The theatrical production "Philadelphia, Here I Come!" fit perfectly into the lives of director Judith Peakes and her husband, actor John Peakes.

The performance was the family's final show at downtown Lansing's BoarsHead Professional Theater before they relocated to Philadelphia. Judith and John Peakes are similar to the main character, Gareth O'Donnell, who anxiously awaits to start a new life in the City of Brotherly Love.

Written by Irish playwright Brian Friel, "Philadelphia" takes place during a single night as 25-year-old Gareth struggles to leave his home in Ballybeg, Ireland. The play has a unique perspective because Gareth is broken into two selves.

Jim Wisniewski plays the public Gareth, who interacts with his family, while Ian Merrill Peakes portrays his private hidden inner feelings. Throughout the play, Peakes is present behind Wisniewski and reveals Gareth's true thoughts, although he is invisible to the rest of the cast. Together, Peakes and Wisniewski add an extra dimension to the character of the young Irishman.

During the second act, Gareth sits at the table and eats his supper with his father, who is played by John Peakes. The tension is excruciating at the table, and it is revealed to the audience that Gareth's 19-year-old mother died three days after giving birth to her son.

Gareth eats his bread in brooding silence as his ego screams out in frustration. His private self dares his father to break the quietness by saying something bold and daring.

Not only do Gareth's two sides convincingly show the poor relationship between father and son, but they also depict the pain Gareth felt from his lost love.

Karen Peakes, who is married to Ian Merrill Peakes, is cast as Kate Doogan.

Even though Gareth passionately loves Kate, he panics and never asks for her hand in marriage. Pressured by her family to marry a rich man, Kate walks away from her romance with Gareth.

A new home in Philadelphia with Gareth's aunt seems like the perfect escape from a broken heart. Instead, Gareth's private self remembers the anguish and questions his ability to leave familiarity.

"It lets you see more of a whole person," said Williamston resident Royce Rule about the two different actors depicting Gareth O'Donnell. "You can see beyond just facial expressions."

Even though Philadelphia could distance Gareth from his old love and unresponsive father, he is afraid to leave Ireland. The elderly housekeeper, Madge, played by Carmen Decker, keeps Gareth attached to home.

Because of Madge's quick wit and warm smile, the young man does not want to leave her. As Gareth struggles to pack his shirts in a worn-out suitcase, he becomes sentimental. A psychological battle occurs between his public self and his hidden feelings.

"Why do you have to leave?" asks Ian Merrill Peakes' character.

"I don't know," Gareth's public self says dejectedly in the final scene. He looks down, and the play ends, leaving the audience to wonder if Gareth truly left for Philadelphia or stayed in Ireland.

While the audience was left feeling ambiguous about Gareth's voyage to the United States, it is certain that the Peakes family is leaving for Philadelphia.

"Philadelphia," which was Judith Peakes' final play, received a standing ovation.

"It was one of the best plays that I've seen in several years," said East Lansing resident Kay Kovacs. "And I'm going to miss John Peakes very much."