Grass not always greener
Who says the grass is always greener in the other person’s backyard? Certainly not old school chums Gwen and Catherine. Each has taken a widely different career path and now think perhaps — just perhaps, they made the wrong choice.
The story unfolds when Many Hats Theatre Company presents ‘Rapture, Blister, Burn,’ a fast-paced work by award-winning American playwright Gina Gionfriddo. Gionfriddo’s writing and character development reflect her long career as a script writer for wildly popular political dramas “The West Wing” and “House of Cards”
These ladies have known each other for decades. Catherine Croll (Tammy Hansel) is the ambitious protagonist, and her former college roommate, Gwen Harper (Dianna Zumpano).
When she was in college, Cathy dated Don Harper (Neil Ritcey), now a pothead-porn addicted dean at a second-rate college and married to Gwen with two kids. Their somewhat tawdry history is summarized in Cathy’s line: “I went to London, he married my roommate.”
After university, Catherine and Gwen chose opposite paths: Catherine built a career as a rockstar academic, while Gwen built a home with a husband and children. Decades later, unfulfilled in opposite ways, each woman covets the other’s life, and a dangerous game begins as each tries to claim the other’s territory. Sparks fly and the ageold question arises: what do women really want?
Financially-struggling Don and housewife Gwen’s seemingly tidy life is in upended after Catherine comes swooping back to town with her flush bank account to visit her mother, Alice (Eleanor Walker) who has suffered a heart attack.
While marooned in small town New England, Cathy holds forth at mom’s house on feminist history, attended by Gwen, Alice, and Avery (Dana Beecroft). Many Martinis are consumed but does anything get resolved?
Eric Hanston directs, Shannon French produces and Marlena Dolan Stage Manages.
‘Rapture, Blister, Burn’ opens Sept. 5 and runs until Sept. 28.
Tickets to all Many Hats performances are now available on Eventbrite.
Visit manyhatstheatre.com and click on the ‘Tickets’ link. That will take you to the Eventbrite site.
‘Rapture, Blister, Burn’, which is the fourth production in Many Hats’ 12th season and the 59th since 2008, opens Thursday and runs until Sept. 28.
Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
Opening night will feature a postshow reception with the wines of Play Estate and tasty treats from The Nest and Nectar. The second night on Friday will feature craft brews of Cannery Brewing as well as snacks from The Nest and Nectar.