Quote of the Day: The three little pigs isn’t about architecture, you know. It’s about community. The Grandfather in Three Houses by Dave Malloy. 

Theatre Elision has a special connection with the works by Dave Malloy. They do his Ghost Quartet annually, which is hugely popular and often sells out performances. (It’s one of our favorites in this household.) Last spring they did Malloy’s Broadway hit Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, and sold out every performance. (It was spectacular, and I’m so excited that they’re doing it again in April, 2027!) And, in the Fall of 2027, they will be presenting Octet, also by Dave Malloy. Malloy’s shows lend themselves well to the smaller, intimate theater space at Elision Playhouse. His music is complex and haunting, which the performers bring to life, and pull audience members in. I often sit spellbound. He touches on universal and philosophical themes that I find myself pondering long after the show ends. When the lights came up after watching Three Houses, I said, “I think that Dave Malloy is a very introspective person.” He really captures the human experience, and in this show, it is the collective and individual experience of isolation during the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

Cast of Three Houses at Theatre Elision, thru 11/7/26. Photo: Jolie Morehouse Olson

Set in a karaoke bar, three characters take turns at the mic to tell their story. Christine Wade as Susan sings about moving to Latvia during the pandemic. She is newly divorced and very much alone. As she sorts through her deceased grandmother’s things, she learns more about her. She explores her house, the different floors and spaces, opens a chest and pulls out her treasures. “You can learn a lot about a person by what they read,” she says, and her grandmother had an eclectic taste. We get flashback scenes of her Grandmother leaving her home as a young mother, other pivotal moments in history and how her grandparents handled them. Annie Schiferl plays the grandmother. I loved her voice and her story. So beautiful.

Christine Wade as Susan in Three Houses at Theatre Elision, thru 11/7/26. Photo: Jolie Morehouse Olson

In the second “House” act, Sydney Lin sings the part of Sadie, also experiencing a break-up and isolation. She turns to video games and distraction. The second act brings out the other actors as video game characters, and the sort of bizarre world that they create. This was probably the most humorous, and weird, scene. Fun choreography and costumes throughout! 

The third “House” act features Emily Hensley as Beckett. This character is also alone and seems to slip into a depression. His sister and ex-wife try to reach out, but he doesn’t respond. It’s the “Brick House” part of the Three Little Pigs story, and they use various sizes of Amazon shipping boxes for the bricks.

Cast of Three Houses at Theatre Elision, thru 11/7/26. Photo: Jolie Morehouse Olson

Phinehas Bynum plays the Grandfather and various other characters. Kyler Chase is the bartender and the Wolf. They have a great song called “The Wolf Dance,” that I really enjoyed. The final number has all three singers from that nostalgic/tragic karaoke night coming together. I loved their final song together. It brings up themes that may be universally felt, loneliness, isolation, community, a search for who you are and where you fit into this world. It touched my heartstrings. 

Crew of Three Houses at Theatre Elision, thru 11/7/26. Photo: Jolie Morehouse Olson

Lindsay Fitzerald is the director and designer for this show. Music direction by Harrison Wade. Lighting and Stage managing by Laina Grendle. Christine Wade is the vocal director. Sound by Andrea Johnson & Lilly Paul. Costumes & PA by Cally Ahlin (some really fun choices here). And, live orchestra including Joshua Dieringer on violin, Cierra Hill on Cello, and Kayla Dvorak Feld on French Horn. Dave Malloy’s music has a certain haunting style that I love, and this cast and crew brought it all to life in a magical way. 

You can see Three Houses at Elision Playhouse through Nov. 7, 2026. Ticket prices range from $0.00 to $55.00. Visit Theatre Elision for tickets and showtimes. 

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Where did you shelter during the Covid-19 pandemic? Who was with you? What things did you do that are specific to that time? Some can be nice memories. (Our family did family game night over zoom and included people in different cities and states.) Some can be hard memories. (My brother died at the start of the pandemic, not from Covid, but during a time when people weren’t supposed to gather. I felt very alone.)