When you go see this fine production of the classic tale of a Norwegian family transplanted into the landscape of 1910 San Francisco, you will need a whole box of tissues to get through the play.

This look at an ethnic family as it struggles to survive and then conquer life is but one of many dramas that acts as a testament to the family.

Like so many other stories of this nature, narration is done by a member of the family, in this case, one who wants to be a writer: Katrin. Katrin finally begins to act like a true writer when she decides to write about her piece of the world.

One wonders, in a day when diaries were kept by many young girls, how many other ethnic children in San Francisco recorded their childhood memories through the colored glasses of being Chinese, Jewish or Russian.

Although Kathryn Forbes tells the tale using her mother as the central character, the real color and depth comes from all the host of other characters than are a part of "Mama's" life.

The joys, heartaches, and rich characters keep the story rolling right along like a good episode of Grey's Anatomy on television. I Remember Mama is storytelling at its best, and although the incidents involve Norwegian immigrants about 100 years ago, they faced many of the same problems of Hispanics and Russians just "off the boat" today. It is the family that kept them going.

The play features children, aunts, an uncle living in "sin" with a woman, a sick cat, a famous author, played-out actor, undertaker, two nurses and a mother and a father.

Mama is one of two pivotal roles in the play, the matriarch with almost a Mary, Full of Grace demeanor. The storyteller, who remembers her mother in all these glowing tones, is the other key character.

This play, in order that it not have a musty, dated feel to it, requires brilliant direction and a huge cast of characters.

Wheaton Drama has assembled a dream team of 20 or so actors who help keep the drama moving and the jokes and tears flowing.

Linda Timpa as Mama does not dominate the drama as did the Irene Dunne film. She does her bits but allows all around to her have their moments of glory. This allows the story to spin not so much around her as around the whole family. Nicole Wilson is superb as the writer daughter. Lars Timpa, whenever he comes on stage as Uncle Chris, dominates the stage. He is a fine actor who never once resorts to overacting.

Carol Brown as Aunt Jenny is the first actor on stage in the play that really begins to click, and all the children were perfect in their roles.

The only actor I was disappointed in was Larry Horn as Mr. Hyde--the actor. His reading from classic books had little bite. In the movie, Cedric Hardwicke in the role almost steals the movie from its major actors!

The play last Saturday night started a bit late and ran until 11 p.m., far too long a time to sit. Why so long? The film manages to tell the story quite nicely in only 135 minutes. The pace was slow at times with all the "lights up" and "lights down".

The accent came and went with some of the actors. This attention to accent no doubt added many minutes to the production. This was only the players' second performance before an audience; they should be able to tighten things up.

There is another way to trim time. Take Katrin's beginning speech out and replace it with the simple line: "But first and foremost, I remember Mama." Another cut might be the scene where the undertaker and his wife are planning a grand party. This scene offered little additional insight into either of the two characters.

I Remember Mama is as difficult to pull off as a Shakespearean comedy. Wheaton Drama is one of only a handful of community drama groups in the Chicago suburbs capable of breathing new life into this dated, yet classic tale.