THEATRE PREVIEW:

MICHAEL LEARNED in “DANCING AT LUGHNASA” at the Old Globe Theatre

Published in San Diego Union-Tribune April, 1995

Lately, Michael Learned has been specializing in onstage sisters. She's had plenty of practice offstage, growing up as the oldest of six girls. Last year, she was on Broadway in "The Sisters Rosenzweig" by Wendy Wasserstein. Now, Learned appears in the Old Globe's production of "Dancing at Lughnasa" (pronounced LOO-na-sa), an internationally acclaimed drama by Brian Friel, Ireland's foremost living playwright. A quietly exuberant masterpiece, winner of three Tonys and Britain's Olivier Award for Best Play of 1990, the haunting, quasi-autobiographical memory play concerns five unmarried Irish sisters living together in the mythical town of Ballybeg.

Learned plays Kate, the stern oldest sister. Casual and relaxed before rehearsal, munching on a bagel and throwing toys for her new puppy to fetch, Learned finds much to relate to in the character. "She's sort of the breadwinner in the family. Very controlling, but she means well, though that still can drive people crazy. My sisters and I had to work a lot of that out. I had to finally realize that they had their own lives and destinies... I could never understand why my sisters resented me. I was always trying so hard to make everything okay for everyone. But what I was doing was robbing them of their experience. In the play, Kate resents being responsible, and they resent her control. But they love each other deeply."

The most dramatic scene in the play comes when Kate refuses to allow her sisters to attend the annual Lughnasa festival dedicated to the pagan harvest god, Lugh. In a joyful, frenzied burst of rebellion and abandon, they break into dance right in their own cramped kitchen. Eventually, even Kate is drawn hypnotically into the dance. "The moment is thrilling," says Learned. "The dynamic is so real."

She didn't identify quite as much with Sarah, the oldest of "The Sisters Rosenzweig," though, like the character, she had lived in London (where she received classical acting training). "I could relate to being the successful sister who's been hurt so she kind of shut her heart down. I often say I have stretch marks on my heart." Among other vicissitudes in her life, Learned has been married three times: 15 years to actor Peter Donat, with whom she had three sons; ten years to actor Will Parker, and, currently, four years to John Doherty, an L.A. attorney.

She was called Michael because her parents wanted a boy. Depending on her mother's mood when asked, Learned was either named after the archangel Michael or the poet Michael Strange. When, at age twelve, she left for performing arts boarding school in London, she intended to be a dancer. But she won the drama cup competition, and returned to the U.S. three years later for an apprenticeship with the Stratford, Connecticut Shakespeare Festival. She got married at 17, had three kids by the time she was 24, lived in New York and Canada and ultimately San Francisco, where she spent a number of years at the American Conservatory Theatre. That's where she first worked with Jack O'Brien, who directed her in "The Importance of Being Earnest" and later, in a television production of "All My Sons." Several years ago, she appeared onstage with O'Brien, in the Old Globe production of A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters." This time back at the Globe, she'll be directed by Andrew Traister.

Over the years, Learned has appeared on many regional theater stages, as well as in several feature films. But her TV work is most celebrated. She's collected four Emmy Awards: one for the series "Nurse" and three for "The Waltons" (1971-1979), in which she played Olivia (Ma Walton). In TV Guide's 40th anniversary survey of the best of television, Learned was tied with Tyne Daly for all-time favorite Dramatic Actress.

"I feel a little safer doing television," she confesses. "Movies and the stage scare me. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the older I get (she's an active, agile 56), the less I want to deal with that blind terror.

"But with a play like this, so rich and full, it's different. It's a thrill to work with actors who care about the play... This is one of my most challenging roles. The play is so wonderful, so universal. You can study it on so many levels: the sisters' interactions; the repression of the church; paganism; the dark side of all of us; and the lost dreams. These people are race horses, full of passion. The work is exhilarating and exhausting."

DATEBOOK

"DANCING AT LUGHNASA"

The most honored international play of the nineties, "Dancing at Lughnasa" by Brian Friel opens on May 11 (previews May 6-10). Performances Tuesday-Saturday 8 p.m. Sunday 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. Through June 18. Old Globe Theatre, Balboa Park. $20-36; 239-2255.

PAT LAUNER is a freelance writer and the theater critic for KPBS-FM.

©1995 Patté Productions Inc.