Grandmothers can be so difficult. Thatย’s what Marta Henderson finds out in Mark Clayton Southersย’s Ashes to Africa, a family story about a nanaย’s dying wish to have her remains sprinkled over Africa. In the play, Marta arrives home from college for the funeral, finds a poem her grandmother wrote and realizes she didnย’t want to be buried. But when she tries to get the family to respect the old womanย’s wishes, she runs into lots of angry relatives. As one character puts it: ย“We usually donย’t do that kind of thing. Itย’s just not customary, not for black folk.ย”

Besides the question of what to do with grandma, thereย’s the fact that Martaย’s mother and father havenย’t slept together for several months. Oh, and that Martaย’s cousin has been living in Grandmaย’s house, driving Grandmaย’s car and not getting her life straight while Martaย’s been busy at Spellman College in Atlanta struggling to achieve the American Dream. It all adds up to a family war that only an outsider would find funny, which is exactly what director Eileen Morris hopes will happen.

Of course, thereย’s a little bit of drama stirred into the mix ย— the story does start with a funeral, after all. See the family battle it out at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays. Through May 25. The Ensemble Theatre, 3535 Main. For information, call 713-520-0055 or visit www.ensemblehouston.com. $15 to $35.

Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Starts: May 1. Continues through May 25, 2008

This article appears in May 1-7, 2008.