Written by Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava, and anchored by two extraordinary performers, the County Stage Company production of Mouthpiece, directed by Heather Braaten, is a huge achievement. From the moment Sophie Lea McLeod and Lindsey Middleton step onto the stage, it’s impossible to look away. 

Playing two halves of the same woman, the actors move with mesmerizing synchronicity. Slipping
between conflict and compassion, at times they mirror one another with uncanny precision; at others they collide, overlap, or unravel. Their chemistry is electric.

The play follows Cassandra’s thoughts in the aftermath of her mother’s death. She struggles to write the eulogy while navigating funeral preparations, and finds herself unable to distill her mother into a few carefully chosen words. Every attempt to define her feels incomplete, revealing a woman who was at once a martyr and a rockstar, devoted and resilient, and constrained by the expectations of her time. 

The actors allow the audience in on Cassandra’s relentless internal conversation between competing truths, memories and versions of both her mother and herself. Billed as an exploration of contemporary feminism, Mouthpiece examines the expectations women inherit, the impossible standards they internalize, and the challenge of honouring the women who came before them — while questioning the roles they were given.

It’s a demanding piece of theatre, met with remarkable control. The dialogue darts between biting humour and quiet vulnerability, creating an emotional rhythm that keeps the audience perpetually off balance. One moment you’re laughing; the next you’re swallowing back tears. The actors’ commitment elevates an already powerful script. Together, they transform one woman’s inner monologue into something that feels almost orchestral.

It’s difficult to imagine anyone leaving the theatre without recognizing at least part of themselves in Cassandra’s struggle. Later, I found myself thinking about the voices we inherit, the ones we silence, and the stories we tell in an attempt to understand the people who shaped us. This play doesn’t offer easy answers, but it asks all the questions. It’s the kind of theatre that lingers. Don’t miss it.

Mouthpiece runs until August 8th at Mount Tabor Playhouse, 2179 County Road 17, Milford. Tickets available at County Stage Company.