A scene from Round House’s 26 Miles.

Round House Theatre’s production of 26 Miles will lose potential audience members with its plot synopsis, which features the words “mother,” “daughter” and “heart-warming,” and conjures up thoughts of Steel Magnolias and chick flicks. Yet there’s barely any hugging, crying or any stereotypically feminine gestures iin this intelligent exploration of divorce and estrangement. Thanks to a solid script by Quiara Alegria Hudes, 26 Miles rises well above the realm of mom-daughter drama.

Olivia (Laura C. Harris) is 15 and rudderless, living with an emotionally distant father (Michael Frederic) and a resentful stepmother. Left alone with her sensitive and expansive mind, Olivia writes obsessively and reads National Geographic, dreaming of the world outside her Philadelphia suburb. When swept away by her impulsive mother, Beatriz (Zabryna Guevara), Olivia finally has an opportunity to explore.