"Tengo familia" is an Italian expression that means putting family first.  This idea is at the center of Joe DiPietro's "Over the River and Through the Woods" a charming, though sitcom-style comedy that explores the humor of family dynamics.  The show is being presented at the Oyster Mill Playhouse in East Pennsboro Twp.

The play is set in Hoboken, N.J., in the early 1990s, and is centered on 29-year-old Nick Cristano, who is eager to climb the corporate ladder.  When he informs his Italian-immigrant grandparents -- both sets, with whom he eats dinner every Sunday -- that he has been offered a promotion in Seattle, they are devastated.

In a desperate attempt to keep him in Jersey, his grandparents hatch a plan:  Grandma Emma finds a single girl to lure Nick into staying in town.

The Oyster Mill production was sweet and surprising; every actor gave a heartfelt and deeply emotional performance.  The commitment to fellow actors and to the play itself was admirable, which almost makes mentioning the few technique issues associated with some performances unnecessary.

Alfred Carmen Jr. is endearing as the neurotic Nick.  His heartfelt anguish at the idea of having to choose between staying with his family and pursuing his goals is well-played.

Another highlight were the grandmothers:  Carla Paone Baum as Grandma Emma and Daphin Bowman as Grandma Aida.  Both women gave the ideal performance of an Italian grandmother (this is coming from someone who grew up with one), equally nurturing and meddling, always ready to cure any problem with cannoli.

The grandfathers, Tom Moore as Grandpa Nunzio (Nunz) and Paul Kanner as Grandpa Frank, were funny and full of Old World charm.

The actors playing the grandparents were far from the ages of the characters they portrayed, and each did a fantastic job of adjusting their voices and presence to accurately portray older characters.

Now, here's the one thing about this production that both confused and intrigued me:  the mirror.  There was an enormous mirror on the back wall of the set, facing the audience.  It was the first thing I noticed when I walked into the theater, and I scribbled hastily in my notebook, "what's with the mirror?"

I didn't like that the audience was reflected in it, and occasionally the lights would reflect off it, which was distracting.  Although I really enjoyed the play, I spent a good portion of it trying to wrap my brain around the use of that huge mirror.

But then, near the end of the play, I noticed something.  After a particularly funny joke, I noticed the reflection of the entire audience in that huge mirror, all of us, together, enjoying a great belly laugh.  And there we were, in this world with these people, part of this crazy family.  "Tengo familia," as the grandparents are fond of saying.

I don't know if this was intentional, but it moved me.  It was a great night of theater, and it made me want to call my family on the drive home.  And eat cannoli.