Unpacking Mother
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by Karen Schaeffer. directed by Rory Farrell
Cassie and Kathryn are estranged sisters, reunited by their mother’s death. Cassie, who remained behind as her mother’s sole caregiver, is wary when Kathryn—long gone since college—returns to help empty the family home. Their mother’s hoarded possessions fill every room, and as the sisters begin to sort through them, the past refuses to stay buried.
Each box reveals more than objects: fragments of memory, visions of their younger selves, and unsettling clues about their mother’s untreated illness. As buried truths surface, the sisters uncover long-concealed secrets their father left behind—forcing them to question what was real, what was hidden, and what they were never meant to know. The house becomes a psychological maze. The only means of escape- confronting the past.
Unpacking Mother is a tense, memory-laden drama from the pen of Karen Schaeffer, author of hit comedy farce Girls’ Weekend and its follow-up, The Hen Party, both of which entertained sold-out houses here at the Balor in 2024 and 2025.
Cassie and Kathryn are estranged sisters, reunited by their mother’s death. Cassie, who remained behind as her mother’s sole caregiver, is wary when Kathryn—long gone since college—returns to help empty the family home. Their mother’s hoarded possessions fill every room, and as the sisters begin to sort through them, the past refuses to stay buried.
Each box reveals more than objects: fragments of memory, visions of their younger selves, and unsettling clues about their mother’s untreated illness. As buried truths surface, the sisters uncover long-concealed secrets their father left behind—forcing them to question what was real, what was hidden, and what they were never meant to know. The house becomes a psychological maze. The only means of escape- confronting the past.
Unpacking Mother is a tense, memory-laden drama from the pen of Karen Schaeffer, author of hit comedy farce Girls’ Weekend and its follow-up, The Hen Party, both of which entertained sold-out houses here at the Balor in 2024 and 2025.
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Where is it happening?
Main Street, Ballybofey, Ireland Donegal, Browne and Toland Apartments, Main Street, Lifford, County Donegal, F93 NXA9, Ireland, Letterkenny
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherBalor Arts Centre
