A revered doctor and celebrated champion of women’s health is on track to be confirmed in a bipartisan vote as Surgeon General only to see her nomination derailed by an understandable personal oversight and a catty comment made by a conservative friend. That storyline at the center of Wendy Wasserstein’s play An American Daughter seems ripe for reexamination amidst the hash political climate of Trump Two. Tragically the bloated, charmless production that opened at the Irene Diamond Stage on Tuesday night will only serve as a lamentable introduction of an often witty and insightful playwright to a new generation.
Originally presented in 1996, this script was never the strongest in the Wasserstein prize-winning oeuvre. Despite a worthy cast, it only survived a handful of months on Broadway. The updated version includes an unpublished Act 2, which does little to solve its structural issues. Long talky speeches are in need of trimming and supporting characters including an aggressive former student Quincy Quince (Carmen Zilles) and an (inexplicable) family confident Morrow McCarthy (Ryan Spahn) could use more definition and purpose.
That said, this rendition is singularly problematic. Executive Director of La Femme Theatre Productions, Jean Lichty, executes the lead role of Lyssa Dent Hughes with all the ease of The Tin Man prior to the application of oil. There is no discernible chemistry between her and the rest of the cast. Tony nominee Montego Glover plays best friend Judith with aplomb, but bafflingly delivers most of her lines directly to the audience rather than to her scene partner. Tony winner Robert Sean Leonard as Lyssa’s husband Walter keeps shuffling uncomfortably as if he just wants to go home. Portraying Lyssa’s father Senator Alan Hughes, veteran actor Dakin Matthews fairs better with characteristic wry delivery. Likewise Mary Beth Peil ( his fourth wife, Charlotte “Chubby” Hughes) is unfaltering even when Spahn’s newly acquainted McCarthy creepily puts his arm around her.
The spacious Georgetown living room set with glimpses of a garden beyond, designed by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams, is the artistic highlight. From there, the 1980s television sitcom style direction of Sarna Lapine dampens whatever stakes are present in the material. The pacing and emphasis are so far off the mark that my friend thought they’d forgotten to insert the intermission. The artificial nature of the sound design by Darron L. West often distracts from the dialogue in a “what the heck is that?” manner. Alan C. Edwards’ lighting queues are poky and entrances consequently delayed causing the audience to clap sporadically in the pauses. By the end they must have been exhausted. This is the first time in memory that no one gave the cast a standing ovation.
Due to advanced sales prior to the official opening night, the run has been extended through September 20. It is a shame that the apparent enthusiasm to revisit Ms. Wasserstein’s traditionally snappy dialogue and entertainingly maddening situations is met with this dull and draggy revival. Performances take place in the The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42 Street. Presented by La Femme Theatre Productions, An American Daughter is not part of Signature Theatre’s season. Run time is posted as 2 ½ hours, though the show ran 10 minutes longer when I attended. Visit LaFemmeTheatreProductions.org for tickets and more information.
The Unforgettable Line 