Performer Of The Week

■ In 2005, Sharon Case nailed a soulcrushing performance when her character’s

14-year-old daughter, Cassie, was critically injured in a car accident. In a horrifying case of déjà vu, Sharon had to sit vigil at the hospital bedside of another child, 13-year-old Faith, and Case once again delivered a raw, impactful portrait of an anguished mother.

Sharon rushed to the hospital with Nick upon receiving word that their little girl had been brought to the ER. Anxious and stricken, the sight of Faith — unconscious, her face lacerated — stopped a dazed Sharon cold in her tracks. “My poor baby,” she gasped. As Nate detailed the severity of Faith’s circumstances, a teary Case squeezed her eyes shut, gut-punched, and gripped her arms tightly, chilled to the bone. Despite her overwrought state, a determined Sharon was able to channel her raw and intense emotions into the task at hand: pleading with Faith to pull through. With a desperation equal to her fierce love for her daughter, Sharon addressed Faith in hoarse sobs (“We would never give up on you, so don’t you give up on us!”).

As the hours stretched on, a more composed Sharon spoke to Faith in soothing tones, assuring her that she and Nick were still there. Turning to Nick, her voice calm and steady, she entreated him to join her in prayer. Closing her eyes in deep meditation, a serene expression washed over her face as she felt her burden being shared. Faith’s eyes fluttered opened and Sharon’s face lit up with jubilation, her relief palpable (“Oh, Sweetie, thank God!”), happy tears welling as she beamed at her daughter.

Case traverses the wide emotional terrain of her character so seamlessly, she makes it look easy — but make no mistake, it takes considerable technical skill and emotional acuity to deliver the performances she gives, rich in detail and packed with heart.