This deeply moving, insightful piece is about connection, memories, and the small moments that can change the course of our lives. Over one fateful summer, an unlikely friendship develops between Diana, a fiercely iconoclastic artist and single mom, and Alice, a free-spirited yet naive young housewife. As the Bicentennial is celebrated across the country, these two young women in Ohio navigate motherhood, ambition, and intimacy, and help each other discover their own independence. Directing is Tony winner Daniel Sullivan.
With her signature languid diction (which does not translate easily to the Midwest), Hecht’s delivery can sometimes wear, but watch her closely. Her micro-reactions are mercurial and deep. Alice appears to have a native intelligence that Diana lacks. Meanwhile, Linney keeps Diana’s mean-girl vibe in check just enough so that she’s not overtly off-putting. Diana will charm you, as she does Alice. It’s easy to see how an unsophisticated admirer might sign on as an acolyte. With these antipodes, Auburn has seemingly come up with a way to represent the puzzling bifurcation in women’s objectives over the past half-century: glamour at all costs vs. industry, endurance, and actual power and progress. In the case of these unlikely friends, do we see a comeuppance coming? If so, it’s subtle, a mere postscript. While it might be gratifying to observe a relentless poseuse cut down to size, Auburn blunts the blow, having already strewn the path with ambiguous omens. Diana’s efforts to maintain a façade are bound to come at a cost. The production itself is flawless: A seemingly plain box of a set by John Lee Beatty transforms, via the lighting magic of Japhy Weideman, into a twilight patio, a museum cafe, and more, while Jill BC Du Boff’s sound design lends the illusion of intimacy. Director Daniel Sullivan deftly delineates every interaction – subdued to explosive.
Under the direction of Daniel Sullivan, Linney and Hecht deliver commanding performances in sharply different ways. Linney exudes steely confidence with a dash of haughty arrogance as Diana — perhaps masking insecurities over the humble trajectory of her own career. Meanwhile, Hecht's wide smile and easy-breezy tone disguise issues at home that Annie may not have the strength to acknowledge. Again, people are not just one thing.
Digital Rush
Price: $43
Where: On the Today Tix app.
When: Released on a first-come, first-served basis every performance day at 9 AM.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Subject to availability.
Student Rush
Price: $30
Where: Samuel J. Friedman box office
When: Student rush tickets are available at the box office on the day of the show when the box office opens.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Payable by cash or credit card and available to students with an ID from a degree or diploma-granting institution. Subject to availability.
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