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Regional Reviews: St. Louis The Heidi Chronicles Also see Richard's reviews of Rent and Radio Golf
This is mostly due to the outstanding Emily Baker, who fills the title role up to the top with intellect and humanity. Time and again, she throws Heidi's unconventional truth out there like a fly fisherman, only to reel back in the usual comic boot, or some enigmatic message in a bottle. Act one ends with a startling, but by now much-imitated moment, where Heidi seems like she couldn't help but wonder: "is this what women's liberation is all about?" And yes, it should feel dated, but doesn't. Here the "Sex and the City" moments come about six years prior to Candace Bushnell's own newspaper columns. And Wasserstein's play is also a memory piece, which somehow relieves the dull ache of the 1960s, '70s, and '80s passing in review. That said, Kareem Deanes has designed a great, fast-paced bunch of photo montages for the different stages of Heidi's life, beginning as an awkward teen at a dance. Each small act of self-assertion inches her forward in a wonderfully original way. And the rest of the cast is delightful. But the show's dour quality arises as the title character (an art historian) searches for happiness–something she may not even believe in herself. The comedy began its onstage life at Playwright's Horizon in late 1988 before moving to the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway early the next year. It won the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1989. Perhaps that's because Wasserstein has given us an all-access pass inside the mind of a marvelously complex woman. Joel Moses plays Scoop Rosenbaum, who uses his intellect to seduce Heidi in spite of herself. And Will Bonfiglio is cast as Peter Patrone, the perfect mate, except that he's gay. Mr. Moses' gambits for Heidi's affections grow into wild moments of howling male madness, but she learns to stand her ground. And Peter's growth transforms The Heidi Chronicles into something new and jarringly real. Wasserstein gives all three of them the perfect ending to some wildly imperfect relationships. The rest of the women on stage are each uniquely "uncommon," as the playwright herself might have said (she died in 2006). Kelly Howe is consistently fantastic as Heidi's childhood friend Susan, growing and changing just like all of these characters, the way I wish they would in every play. And the astonishing chameleon Courtney Bailey is unrecognizable here as Lisa, Scoop's dry and drawling Southern bride, appearing in other roles as well. Ashwini Arora skates right past parody into great, confident sketch comedy territory as four different women. And Paola Angeli is warm and funny in a variety of supporting parts, herself. The cast also includes Joshua Mayfield, who seems a bit thrown-away. But he is inarguably fascinating, even in a series of brief encounters. An inspired set by Patrick Huber makes nearly every scene change possible in the snap of your fingers. And all the perfect costumes are by Michele Friedman Siler, assisted by Elena Jaquez. The whole show bristles with a roughly acquired wisdom, and the slightly heartbreaking quality of finding one's own way alone–of being swept up into a group or by someone with a clever line of banter, before you even realize you've lost yourself to someone else's agenda. And then having to withdraw back into yourself, all over again. Heidi manages that liberation each time, though freedom renders her temporarily alone, like the women in her favorite paintings: unfathomable and independent, but suddenly seen through a whole new lens. The Heidi Chronicles runs through June 15, 2025, at the Jewish Community Center, #2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis MO. For tickets and information, please visit www.newjewishtheatre.org. Cast: Production Staff: * Denotes Member, ActorsÂ’ Equity Association |
