ALL THE GREYS ON GREENE STREET

Taylor Meskimen portrays Ollie, a 12-year-old living in gritty downtown New York City in 1981 with her parents, who are artists. When her father mysteriously leaves their family, her mother spirals into depression and neglects Ollie. Fending for herself, Ollie is afraid to tell the truth to anyone who could help her. Finally, her friend Alex tells a grown-up--their parents' artist friend, Apollo--and Ollie's family crisis comes to a head. Meskimen's pacing is even and slow, matching the tempo of the evolving story and Ollie's meandering observations about her city home. As Ollie's situation becomes more dire, listeners hear anger, confusion, frustration, and desperation in her voice. Her mother's tired monotone reflects her debilitating mental illness. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2019]