, a play by Noah Haidle, presented by the Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), in the Bratton Theater. Performance Dates Tue – Sun through July 21 all days at 2:30 except for Wednesday 7/17 at 4:00.  For details, visit tickets.chq.org/landing.html
NOTE: BIRTHDAY CANDLES may not be suitable for youth under 8.

RUNTIME: 90 minutes without intermission

THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  On her 17^th birthday, emo girl with a flair for the dramatic (she’s going to be “Queen Lear” in her high school production), Ernestine Ashworth declares in quick succession that her life is over (or at least cosmically insignificant) and also that she is “going to surprise God.”  Over the decades, where on each birthday, she bakes the same butter cake that her mother used to make; we come to really like Ernestine, who gets married and has children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  

We drop in on her 18th birthday, 41^st, 70^th, and, poignant, but never sappy, her 101st.  All the action takes place in her kitchen (with a real working oven) and there are relatable moments for everyone in the audience.  Perhaps I’m biased, but I would say that the more life you have lived, the more you will enjoy this play as you get to exercise your empathy muscles.  It’s like “chair yoga” for the soul.