“It’s not abstract—it can really be ripped from the headlines of almost anybody’s life,” says Joanna Gleason, referring to Joshua Harmon’s new play, We Had a World. “At a time when we’re so isolated, and we’re so unsure, the thing you have to try to find in your life is a family.” After a 12-year absence, and starring alongside Andrew Barth Feldman (No Hard Feelings), Gleason returns to the stage to take on the role of a dying woman in her final days. She asks her grandson to write a play about their family, but with an unusual caveat: he must make it as bitter and cruel as possible. Her grandson obliges, and so unfolds a 30-year saga of family fights, ruthless behavior, and enduring love. Directed by Trip Cullman, Harmon’s play asks, What is a family? —Jeanne Malle