3 out of 5 stars

Preston Max Allen’s “Caroline” tracks a family’s story across three generations. And there’s plenty to track: We have a daughter (Chloë Grace Moretz) who’s a recovering addict and is now raising a transgender child (River Lipe-Smith). And we have a mother (Amy Landecker) who’s making sense of the situation, balancing bitterness and anger over her daughter’s past with a desire to support her grandchild. The drama reaches an effective boiling point, but it takes a while to get there – and David Cromer’s static direction doesn’t generally help. The fine cast nevertheless mines the material for all its emotional turmoil.— Charles Passy

At MCC Theater, through Nov. 16, 2025; mcctheater.org. (Review date: Sept. 30, 2025)