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Edited and Published by Robert W. McDowell
October 17, 2024 Issue |
A FREE Weekly E-mail Newsletter Covering Theater, Dance, Music, and Film in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill/Carrboro Area of North Carolina Since April 2001. |
PART 1A: TRIANGLE THEATER REVIEW BY MMM |
The Girlfriends' Guide to the White House Is Engaging,
Entertaining, Informative, Inspiring, and UpliftingWOW! A show like this -- penned by a local playwright and produced by a local company with local actors and creative team -- makes me proud to be a North Carolinian! Indeed, RedBird Theater Company's staged reading of Patricia Esperon's The Girlfriends' Guide to the White House, directed by Tracy Bersley, qualifies as "not-to-be-missed."
When the curtain rises, it's Aug. 17, 1998. President Bill Clinton is on national TV, confessing to his extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky. As Hillary Rodham Clinton sits in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House, she has some soul-searching to do. She suspects that her actions and reactions will be of monumental importance, both to her personally and to the national and international political scene.
Note: Most of what you are about to read dwells on the seriousness of this piece, but be aware: The Girlfriends' Guide to the White House is uproariously funny 90% of the time!
Bonus: The fact that one of the candidates in this year's presidential election is a woman (a woman of color, in fact) makes the material quite timely.
A key line (spoken by Sally Hemings) is: "Don't look back. Look forward."
The Play:
At lights-up, Hillary enters, clad in black-satin pajamas. She pours herself a drink and begins listening to Bill's address on TV. She also has a phone call; however, very soon, her phone no longer works. She eventually notices that the frame that had been around the portrait of Lincoln is now framing the face of a very-much alive Martha Washington. Martha tells her that she will be visited by a few fellow First Ladies.
Thereafter, Betty Ford, Mary Todd Lincoln, "Pat" Nixon, Frances Cleveland, Sally Hemings, and Eleanor Roosevelt each pay her a short visit. With each visit, the seriousness of the conversation reaches a higher level, and the subject of Hillary's own political future becomes the subject. In a larger sense, however, the stakes are much higher as they affect the future of (and the political empowerment of) women.
Quite late in the game, Nancy Reagan makes an appearance. And there is also a mystery "Special Guest."
It is quite apparent that playwright Patricia Esperon thoroughly researched these characters as she wrote the play and equally apparent that all of the actors did their "homework."
The dialogue is quite brisk and witty, and is often laced with multiple layers of irony.
The Acting:
As Hillary Clinton, Lenore Field sets the bar quite high. Her voice, accent, postures, and facial expressions are all spot-on (which is amazing considering how familiar we all are with this high-profile person).
Jane Allen Wilson shines in her performances as Martha Washington, Pat Nixon, and Nancy Reagan. Also entertaining is her cameo as a "Special Guest." (By the way: Had I not perused the program, I would have had no clue that these characters were all by the same actor.)
Tamara Kissane nails the Betty Ford that I remember (from 50 years ago!).
Jeri Lynn Schulke's Mary Todd Lincoln is a high-energy package.
Even though I have never known much about Frances Cleveland, I was impressed by Edith Snow's performance. (Both Schulke and Snow masterfully deliver the lines that lampoon Hillary's looks and personality.)
Rasool Jahan delivers an oh-so-real Sally Hemings that will prompt you to want to learn more about the character.
Page Purgar's channeling of Eleanor Roosevelt is so exact that it borders on eerie.
The Tech:
Scenic design, by Derrick Ivey, is way more than "adequate" for a staged reading.
Costume design, by Denise Schumaker, is outstanding. From Hillary Clinton's satin pajamas to Mary Todd Lincoln's hoop skirt, to Frances Cleveland's revealing neckline, and including outfits for all the others that are character-specific and time-appropriate, Schumaker has created a montage of "realities" fit for any production.
Although uncredited, the artists responsible for hair, makeup, sound, and lighting each deserve kudos.
Nice Touches:
- Martha's entrances.
- Recurring references to George's teeth.
- Everything connected to the bottle of scotch.
- Sally's entrances (from house left rather than from backstage).
- The blocking of an Eleanor-Hillary scene in which the focus falls on Eleanor's response to one of Hillary's crucial lines.
- Use of a dry-erase board.
- Music during some of the late scenes.
- The show's finale.
Memorable Lines:
- "No one ever told me that it was wrong to own slaves."
- "You'll get used to being hated."
- "Abe! Go more slowly! You're not splitting a rail, you know!"
- "Not one of us comes out of the White House unscathed."
- "They don't call him 'Tricky Dick' for nothing."
- "Commit her to an insane asylum."
- "You're not going anywhere on your personality."
- "God himself couldn't help a woman with hair like yours."
- "Lady Bird Johnson almost fainted ...."
- "Then he got polio, and I felt so much better."
- "Everyone hide! Nancy's coming!"
- "Bill said I was an asset, not a liability."
The Bottom Line:
This is a show that checks all the boxes or "Why I Enjoy Live Theater." It's entertaining, engaging, informative, inspiring, and uplifting. And, yes, even this staged reading is "spectacular!" Again: This is a not-to-be-missed show!
Caution, there are only three more performances scheduled:
- 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16th, at the Eno House at 903 Eno St. in Hillsborough.
- 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17th, at The Plant at 220 Lorax Ln. in Pittsboro.
- 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19th, at the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Dramatic Art's Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre at 120 Country Club Rd. in Chapel Hill.
Patricia Esperon's THE GIRLFRIENDS' GUIDE TO THE WHITE HOUSE (In-Person staged reading at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16th, at the Eno House in Hillsborough, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17th, at The Plant in Pittsboro, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19th, in the Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre at UNC-Chapel Hill), directed by Tracy Bersley and starring Lenore Field as Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jane Allen Wilson as Martha Dandridge Custis Washington/ Thelma "Pat" Nixon/ Nancy Davis Reagan/ Special Guest, Tamara Kissane as Betty Bloomer Warren Ford, Jeri Lynn Schulke as Mary Todd Lincoln, Edith Snow as Frances Folsom Cleveland, Rasool Jahan as Sally Hemings, and Page Purgar as Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Roosevelt (RedBird Theater Company). PLAYBILL: https://www.redbirdtheatercompany.com/copy-of-art-playbill. PRESENTER: https://www.redbirdtheatercompany.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/RedBirdTheaterCo. VENUE (Eno House in Hillsborough): https://www.enohouse.org/. DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/. VENUE (The Plant in Pittsboro): https://www.theplantnc.com/. DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/. VENUE (Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre at UNC-Chapel Hill): https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/kenan-theatre/. PARKING/DIRECTIONS: https://playmakersrep.org/plan-your-visit/directions-and-parking/. PATRICIA ESPERON(playwright): https://www.redbirdtheatercompany.com/copy-of-art-playbill and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054109797072. TICKETS: $15 and up, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets for Hillsborough, Pittsboro, and Chapel Hill. INFORMATION: contact@redbirdtheatercompany.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: RedBird Theater Company.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Kurt Benrud is a graduate of Cary High School and N.C. State University, and he has taught English at both. He first became involved in local theater in 1980. He has served on the board of directors for both the Cary Players and the Cary Playwrights' Forum. He is also a volunteer reader with North Carolina Reading Service. Click here to read his reviews for Triangle Review. |
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