Jesse King and Keren Kohane coped with the loss of their friend Valerie Goldstein and her family the only way they knew how – through performance.

Hundreds of people gathered on the Hyde Bandshell Community Lawn on May 31 to honor Matt, Lyla, Valerie and Violet Goldstein in this year’s Monologue Project. The Goldstein family died from carbon monoxide poisoning at their vacation home in Wakefield, N.H., in December.

Matt, 52, and Lyla Goldstein, 54, were dedicated to education and community. Matt taught middle school math at the Edith C. Baker School in Brookline. Lyla was a program manager at Microsoft, a Girl Scout troop leader, and a basketball and soccer coach.

The couple’s daughters were just starting their adult lives. Valerie, 22, was a recent Syracuse University graduate and a Teach for America fifth-grade teacher in North Carolina. Violet, 19, was in her first year at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Organized by the Newton Theatre Company, the Monologue Project is an annual performance that amplifies the experiences of communities in Newton. Nearly six months after the Goldstein family died, King and Kohane gathered their friends, classmates and former students to perform in the family’s honor. 

“Matt and Val were part of our Newton Theatre Company family. I mean, I’ve known this family for 15 years,” said Melissa Bernstein, the company’s director. “For us, it’s us remembering and celebrating this wonderful family that was our family — the Newton Theater Company family.” 

Valerie’s journey with the company started in 2010 when she first auditioned for its children’s productions. During middle school and high school, Violet joined her sister in “The Hipster” and several Junie B. Jones Productions. 

Over the years, she became a vital member of the company, performing and directing in three previous Monologue Projects. 

When he wasn’t teaching at Brookline’s Baker Middle School, Matt participated in Newton Theater productions. While Lyla and Violet weren’t as involved with Newton Theater, their constant support left a lasting impact on the community.

Given the family’s involvement in Newton Theater, King and Kohane said it felt like the most meaningful way to honor their memory. “I think it was a day or two after their passing,” said King, co-ordinator of the event, “and me, Karen, and a few others gathered at Melissa’s house to be together, and we thought it would be a good idea.”

In the past, participants typically responded to an open call by Newton Theater Company and collaborated in small groups to write their monologues. Each piece is shaped through a process of workshopping and feedback.

But this year was different. Because of how personal the loss was to the community, King and Kohane didn’t ask contributors to submit their monologues for feedback. Instead, they focused on reaching out to anyone who knew the Goldsteins.

Each member of the Goldstein family was commemorated in their own way. Over 20 people shared stories, poems and songs that brought them back to cherished memories. Each person stepped on stage and spoke for seven to ten minutes. 

Contributors included Matt Wilson, one of Violet’s teachers; Elaine Goldberg, a close friend of Lyla; a teammate from Matt’s soccer group; and Miranda Mellen, who met Valerie while studying abroad in Florence. 

One of the most powerful performances came from a group of middle school boys who had been Matt’s students.

“Matt was such an amazing role model and support system for all of these kids, and they had these wonderful things to say about him,” Kohane said. “By the end, they were emotional and supporting each other, which was nice to see. But it took me a moment to step back and be like, ‘Oh, wait, they’re middle schoolers.’”

Kohane was the first performer of the evening, opening the event with a monologue. But for her, the best way to honor Valerie was through music. The two bonded in 2020, when Valerie started a virtual karaoke club to bring friends together during quarantine.

Kohane returned to the stage later in the evening to sing with two members of the karaoke club. “Power of Two” was the finale song of “The Twelfth Night,” which Kohane sang with Valerie. 

“Valerie and I were theatrical partners, so I wanted to honor that,” Kohane said. But stepping on the stage wasn’t easy. “I was worried I wasn’t gonna be able to deliver the song properly to convey my feelings. But it felt so freeing to sing at the event, and I really felt very connected to everyone.” 

The event offered space for vulnerability. “This is the first time I’ve ever lost somebody, and I had to rewrite my monologue a couple of times because it was a bit too raw,” said King, who also performed a monologue. While he wasn’t an actor, taking the stage was his way of showing up for Valerie.

“It’s bittersweet,” King said, reflecting on the performance. “This has been part of both my personal and work life for so long, and now I kind of have to move on…I recall vividly the night after the Monologue Project, as I was falling asleep, I felt this profound sense of peace that I hadn’t felt in a very long time.”

Kohane put it simply: “I didn’t move on, but I could finally move forward.” 

This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.