Molly Kaufman is taking in a new boarder, Sam, a young man infected with a lust for life, dreaming of freedom and a car. Molly's son, Jake, has been witness to intense betrayal and horror in his childhood; his mother is still a haunted woman. Penny, who is drawn into their lives, wakes up each morning to evil standing at the foot of her bed. Presence is a contemporary allegory about young people's struggles to overcome their fears in a daunting world. The lives of these intensely flawed but lovable characters cross in the shared confines of the boarding house, but they also inhabit the complex region of each other's inner worlds and fears. Each character crosses riveting dramatic territory in the search for the presence of the loving other. This is a play that will locate, in the midst of darkness, a compelling light... in the heart of 'presence', a glaring absence. -- Libraries Australia
