The Half-Light

“Brave people live in this world. I wanted to say that.” –Teresa in The Half-Light

The Half-Light is a funny and heartbreaking drama that considers the myriad ways in which we both lose and discover the ones we love -- the dead who are gone, and the living who are just out of reach. After a chance encounter, a college secretary asks herself a profound question: Can certain people be trained to see the dead? Iris's pursuit of an answer leads to a more earthbound challenge when her beloved colleague, Andrew, is suddenly felled by grief. Armed with her own intuition and the garrulous enthusiasm of her friend Helen, Iris attempts to coax Andrew back to the land of the living. Meanwhile, Helen faces off with her daughter, Teresa, an alcoholic who believes her house is haunted. These four characters' entwined journeys all tilt toward the same goal: to be fully seen in the light and the half-light by another living being.

The world premiere of The Half-Light at Portland Stage was among the company’s most successful productions.
Artistic and Executive Director: Anita Stewart
Director: Sally Wood
Stage Manager: Myles Hatch

Cast (pictured below):

Iris: Maggie Mason
Helen: Moira Driscoll
Andrew: Brent Askari
Teresa: Wilma Cespedes Rivera

Other productions:

2022: Staged reading, Greystone Mansion, Beverly Hills, CA.

2023: Mainstage production, Theater 40, Beverly Hills, CA.

2025: Dionysus theater, mainstage production, Enfield, CT


REVIEWS:

Artsfuse.com (Boston): Wood's writing carries the day. She comfortably maintains multiple levels of meaning. Her dialogue is accessible, littered with striking images, and nimbly sneaks in exposition and character revelations . . . The result is a play about ghosts that, while offering intimations of mortality, ends up exuding a charming and infectious romantic spirit.

Portland Phoenix: The Half-Light explores the mystery of grief with gentle whimsy, and with Wood's characteristic big-heartedness and generosity of spirit. Its plotting moves swiftly and synthesizes with simple and satisfying beauty.

Portland Press Herald: The play's message warms the heart as its four likeable characters draw sympathy along with uproarious laughs.

Stage Raw (Los Angeles): A poignant, delicate story with the occasional gently humorous dialogue. Though there is a softness to the play, Wood deals with such weighty subjects as loss, grief, love, and addiction, as well as life and death.

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Three women and one man in a theatrical scene. The man is seated with a worried expression, while one woman touches his shoulder and another woman stands nearby with a wand or pointer, looking concerned.
Two women stand on a stage with a table holding two glasses of white wine. One woman, on the left, wears a blue dress and glasses, while the woman on the right wears a colorful floral blouse. They appear to be engaged in a theatrical performance, wit
A man and woman sitting on a beige sofa with a red backrest in a dark room. The man is wearing glasses, a red sweater, and jeans, smiling at the camera. The woman is wearing glasses, a blue dress, and holding a colorful pillow, looking at the man wit
Two women engaged in a heated conversation, one leaning forward and holding the other's hands, on a stage with a black background.
Four actors on a stage during a theatrical performance. One woman in a blue dress appears to be speaking or acting, while the others watch. The background is a decorated set with a curtain and a table with small objects.