Elinor Gunn and Tessa Auberjonois Photo by Roman Iwasiwka

Four excellent actors fuel this show. Tessa Auberjonois plays brassy, foul-mouthed Joan, who is anything but shy with her "c" or "f" words and who, time and again, references her own vagina. She is tough, and she is real. Auberjonois is also cast as Joan's mother, complete with Old World accent. Elinor Gunn sometimes plays Melissa, Joan's daughter or, on occasion, Joan, herself. Andrew Borba embodies Joan's husband Edgar, or Johnny Carson, or Dr. Molinsky, who is Joan's father. The very versatile Zachary Prince has roles as Jimmy, Joan's first husband, as well as half a dozen other individuals.

The play shifts from present to past and then forward once again as we learn of Joan's early years, aspirations, frustrations and triumphs. Her parents immigrated to this country and New York City before setting in Larchmont and Joan found herself in a town not heavily populated with Jews. Determined to make it as a comic performer, she takes on many a job before emerging with an appearance on the "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. She made figurative leaps from Greenwich Village clubs to "Carson" to her own "Joan Rivers Show" while one marriage crumbled and the next, to Edgar Rosenberg, husband and business partner, lasted.

The primary spotlight shines upon Tessa Auberjonois's Joan Rivers, so it is fitting that the performance begins as Tessa's Joan runs through a stand-up routine, face-to-face with her Barrington Stage audience. Director David Ivers and the actress formulate a Rivers who is fully driven to knock over rather than hurdle obstacles in her path. Elinor Gunn, whether as Melissa or Joan, cuts characters who are not so fully hardened. The complicated, conflicted relationship between mother and daughter is anything but easy. Joan Rivers, as depicted in this presentation, is not a gentle soul. She is audacious; she is emotional. She is liable to blast a phrase or an obscenity whether or not the moment is appropriate.

Wilson Chin's sets slide in and out as necessary, and Kish Finnegan's costuming assists with mood and time period. Joan is definitely all about personalities. Daniel Goldstein's characters hook the audience and Director David Ivers drives the production forward.

Some of the dialogue and some of the scenes are more comedically winning than others. Do not, please, anticipate non-stop hilarity. Instead, the writer seeks to tell the story of a complex woman who refused to be deterred. Some circumstances are abrasive and, in end, this is not happy ending fare. It certainly is impassioned.

Tessa Auberjonois, with a long listing of theatre, film, and TV credits, commands attention throughout. Andrew Borba, an actor who also brings an impressive history of performances in multiple genres, masters all of his roles. Elinor Gunn adroitly plays off Auberjonois and it is clear that her Melissa cares deeply about her mother. Zachary Prince, having appeared both on and off Broadway, is remarkably deft as he switches from one role to the next during the production's one hour and forty five or so minutes.

Joan does not appear to be despondent nor is she particularly hopeful. Instead, this is a woman resolute with her mission to barrel forward come what may. Her singular cocky look and fiery vocabulary cannot be denied. She is hellbent and, within the context of this show, she tells anyone within earshot how she feels and what she wants. Take it or leave it. Suffice to say that theatregoers who are offended by usage of certain words might not find portions of Joan totally appealing. Plenty of patrons, at the very least, will appreciate the worthwhile presentation. Back in the day, not everyone loved but many acknowledged the actual, swashbuckling Joan Rivers.

Joan: A New Play About Joan Rivers runs through August 17, 2025, at Barrington Stage Company, 30 Union St., Pittsfield MA. For tickets and information, please call 413-236-8888 or visit barringtonstageco.org.