THEATRE REVIEW:
KPBS AIRDATE: June 09, 2006
This could’ve been called Wendy Wasserstein Week
in San Diego. In tribute to the late, much lamented playwright, who died in
January at age 55, staged readings of three Wasserstein plays were presented at
North Coast Repertory Theatre, in conjunction with the 13th annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts
Festival.
Wasserstein was the voice of her generation, and a
groundbreaker for female playwrights, opening doors for women to come, who
would also write about the humor and heartache of smart, driven women who
wanted it all – a husband, a family and a successful career. Wasserstein
herself only managed to achieve two of the three. Seven years ago, at age 48,
she had a baby – its father undisclosed; it was a difficult birth, the joy of
her life, and an added legacy. She had zillions of friends and followers. But
she never found a fulfilling relationship with the Man of her Dreams. That
touch of melancholy courses through many of her plays, particularly “Isn’t It
Romantic,” which was the reading I
was privileged to be part of. The main character, Janie Blumberg, an obvious
stand-in for the playwright, is a funny, brainy, slightly overweight writer who
won’t settle for the nice Jewish doctor who doesn’t want her work to interfere
with her life. Her equally smart, talented friend compromises completely, and
Janie feels betrayed. In “Uncommon Women and Others,” Wasserstein’s 1977
breakout play, five alumnae of Mt. Holyoke (Wasserstein’s alma mater) compare
their youthful aspirations to their actual, less-than uncommon, lives.
And then there’s “The Heidi Chronicles,” which
mirrored the evolution of Wendy Wasserstein, and of the women’s movement, from
the 1960s to the 1980s. It won her the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1989, and
made her the first woman ever to win a Tony for Best Play.
Wasserstein’s final play, “Third,” premiered at
Lincoln Center last fall. And this spring, her first novel, “Elements of
Style,” was published. In a sadly prescient move, the Old Globe put “The
Sisters Rosensweig” on its summer schedule. A Jewish riff on Chekhov, it
concerns three sisters who find their way back to their culture and their
family bond.
Through each phase of her life and work,
Wasserstein insightfully and often hilariously reflected the concerns of smart,
driven, liberated baby boomers; but her themes are universal. Though she
garnered fame and success, she always had time for charity work and young
people. In 1998, she started a project called Open Doors, to bring New York
City schoolchildren to the theater. Contributing to it is another way to honor
her legacy. I did. And I’m glad. Now, couldn’t we use the same sort of project
here in San Diego?
©2006 Patté Productions
Inc.