“A radiant, loving and zestfully humorous play…

distinctly Chekhovian…” -- Time

Painting Churches

by Tina Howe

Theatre Exile

September 2 – 21, 2025

Described as “…beautifully written…a theatrical family portrait that has the shimmer and depth of Renoir portraits…” by The New York Times, Tina Howe’s 1984 Pulitzer Prize-nominated play is a provocative exploration of the parent-child relationship, art and aging. The IRC production features Kirsten Quinn as Mags Church, the successful artist and daughter of Fanny and Gardner Church, who returns home with a life-changing announcement to the chaos of her parent’s impending move from their lifelong home in Boston’s Beacon Hill. John Zak plays Gardner Church, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet facing dementia after a lifetime devoted to intellectual and creative pursuits. Tina Ann Brock plays Fanny Church, Gardner’s wife and Mags’ quirky mother, who has a penchant for ostentatious hats and criticizing her daughter’s choices in life. The trio explores their changing dynamic relationship over the span of several days.