Watching Wendy Wasserstein
By Paul Haist
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Last January when playwright Wendy Wasserstein died of lymphoma at age 55 in New York, Profile Theatre Artistic Director Jane Unger here in Portland was looking for a playwright to feature in their upcoming 10th anniversary season.
A veteran theater professional who created Profile Theatre, Unger was no stranger to Wasserstein. However, Wasserstein's too early death moved the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning playwright upstage for Unger.
"With the news of her death, I became even more aware of her. The more I read of her, the more I was attracted to and intrigued by her work," said Unger.
In what has been named "The Year of the Uncommon Woman—Celebrating the Life and Work of Wendy Wasserstein," Profile Theatre will present seven of Wasserstein's plays in its 2006-07 season, including four full productions and three staged readings.
That's what Profile Theatre does each year: feature the works of just one playwright.
Wasserstein addressed serious issues seriously, Unger explained, but not without humor.
"She straddled serious social issues with great comic sensibility and wit," she said.
The first of Wasserstein's plays that Profile will present is "An American Daughter," directed by Unger and set to open Oct. 14. Unger said the presentation is timed to coincide with the upcoming midterm elections across the United States.
"An American Daughter," focuses on Dr. Lyssa Dent Hughes, a prominent health-care expert and the wife of a U.S. senator, after her nomination to be the first woman U.S. surgeon general.
In the glare of public scrutiny, a minor indiscretion in Hughes' past is inflated out of proportion by the media.
Hughes must decide whether to continue to pursue the Cabinet post and face an ugly Senate hearing or decline the nomination.
The public politics turn out to be nothing compared to the personal politics in Hughes' family in what Newsday called "a living-room family play."
Unger called the play "a critique of the media and how speculation can become fact, and (an examination of) how women juggle private and public life, and the challenge of being honest and true to yourself while being a political animal."
In keeping with Profile's commitment to educate as well as entertain, they will bring to Portland for the Oct. 15 matinee of "An American Daughter" the New York director who staged the play's world premier at Lincoln Center in 1997.
Tony Award-winner Dan Sullivan will be on hand after the Oct. 15 performance for an informal discussion of the play and the playwright.
Noting that theatergoers "can't walk away from our season without having learned a lot about a writer and their work," Unger stressed that "education is built into our mission."
Profile Theatre frequently brings in playwrights and other distinguished theater professionals to share their expertise and insight with local audiences.
Players in Profile's "An American Daughter" include several seasoned professionals.
Regional theater veteran Karla Mason is back for her third appearance with Profile Theatre, this time as Lyssa Dent Hughes.
Dave Bodin, back for his fourth Profile production, plays Hughes' husband Sen. Alan Hughes.
Paul Angelo makes his Profile Theater main stage debut as Hughes family friend Morrow McCarthy. Angelo previously had roles in Profile Theatre staged readings.
Jason Maniccia is cast as TV reporter Timber Tucker, his third role with Profile.
Other players include Thom Bray (Walter Abrahmson), Aron Farrar (Billy Robbins), Brook Lynne Fletcher (Quincy Quince), and Jean Miller (Charlotte "Chubby" Hughes), Jess Prichard (Jimmy) and Andrea White (Judith B. Kaufman).
This 10th anniversary season at Profile Theatre marks its evolution from project status to established drama venue, according to Unger.
Previously known as the Profile Theatre Project, this year they dropped Project from their name.
"Our challenge as a theater company is that we are small and not mainstream," said Unger.
Small, perhaps, but Unger points to the attention Profile attracts from across America when she ranks her theater among the best here.
"We are considered one of the top three theaters in Portland among some foundations in New York that have funded us," as well as among theater luminaries who have been attracted to Portland by Profile, she said.
Unger singled out New York's Shubert Foundation, which provided Profile Theatre with a significant grant in 2005.
The only other Portland theater company to receive a Shubert grant last year was Portland Center Stage, which puts Profile in good company. Last year, the Shubert Foundation gave grants totaling more than $14.5 million.
During Profile's 2003-04 season that featured the work of playwright Romulus Linney, Linney himself came to Portland to co-direct with Unger the world premier of his "Klonsky and Schwartz." Last year, when Profile featured the work of Lanford Wilson, Wilson came to Portland to work with Unger on the staged reading of his play "Sympathetic Magic."
"I don't think any other theater in town is working this closely on that level with playwrights of that caliber," said Unger. "And that's a fantastic opportunity."
Not counting preview performances that took place Oct. 11, 12 and 13, Portland theatergoers will have the opportunity to
see Profile's Theatre's production of "An American Daughter" on 13 evenings and five Sunday afternoons between now and Nov. 12.
Evening curtain is at 8 p.m. Matinee curtain is at 2 p.m.
General admission ticket prices range from $15 to $28. Season tickets, package deals and discounts for seniors and students are available.
All performances take place at Theater! Theatre!, 3430 SE Belmont St.
Telephone Profile Theatre at 503-242-0080 or visit their Web site at profiletheatre.org for more details.