Beautiful Soup Theater
presents

LITTLE WARS
In Repertory with What was Lost, 28 Marchant Avenue, neat & tidy, and Der Kanarienvogel (The Canary)

Written by Steven Carl McCasland
Directed by Cara Picone
Costume Design; Somie Pak
Lighting Design: Molly Tiede
Stage Manager: Hailli Ridsdale


Ensemble: Kristen Gehling, Kimberly Faye Greenberg, Samantha Hoefer, Polly McKie, Kim Rogers, Dorothy Weems Penny Lynn White

Press Representative: John Capo

Clarion Theatre
309 East 26th Street
Through May 30, 2015
www.beautifulsoup.showclix.com


This all-female cast takes us on an imaginary gathering of literati from the Parisian avant-garde and modern literature stalwarts, such as Gertrude Stein, Lilian Hellman, Alice B. Toklas, Agatha Christie and Dorothy Parker. Stein and Toklas are having a dinner party with this cast of characters in their home in the Alps. It is the eve of France’s surrender to Nazi Germany at the dawn of WWII.

A surprise visitor arrives a day early and is invited to stay for the dinner. This visitor - Muriel Gardiner - is an activist involved in saving Jews by securing passports for their escape to America. Gardiner arrives to collect the pledged support from Stein and Toklas.

The play begins with Bernadette–the young house maid–buzzing about, readying the house. The inebriated Stein rants about having them over, and Lilian reminds her the party was her idea.

When the invited guests arrive, sparks begin to fly. Stein and Hellman share a caustic relationship. Though dinner never arrives, the guests are instead treated to plenty of liquor, allowing their tongues to flow freely. And, clearly, these authors are seldom at a loss for words. They enact their individual, personal dramas: rejection, alcoholism, racism, abortion, rape, and lesbianism, when it was considered “abnormal”. As Dorothy Parker says: “It isn’t the tragedies that kill us. It’s the messes, the little wars.”

Gardiner stands back as the alcohol flows, and we learn of each author’s political and personal struggles. She decides to step in, after the Jewish house maid’s story is revealed, and Gardiner offers to help. Her identity as a Jew sympathizer is revealed, forcing all to show their feelings about the Nazis, and how they plan to help.

Polly McKie as Gertrude Stein shows off her bold acting chops; Penny Lynn White is a formidable actor as Toklas; Dorothy Weems portrays Parker’s acerbic wit with style. Kim Rogers is an imposing and grand Agatha Christie. Kimberly Greenberg plays very well off Stein’s stings. Each is strong, talented and believable in their character.

- Gloria Talamas -