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EDITEDEDITED BYBY CLAUDIACLAUDIA BARNETTBARNETT

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ThisThis editionedition publishepublishedd 20122012 bbyy RoutledgeRoutledge

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WendWendyy WassersteinWasserstein : a caseboocasebookk I/ editededited bbyy ClaudiaClaudia Barnett.Barnett. pp.. cmcm.. -— (Garland(Garland referencereference librarylibrary ooff thethe humanitieshumanities ; vv.2075.. 2075. CaseCasebook bookss oonn modernmodern dramatistsdramatists ; vv.. 26)26) IncludesIncludes bibliographicalbibliographical referencesreferences andand index.index. ISBNISBN 0-8153-2953-90-8153-2953-9 (alk(alk.. paper)paper) 1.1. Wasserstein,Wasserstein, Wendy-CriticismWendy—Criticism andand interpretationinterpretation.. 22.. WomeWomenn andand literature—Uniteliterature-Unitedd States-History-20thStates—History—20th centurycentury.. I.I. BarnettBarnett,, Claudia.Claudia. II.II. Series:Series: GarlandGarland referencereference librarylibrary ofof thethe humanities;humanities ; voLvol . 2075.2075 . III.HI . Series:Series : GarlandGarland referencereference librarylibrary ooff thethe humanities.humanities. CaseCasebook bookss oonn modermodernn dramatistsdramatists ; volvol.. 26.26. PS3573.A798Z96PS3573.A798Z96 19991999 812'.54-dc21812\54—dc21 98-4041898-40418 CIPCIP

CoverCover photograpphotographh ofof WendyWendy WassersteinWasserstein bbyy JamesJames HamiltonHamilton provideprovidedd bbyy RoyceRoyce CarltonCarlton Incorporated.Incorporated. GENERAGENERALL EDITOR'SEDITOR'S NOTENOTE

WendyWendy WassersteiWassersteinn isis ononee ooff America'America'ss foremostforemost playwrights.playwrights. LikLikee MarshMarshaa NormanNorman,, whosewhose casebookcasebook forfor GarlanGarlandd waswas compiledcompiled bbyy LindLindaa GinteGinterr BrownBrown anandd publishedpublished a yearyear ago,ago, sheshe iiss ononee ooff thethe leadinleadingg femalfemalee voicesvoices oonn ththee contemporarcontemporaryy stage.stage. AAtt timetimess heherr gendegenderr hahass leledd toto unfaiunfairr evalua­evalua• tionstions ofof heherr worworkk becausbecausee criticscritics lookinlookingg forfor a straightforwardstraightforward feministfeminist poinpointt ooff vievieww areare likelylikely toto bbee disappointedisappointedd bbyy herher complexcomplex visiovisionn ooff lifelife.. WomeWomenn iinn Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss playplayss areare likellikelyy toto bbee educatededucated,, affluent,affluent, aatt easeasee iinn urbaurbann settings,settings, anandd frequentlyfrequently Jewish.Jewish. ThereThere isis onlonlyy ononee womanwoman ooff colorcolor inin herher playsplays,, anandd heherr malmalee characterscharacters araree oftenoften positivelpositivelyy portrayeportrayedd andand interestinginteresting ttoo a degreedegree thathatt compromisecompromisess certaincertain feminisfeministt "agendas.""agendas." YetYet WassersteinWasserstein,, whwhoo isis a professionaprofessionall journalisjournalistt andand anan astuteastute analystanalyst ooff so­so• ciologicalciological anandd anthropologicaanthropologicall trends,trends, isis primarilprimarilyy interestedinterested inin capturincapturingg thethe qualityquality ooff thethe contemplative,contemplative, responsiblresponsiblee individuaindividuall iinn thethe twentiethtwentieth century.century. HerHer themesthemes araree nevernever didactic;didactic; heherr techniquestechniques oftenoften seemseem tradi­tradi• tionaltional,, witwithh linealinearr plotplotss and/orand/or surprisesurprise endings.endings. ClaudiaClaudia BarnettBarnett,, thethe editoeditorr ooff thisthis volume,volume, mustmust bbee creditedcredited withwith placinplacingg Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss contributionscontributions ttoo modermodernn dramadrama inin a propeproperr con­con• texttext.. Barnett,Barnett, whowho receivereceivedd heherr Ph.DPh.D.. frofromm OhioOhio StateState University,University, wrotewrote a dissertationdissertation onon AdrienneAdrienne KennedyKennedy andand hashas publishedpublished articlesarticles onon modmod­• erernn playwrightplaywrightss inin TheatreTheatre JournalJournal,, ModerModernn DramaDrama,, anandd AmericanAmerican DramaDrama.. CurrentlyCurrently anan assistantassistant professoprofessorr atat MiddlMiddlee TennesseeTennessee StateState Uni­Uni• versity,versity, sheshe wonwon thethe BurgerBurger TheatreTheatre EssaEssayy PrizePrize iinn 19971997 forfor aann essaessayy onon PhylliPhylliss NagyNagy.. SheShe isis doingdoing researchresearch foforr a projecprojectt oonn NaomNaomii WallaceWallace,, as­as• semblingsembling anan extremelyextremely heterogeneouheterogeneouss groupgroup ofof well-knownwell-known scholars.scholars. BarnetBarnettt hashas finallyfinally establisheestablishedd a balancebalancedd andand intriguingintriguing basibasiss forfor studyinstudyingg andand appreciatinappreciatingg Wasserstein,Wasserstein, a talentedtalented andand insightfulinsightful AmericanAmerican writer.writer .

KimbalKimballl KingKing This page intentionally left blank FoForr my father, RicharRichardd BarnettBarnett This page intentionally left blank ContentsContents

AcknowledgmentAcknowledgmentss ix IntroductionIntroduction Claudia BarnettBarnett xi ChronologChronologyy xix

ChapteChapterr 1:1: Women'Women'ss Movement:Movement: TheThe PersonaPersonall aass PoliticalPolitical iinn thethe PlaysPlays ooff WendyWendy WassersteinWasserstein Bette MandlMandl 3

ChapteChapterr 2:2: BachelorBachelor Machine:Machine: PostmodemPostmodern Travels,Travels, FemaleFemale CommunitiesCommunities,, MelancholMelancholyy anandd ththee MarkeMarkett iinn Bachelor GirlsGirls Stephanie HammerHammer 1313

ChapteChapterr 3:3: GenerationsGenerations ofof NoraNora:: Self-RealizationSelf-Realization inin thethe ComedieComediess ooff RachelRachel CrotherCrotherss anandd WendyWendy WassersteinWasserstein 3535 Robert F. GrossGross

ChapteChapterr 4:4: "We've"We've AllAll ComComee a LongLong Way":Way": TheThe RolRolee ofof WomeWomenn inin Uncommon Women, Top Girls, anandd MyMy Mother Said I Never ShouldShould William C.C BolesBoles 5757

ChapteChapterr 5:5: FemaleFemale LaughterLaughter anandd ComiComicc Possibilities:Possibilities: Uncommon Women and OthersOthers Miriam M. ChiricoChirico 8181 viii Contents

ChapterChapter 66:: BuildingBuilding thethe Gift:Gift: CreatingCreating a CharacteCharacterr iinn Wasserstein'sWasserstein's The Sisters RosensweigRosensweig Deborah K. AndersonAnderson 107107

ChapteChapterr 77:: WendWendyy Wasserstein'sWasserstein's ThreeThree Sisters:Sisters: SquanderedSquandered PrivilegPrivilegee Gaylord BrewerBrewer 119119

ChapteChapterr 8:8: WhenWhen WendWendyy Isn'tIsn't Trendy:Trendy: WendWendyy Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss The Heidi Chronicles andand An American DaughterDaughter Helene KeyssarKeyssar 131333

ChapteChapterr 9:9: ThreeThree AmericaAmericann Daughters:Daughters: WendWendyy WassersteiWassersteinn CritiqueCritiquess SuccessSuccess Glenda FrankFrank 161161

ChapteChapterr 10:10: InterviewInterview witwithh WendWendyy WassersteiWassersteinn Claudia BarnettBarnett 179179

BibliographyBibliography Claudia BarnettBarnett 189189 ContributorContributorss 213213 IndeIndexx 215215 AcknowledgmentAcknowledgmentss

ManManyy peoplpeoplee workeworkedd harhardd ttoo brinbringg thithiss volumvolumee togethertogether.. I woulwouldd liklikee especiallespeciallyy ttoo acknowledgacknowledgee ththee diligendiligentt anandd punctuapunctuall contributorscontributors,, thethe eagle-eyeeagle-eyedd editoreditorss aatt GarlandGarland,, mmyy researcresearchh assistanassistantt MattheMattheww ConleyConley,, andand KimballKimball King.King. I amam thankfulthankful toto WendyWendy WassersteinWasserstein foforr grantinggranting mmee anan intervieintervieww anandd toto heherr assistant,assistant, KenKen Cassillo,Cassillo, forfor hihiss helhelpp witwithh details.details. JameJamess HamiltonHamilton hashas kindlykindly providedprovided the the cover cover photograph.photograph . I amam gratefulgrateful forfor thethe supportsupport ofof MiddleMiddle TennesseeTennessee StateState University,University , includingincluding grantsgrants frofromm thethe FacultyFaculty ResearcResearchh andand CreativeCreative ActivitActivityy CommitteeCommittee anandd from ththee EnglisEnglishh DepartmenDepartmentt ResearcResearchh Committee.Committee. ThanksThanks toto BettBettyy McFalMcFalll anandd ththee interlibrarinterlibraryy loanloan staffstaff aatt ToddTodd LibraryLibrary,, I waswas ableable toto completecomplete thethe bibliographybibliography withoutwithout leavingleaving campus.campus. I amam indebtedindebted toto colleaguecolleaguess DaviDavidd LaverLaveryy andand LarrLarryy MapMappp forfor theirtheir helhelpp scanningscanning andand printing,printing, andand ttoo mmyy students,students, whwhoo havhavee listenedlistened anandd providedprovided feedbackfeedback toto countlesscountless ideasideas andand anecdotesanecdotes throughoutthroughout thethe editingediting process.process. Finally,Finally, a wordword ofof thanksthanks forfor moralmoral supportsupport andand guidanceguidance toto mymy mentors,mentors, RobertRobert F.F. GrossGross andand MargaretMargaret Ordoubadian,Ordoubadian , toto mymy friend,friend, JuliaJulia Fesmire,Fesmire, andand toto mymy parents,parents, grandparents,grandparents, brothers,brothers, andand sister­sister— andand especiallyespecially toto GaylordGaylord BrewerBrewer andand Jasper.Jasper. This page intentionally left blank IntroductioIntroductionn

I wenwentt intointo thithiss projecprojectt witwithh a vaguvaguee senssensee ooff thethe hostilithostilityy WendWendyy WassersteiWassersteinn hahass arousearousedd througthroughh heherr dramadrama;; stillstill,, mmyy firsfirstt twtwoo tasks­tasks— lininliningg uupp contributorcontributorss anandd researchinresearchingg ththee bibliography—werbibliography-weree crascrashh lessonlessonss iinn ililll willwill.. EarlEarlyy responseresponsess ttoo mmyy queriequeriess foforr contributorscontributors surprisedsurprised mmee witwithh terstersee quipsquips:: ""II havhavee neveneverr likelikedd WendWendyy Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss playplayss anandd don'don'tt feefeell I'I'dd havhavee anythinanythingg mucmuchh ttoo say"say";; "I'm"I'm sorrysorry,, bubutt I don'don'tt thinthinkk thathatt WendWendyy WassersteiWassersteinn meritmeritss criticacriticall comment.comment."" SomeSome ooff ththee reviewreviewss werweree embarrassinembarrassingg ttoo readread,, soso fulfulll ooff wrathwrath andand personal-soundingpersonal-sounding attacks.attacks. WhenWhen I spokespoke toto WassersteiWassersteinn iinn AugustAugust 1997, 1I askeaskedd herher whwhyy criticscritics havehave treatedtreated herher work—especiallwork-especiallyy The Heidi Chronicles-soChronicles—so unkindlyunkindly.. SheShe responded:responded: "I"I thinkthink becausebecause therethere aren'aren'tt enoughenough playplayss bbyy women-bywomen—by andand aboutabout women.women. SoSo thathatt yoyouu havhavee thithiss oneone plaplayy supposedlysupposedly standingstanding forfor allall women'women'ss plays.plays."" ThisThis answeranswer isis simplistic,simplistic, butbut atat leastleast partiallpartiallyy true.true. "Some"Some womenwomen maymay identifyidentify withwith Heidi,Heidi, butbut othersothers chafechafe atat thethe entireentire representationalrepresentational frame thethe playplay placesplaces aroundaround her"her" (l08),(108), writeswrites GayleGayle Austin.Austin. HeidiHeidi iiss assumedassumed byby audiencesaudiences andand criticscritics toto representrepresent allall women—awomen-ann impossibleimpossible tasktask forfor anyany character.character. ThisThis assumptionassumption resultsresults partiallpartiallyy from thethe absenceabsence ofof playsplays byby andand aboutabout women,women, asas WassersteinWasserstein suggests,suggests, butbut partpart ofof thethe faultfault lieslies withwith thethe playwright,playwright, whowho presentspresents HeidiHeidi asas EverywomanEverywoman inin thisthis playplay notnot aboutabout anan individual,individual, butbut a movement.movement. ChargesCharges againstagainst The Heidi Chronicles includeinclude itsits failurefailure toto provideprovide feministfeminist rolerole models,models, itsits critiquecritique ofof thethe feministfeminist movement,movement, ititss omissionomission ofof low-incomelow-income womenwomen andand womenwomen ofof color,color, itsits colorfulcolorful malemale characterscharacters (arguably(arguably moremore interestinginteresting thanthan thethe femalefemale characters),characters), ititss engagingengaging useuse ofof language,language, humor,humor, andand songsong (liabilities(liabilities becausebecause theythey xixiii IntroductioIntroductionn distracdistractt ththee audiencaudiencee fromfrom thinkinthinkingg totooo much)much),, ititss linealinearr (nonfeminist(nonfeminist)) structurestructure,, anandd ititss surprissurprisee endinendingg (whic(whichh somsomee criticcriticss finfindd inappropriatinappropriatee becausbecausee iitt doedoess nonott follofolloww logicalllogicallyy fromfrom ththee plotplot,, whereawhereass mosmostt araree dismayedismayedd bbyy ththee messagmessagee ooff Heidi'Heidi'ss choice)choice).. ThThee focufocuss ooff ththee criticiscriticismm iiss oonn themetheme,, nonott craftcraft,, anandd angeangerr towardtowardss WassersteiWassersteinn anandd towartowardd HeidHeidii aboundsabounds.. SeveraSeverall criticcriticss ooff The HeidiHeidi Chronicles equatequatee WassersteiWassersteinn witwithh HeidiHeidi,, conflatinconflatingg realitrealityy witwithh fictionfiction.. PhylliPhylliss JanJanee Rose hahass writtewrittenn "A"Ann OpeOpenn LetteLetterr ttoo DrDr.. HeidHeidii HollandHolland"" iinn whicwhichh shshee directldirectlyy addressesaddresses ththee charactercharacter,, reprimandinreprimandingg heherr ideologyideology.. JilJilll DolaDolann pointpointss ououtt thathatt HeidHeidii continuallcontinuallyy movemovess heherr chaichairr awaawayy frofromm FraFrann aatt ththee consciousness-raisinconsciousness-raisingg meetinmeetingg anandd concludesconcludes:: "Heidi'"Heidi'ss uncomfortabluncomfortablee responsresponsee ttoo FraFrann indicateindicatess Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss neeneedd ttoo distancdistancee herself fromfrom ananyy displadisplayy ooff radicalismradicalism,, sexuasexuall oorr politicalpolitical"" (52)(52),, implyinimplyingg thathatt WassersteiWassersteinn anandd HeidHeidii araree ththee samesame.. RosRosee anandd DolaDolann dislikdislikee HeidHeidii foforr heherr politicpoliticss anandd foforr heherr passivitypassivity.. KareKarenn MalpedMalpedee wishewishess WassersteinWasserstein hahadd focusefocusedd oonn ththee adoptioadoptionn ooff JudJudyy HollanHollandd anandd ththee politicpoliticss implieimpliedd bbyy thithiss actionaction:: "The"The audiencaudiencee doesn'doesn'tt knoknoww wherwheree ththee chilchildd camcamee from aatt allall.. ItIt makemakess a sociopoliticalsociopolitical statementstatement thathatt iitt doesn'doesn'tt mattematterr wherewhere yoyouu getget thethe childchild...... ItIt doesn'doesn'tt mattermatter whatwhat kindkind ooff lifelife ththee birtbirthh mothemotherr hadhad becausbecausee youyou wantwant thethe child"child" (320).(320). LaurieLaurie StoneStone wisheswishes ththee plaplayy hahadd dealdealtt witwithh abortion.abortion. TheThe biggesbiggestt probleproblemm citedcited bbyy criticscritics isis,, perhapsperhaps ironically,ironically, thethe play'splay's prosperity.prosperity. "The"The biggesbiggestt dangedangerr ttoo womewomenn posedposed byby thethe playplay isis itsits futurefuture influence"influence" (108),(108), writeswrites Austin,Austin, whowho seessees thethe PulitzerPulitzer PrizePrize andand otherother awardsawards thisthis playplay hashas garneredgarnered aass threats.threats. SheShe equatesequates dangerdanger withwith success,success, arguingarguing thatthat "the"the plaplayy willwill becomebecome partpart ofof thethe systemsystem thatthat oppressesoppresses womenwomen andand soso highlyhighly rewardsrewards theirtheir creativecreative expressionsexpressions whenwhen theythey aidaid inin itsits purposes" (108).(108). RicharRichardd Hornby'SHornby's accusationaccusation thatthat "The"The Heidi Chronicles isis a lifeless,lifeless, vulgarvulgar play,play, renderedrendered allall thethe moremore irritatingirritating byby thethe manymany awardsawards thatthat thisthis nonnon­- playwrightplaywright hashas wonwon simplysimply becausebecause sheshe isis a woman,woman, writingwriting oonn fashionablefashionable issues"issues" (464),(464), helpshelps explainexplain thethe uproar:uproar: notnot onlyonly Heidi,Heidi , butbut Wasserstein,Wasserstein, isis seenseen asas representativerepresentative ofof allall women,women, andand thisthis tootoo makesmakes somesome feministsfeminists bristle.bristle. TheThe mediummedium itselfitself isis largelylargely ignoredignored comparedcompared toto thethe message,message, leavingleaving thethe implicationimplication thatthat WassersteinWasserstein writeswrites well,well, butbut thatthat whatwhat shshee writeswrites isis wrong-atwrong—at leastleast regardingregarding TheThe Heidi Chronicles.Chronicles. TheThe lamentlament isis thusthus thatthat sheshe hashas writtenwritten thethe wrongwrong play,play, andand suggestionssuggestions toto improveimprove itit (such(such asas Malpede's)Malpede's) areare implicitimplicit inin thethe criticism.criticism. DolanDolan dealsdeals withwith thisthis desiredesire explicitlyexplicitly inin herher "Postproduction"Postproduction Tangent"Tangent" toto herher discussiondiscussion ofof thethe play.play . DolanDolan directeddirected thethe playplay inin 1992,1992, atat thethe UniversityUniversity ofof IntroductioIntroductionn xiixiiii

Wisconsin,Wisconsin, Madison'sMadison's UniversitUniversityy TheatreTheatre,, iinn spitespite ofof herher "strong"strong reactionreaction"" ttoo itit:: "Worried"Worried thathatt iitt mighmightt bbee presentepresentedd 'as'as is,'is,'"" sheshe writes,writes, "I"I tooktook oonn thethe challengechallenge ooff seeingseeing wherwheree anandd howhow Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss textextt mighmightt bbee subverted,subverted, whilewhile retainingretaining enoughenough ofof itsits appealappeal ttoo guaranteeguarantee thethe departmentdepartment somesome necessarnecessaryy summersummer incomeincome"" (55).(55). SheShe augmentedaugmented ththee productioproductionn witwithh slideslide shows,shows, addeaddedd simplesimple bubutt excessivelyexcessively largelarge propsprops,, andand directeddirected actorsactors toto behavebehave inin contrascontrastt toto theitheirr writtewrittenn rolesroles iinn ordeorderr toto offeroffer a "biting"biting critiquecritique"" (57(57)) ooff ththee plaplayy duringduring itsits performanceperformance.. SheShe concludes,concludes, howeverhowever,, thatthat "in"in manmanyy cases,cases, despitedespite ouourr efforts,efforts, ththee plaplayy won"won" (58).(58). OOnn mmyy ownown tangenttangent,, I wouldwould liklikee toto mentionmention a performancperformancee iinn whichwhich ththee plaplayy lost—alost-att leastleast ononee scenescene ofof it.it. I teacteachh a sophomore-levesophomore-levell courscoursee iinn womewomenn playwrightsplaywrights inin whicwhichh oneone ofof thethe requirementsrequirements iiss toto presentpresent a scenescene from ononee ofof thethe playplayss oonn ouourr syllabus.syllabus. OnOnee oorr twotwo memenn sometimessometimes enrollenroll inin a clasclasss ooff thirty-five,thirty-five, soso womenwomen frequentlyfrequently plaplayy men'smen's rolesroles.. DuringDuring thethe springspring 19971997 semester,semester, ththee class'class' self­self- proclaimeproclaimedd "token"token male,male,"" BarrettBarrett Shumaker,Shumaker, signedsigned upup ttoo perforperformm a portioportionn ooff The Heidi Chronicles withwith anotheanotherr student,student, ShannoShannonn BottomsBottoms.. WhenWhen thethe clasclasss hearheardd thatthat thetheyy hahadd selectedselected acactt 2,2, scenescene 5,5, iinn whicwhichh PeterPeter andand HeidHeidii meetmeet aatt ththee children'schildren's wardward ofof thethe hospitahospitall wherewhere PeterPeter works,works, wewe expectedexpected thathatt BarrettBarrett woulwouldd plaplayy PeterPeter,, andand ShannoShannonn Heidi.Heidi. Shannon,Shannon, howeverhowever,, appearedappeared witwithh heherr haihairr tietiedd bacbackk anandd worworee a doctor'sdoctor's whitwhitee coat,coat, whilwhilee BarretBarrettt donneddonned a RaggedyRaggedy AnAnnn wigwig.. I felfeltt immediateimmediate disappointmentdisappointment thathatt thesthesee otherwise-excellenotherwise-excellentt studentsstudents wouldwould underminunderminee theitheirr assignment,assignment, bubutt thethenn ththee scenescene beganbegan.. BarretBarrettt anandd ShannonShannon playeplayedd theitheirr roleroless witwithh utteutterr seriousness,seriousness, eveevenn aass BarretBarrettt squeakedsqueaked ououtt hishis lineslines iinn a high-pitchehigh-pitchedd squeal:squeal: "You'll"You'll callcall me?me? .... . Peter,Peter, sweetie,sweetie, whawhatt isis it?it? .... . I hathatee iitt whenwhen you'reyou're liklikee this...this ..... II thoughtthought youyou wouldwould bbee thethe ononee persopersonn whwhoo woulwouldd completelcompletelyy understandunderstand"" (235).(235). LongLong beforbeforee PetePeterr accusesaccuses HeidHeidii ooff "trying"trying tootoo hardhard.. TheThe highighh voicevoice,, thethe gratuitousgratuitous 'honey''honey' oorr 'sweetie.''sweetie.' I can'tcan't teltelll whatwhat thethe helhelll you'ryou'ree thinking!"thinking!" (237}-Barrett(237)—Barrett andand Shannon'sShannon's audienceaudience hadhad concludeconcludedd thethe samesame thingthing.. HeidiHeidi seemedseemed moremore ridiculousridiculous forfor herher brighbrightt redred wiwigg andand heherr fakefake femalfemalee voicevoice,, bubutt thesthesee choiceschoices merelymerely enhanced,enhanced, ratherrather thathann opposedopposed,, heherr character,character, addingadding BrechtianBrechtian distancedistance ttoo ourour understandingunderstanding.. IInn spitespite ofof herher earnestness,earnestness, HeidiHeidi seemedseemed silly,silly, asas diddid ththee mostmost seriousserious scenescene ooff ththee playplay.. xiv IntroductioIntroductionn

I

ThiThiss caseboocasebookk includeincludess essayessayss thathatt contextualizcontextualizee anandd analyzanalyzee Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss writinwritingg frofromm a varietvarietyy ooff perspectivesperspectives.. I havhavee attemptedattempted ttoo achievachievee aann eveevenn balancbalancee ooff objectivobjectivee interpretationinterpretationss ttoo contrascontrastt ththee tontonee ooff earlieearlierr criticismcriticism,, anandd I havhavee solicitesolicitedd essayessayss abouaboutt alalll aspectaspectss ofof Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss writingwriting.. BettBettee MandMandll openopenss ththee collectiocollectionn witwithh aann overvieovervieww iinn whicwhichh shshee discussediscussess ththee playwright'playwright'ss liflifee anandd heherr worworkk anandd ththee manmanyy overlapoverlapss betweebetweenn fictiofictionn anandd reality—especiallreality-especiallyy ththee charactercharacterss whwhoo resemblresemblee WassersteiWassersteinn iinn theitheirr languagelanguage,, theitheirr concerns,concerns, anandd theitheirr desiresdesires.. HollHollyy KaplanKaplan,, JaniJaniee BlumbergBlumberg,, HeidHeidii HollandHolland,, anandd PfenPfenii RosensweiRosensweigg araree alalll recognizablrecognizablee stand-instand-inss foforr theitheirr authorauthor.. (Perhap(Perhapss thithiss explainexplainss whwhyy WassersteiWassersteinn criticiscriticismm soundsoundss ssoo personapersonall iinn naturenature:: iitt taketakess ititss cucuee fromfrom ththee drama.drama.)) MandMandll definedefiness a WassersteiWassersteinn patternpattern:: "linkin"linkingg a strongstrong personapersonall responsresponsee ttoo a largelargerr sociasociall trentrendd anandd makinmakingg thathatt thethe basibasiss foforr herher creativcreativee work.work."" SheShe furthefurtherr arguesargues,, "Tha"Thatt selfself anandd arartt areare coextensivecoextensive inin Wasserstein'sWasserstein's oeuvreoeuvre isis centralcentral toto whawhatt sheshe accomplishes,accomplishes, aass wellwell asas ttoo howhow botbothh araree seen."seen." QuotingQuoting fromfrom botbothh interviewsinterviews andand playsplays,, MandMandll establishesestablishes WassersteinWasserstein asas a charactecharacterr asas cleverclever,, charming,charming, anandd complexcomplex asas herher creations;creations; thethe playwrightplaywright,, inin factfact,, becomebecomess a charactercharacter withinwithin andand beyonbeyondd herher ownown work.work . StephanieStephanie HammeHammerr alsoalso tracestraces real-worl real-worldd influencesinfluences oonn Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss playsplays,, bubutt insteainsteadd ofof addressinaddressingg thethe playwright'playwright'ss personapersonall lifelife,, sheshe lookslooks atat heherr heritageheritage,, labelinglabeling heherr a "female"female Schlemihl."Schlemihl." WassersteiWassersteinn iiss a prolifiprolificc journalisjournalistt whowho writeswrites briefbrief,, funny,funny, personalpersonal essaysessays forfor magazinesmagazines rangingranging fromfrom The New Yorker toto Elle.Elle. ManyMany ofof thesethese piecespieces areare collectedcollected inin Bachelor Girls, thethe volumevolume whichwhich servesserves asas Hammer'sHammer's focus.focus. HerHer analysisanalysis providesprovides a seriesseries ofof original,original, finelyfinely developeddeveloped comparisonscomparisons betweenbetween Wasserstein'sWasserstein's writingwriting andand herher antecedentsantecedents andand influences,influences, includingincluding GermanGerman romanticistromanticist AdalbertAdalbert vovonn ChamissoChamisso (who(who wrotewrote thethe taletale ofof thethe originaloriginal Schlemihl), AustrianAustrian playwrightplaywright ArthurArthur Schnitzler,Schnitzler, JewishJewish comediennescomediennes fromfrom FannyFanny BryceBryce toto FranFran Drescher,Drescher, andand LouisaLouisa MayMay Alcott.Alcott. TheThe titletitle ofof Hammer'sHammer's essay,essay, "Bachelor"Bachelor Machine,"Machine," refersrefers toto a portioportionn ofof MarcelMarcel Duchamp'Duchamp'ss masterwork,masterwork, The BrideBride Stripped BareBare by HerHe r Bachelors,Bachelors, Even.Even . Duchamp'sDuchamp's piecepiece isis fullfull ofof visualvisual jokesjokes andand allusions.allusions . Similarly,Similarly, HammerHammer argues,argues, "Wasserstein's"Wasserstein's essaysessays proposepropose a bafflingbaffling andand comicacomicall literaryliterary displaydisplay whichwhich bothboth confusesconfuses andand amuses-sweepingamuses—sweeping thethe readerreader offoff onon a seriesseries ofof unexpected,unexpected, dizzyingdizzying excursions."excursions." TheThe unlikelyunlikely bubutt adeptadept comparisoncomparison betweenbetween WassersteinWasserstein andand DuchampDuchamp formsforms thethe basisbasis IntroductioIntroductionn XxvV

ooff Hammer'Hammer'ss essayessay:: "Wasserstein'"Wasserstein'ss collectioncollection,, liklikee Duchamp'Duchamp'ss strangestrange windowwindow,, offerofferss aann offbeatoffbeat,, comicacomicall lenlenss througthroughh whicwhichh wwee reperceivreperceivee ththee contemporarcontemporaryy worlworldd beyonbeyondd ththee text.text."" IInn "Generation"Generationss ooff Nora,Nora,"" RoberRobertt FF.. GrosGrosss establishe establishess Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss charactercharacterss withiwithinn aann ancestraancestrall linlinee ooff skepticskepticss seekinseekingg self-realizationself-realization.. "No"Nott onlonlyy doedoess Nora'Nora'ss exiexitt spawspawnn a hoshostt ooff progenyprogeny,, bubutt iitt establisheestablishess a neneww genrgenree iinn whicwhichh charactercharacterss araree leledd ttoo discovediscoverr ththee insufficiencinsufficiencyy ooff theitheirr environmentenvironment,, anandd strikstrikee ououtt foforr partpartss unknown.unknown."" WithiWithinn thithiss neneww genregenre,, GrosGrosss positionpositionss nonott onlonlyy WassersteiWassersteinn bubutt RacheRachell CrothersCrothers,, whoswhosee comediecomediess hhee closelcloselyy examinesexamines ttoo concludeconclude:: "Th"Thee onlonlyy hope..hope.... iiss thathatt successfulsuccessful,, financiallyfmancially independenindependentt womewomenn cacann forcforcee a redefinitioredefinitionn ooff gendegenderr relationshipsrelationships,, anandd thathatt womewomenn cacann comcomee togethetogetherr anandd begibeginn ttoo understanunderstandd eaceachh other.other."" HHee iiss leslesss hopefuhopefull abouaboutt WassersteinWasserstein,, whoswhosee characterscharacters,, hhee arguesargues,, araree leslesss concerneconcernedd witwithh personapersonall growtgrowthh thathann self-indulgenceself-indulgence:: "I"Inn ththee playplayss ooff WendWendyy WassersteinWasserstein,, wwee seseee ththee consequenceconsequencess ooff liberaliberall individualisindividualistt dramdramaa aatt aann extremeextreme.. ThThee selfself iiss paramountparamount,, bubutt iitt iiss impoverisheimpoverishedd bbyy ititss radicaradicall separatioseparationn frofromm othersothers,, anandd appearsappears increasinglincreasinglyy aass aann emptemptyy term."term." WilliaWilliamm CC.. BoleBoless locatelocatess WassersteiWassersteinn withiwithinn a mormoree contemporarycontemporary tradition,tradition, comparincomparingg Uncommon Women and Others ttoo CarylCaryl Churchill'Churchill'ss Top Girls andand CharlottCharlottee Keatley'sKeatley's My Mother Said I NeverNever Should. AllAll threethree playplayss havehave all-femaleall-female casts.casts. WassersteinWasserstein,, Churchill,Churchill, anandd KeatleKeatleyy consciouslyconsciously excludeexcludedd memenn from theitheirr castcastss iinn ordeorderr toto makmakee statementsstatements aboutabout thethe femalfemalee communitycommunity anandd thethe potentiapotentiall ofof women.women. Boles'Boles' readingreading ofof Uncommon Women resultsresults inin a definitiondefinition ofof uncommon: "No"No mattermatter thethe choiceschoices thesethese womenwomen havehave mademade oror willwill make,make, thisthis communitycommunity willwill continuecontinue toto staystay together,together, basebasedd onon notnot onlyonly thethe memoriesmemories ofof college,college, whichwhich initiallyinitially drewdrew themthem together,together, butbut onon thethe newnew experiencesexperiences toto bbee gainedgained uponupon leavingleaving thethe restaurant,restaurant, startingstarting first withwith a triptrip toto thethe movies."movies." InIn contrast,contrast, thethe BritishBritish playwrights'playwrights' femalefemale communitiescommunities areare moremore sophisticatedsophisticated andand complex,complex, butbut lessless cohesive.cohesive. ClassClass distinctionsdistinctions inin Churchill'sChurchill's playplay seversever emotionalemotional ties.ties. Keatley'sKeatley's womenwomen areare tomtorn apartapart byby timetime andand byby thethe differentdifferent expectationsexpectations placeplacedd onon eacheach ofof fourfour generations.generations. InIn thethe finalfinal pagespages ofof hishis comparison,comparison, BolesBoles arguesargues thatthat ofof thethe threethree playwrights,playwrights, WassersteinWasserstein hashas remainedremained thethe oneone truetrue toto thethe cause,cause, thethe oneone whowho continuescontinues toto exploreexplore thethe communitycommunity ofof womenwomen inin herher playsplays.. CitingCiting diversediverse criticscritics andand theorists,theorists, MiriamMiriam M.M . ChiricoChirico exploresexplores thethe structure,structure, characters,characters, andand spiritspirit ofof UncommonUncommon Women and Others toto xvi IntroductioIntroductionn revealreveal ththee naturnaturee ooff Wasserstein'sWasserstein's comedy.comedy. SheShe commentcommentss oonn thethe carnivacarnivall elementselements ooff thethe texttext,, targetintargetingg classicaclassicall comediccomedic devicedevicess sucsuchh aass songsong anandd dance.dance. ComedComedyy iiss "often"often overlookeoverlookedd bbyy womewomenn playwrights,playwrights,"" anandd oonn thethe fliflipp side,side, WassersteinWasserstein iiss frequentlyfrequently criticizecriticizedd foforr beinbeingg tootoo funnyfunny.. ChiricChiricoo positsposits,, howeverhowever,, thatthat thethe "form"form provideprovidess aann ideaideall mediummedium toto examinexaminee feministfeminist issuesissues becausbecausee itit reinforcereinforcess thethe femalfemalee spacespace anandd stemsstems thethe patriarchapatriarchall tidestides thathatt constantlconstantlyy threatenthreaten toto underminunderminee thethe women'swomen's world."world." ThroughoutThroughout heherr essayessay,, titletitledd "Female"Female LaughterLaughter andand ComiComicc Possibilities,Possibilities,"" ChiricChiricoo carefullycarefully tiesties togethetogetherr comedcomedyy andand feminismfeminism iinn unexpecteunexpectedd ways.ways. FoForr instanceinstance,, sheshe focusesfocuses oonn ththee gamegame thethe characterscharacters plaplayy inin whicwhichh eaceachh womanwoman choosechoosess thethe oneone ofof thethe groupgroup whomwhom sheshe woulwouldd mostmost liklikee ttoo marry:marry: "These"These womenwomen useuse theitheirr 'game''game' toto weakeweakenn ththee institutioinstitutionn ooff heterosexuaheterosexuall constructioconstructionn ofof marriagmarriagee andand ttoo grantgrant themthem a greategreaterr appreciationappreciation ooff theirtheir owownn intimacy."intimacy." Chirico'sChirico's insightsinsights intointo ththee texttext areare enhanceenhancedd bbyy herher notenotess regardingregarding a TheateTheaterr EmoryEmory productioproductionn anandd alsoalso bbyy virtuvirtuee ooff herher havinhavingg attendeattendedd MountMount HolyokHolyokee CollegeCollege,, ththee fictionalizefictionalizedd settingsetting ofof thethe play.play. DeborahDeborah K.K. Anderson,Anderson, anan actoractor andand director,director, approachesapproaches WassersteiWassersteinn from a practicapracticall perspectiveperspective.. "Good"Good actorsactors builbuildd a substantialsubstantial personapersonall historyhistory forfor theirtheir characters,"characters," writewritess AndersonAnderson,, whwhoo citescites UtaUta Hagen'sHagen's theories.theories. BuButt actorsactors iinn a WassersteinWasserstein playplay,, particularlparticularlyy The Sisters Rosensweig, dodo notnot needneed toto builbuildd suchsuch histories,histories, thanksthanks toto Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss extremextremee attentioattentionn toto detail.detail. "For"For actorsactors,, WassersteinWasserstein iiss a fulfillinfulfillingg writewriterr toto workwork withwith;; sheshe appearappearss toto understanunderstandd ththee needneedss ofof actorsactors andand theitheirr researcresearchh anandd strivesstrives ttoo supplsupplyy thethemm ...... withwith alalll thethe necessarnecessaryy ingredientingredientss foforr a successfulsuccessful performance.performance."" IssueIssuess ofof identitidentityy abounaboundd iinn Sisters, soso thatthat actorsactors anandd charactercharacterss findfind themselvesthemselves iinn similarsimilar situations,situations, searchingsearching forfor themselvesthemselves.. AndersonAnderson includeincludess iinn heherr discussiondiscussion bitbitss ofof aann intervieintervieww sheshe conductedconducted withwith JoanneJoanne Camp,Camp, aann actoractor whwhoo playeplayedd PfeniPfeni inin Sisters.Sisters. CamCampp supportssupports Anderson'sAnderson's thesisthesis succinctly:succinctly: "It"It wawass allall iinn ththee script."script." InIn "Wendy"Wendy Wasserstein'sWasserstein's ThreThreee Sisters:Sisters: SquanderedSquandered Privilege,Privilege,"" GaylorGaylordd BreweBrewerr analyzesanalyzes thethe playwright'playwright'ss self-proclaimedself-proclaimed tributetribute toto ChekhovChekhov,, The Sisters Rosensweig: "a"a curiouscurious homagehomage,, a failefailedd feminisfeministt updatingupdating undercuundercutt bbyy superficialsuperficial humorhumor andand a traditionatraditionall romanticromantic plot.plot."" NotinNotingg Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss numerousnumerous allusionsallusions ttoo ChekhovChekhov,, BrewerBrewer comparecomparess thethe settingssettings andand situationssituations ofof ththee playwrightsplaywrights'' respectiverespective Sisters. Wasserstein'sWasserstein's sisterssisters contrascontrastt withwith Chekhov'Chekhov'ss iinn theitheirr lacklack ofof tragedy:tragedy: unlikunlikee theirtheir namesakes,namesakes, thesethese womewomenn araree nonott trappedtrapped bbyy gendegenderr oror class;class; furthermorefurthermore,, ththee threathreatt poseposedd bbyy Chekhov'Chekhov'ss NatashNatashaa iiss IntroductioIntroductionn xvixviii

absentabsent from Wasserstein'sWasserstein's playplay.. BrewerBrewer isis alsalsoo distresseddistressed bbyy Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss commentcomment aboutabout herher play'play'ss productionproduction,, whichwhich sheshe callscalls "a"a politicapoliticall actact"" notnot foforr ititss content,content, bubutt becausbecausee iitt "had"had thethe largestlargest advanceadvance iinn BroadwayBroadway history."history." WassersteiWassersteinn interpretinterpretss thithiss asas a positivpositivee statementstatement aboutabout women'women'ss potentialpotential;; BrewerBrewer seessees iitt insteainsteadd aass a sadsad definitiondefinition ooff success.success. AAtt ththee enendd ooff hishis essaessayy hehe brieflbrieflyy discussesdiscusses Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss dramatizationdramatization ooff a ChekhoChekhovv shortshort story:story: "The Man in a Case iiss a minominorr workwork,, bubutt iitt achieveachievess a ChekhoviaChekhoviann flavorflavor moremore authenticauthentic thathann anythinganything inin The Sisters Rosensweig. TheThe humorhumor iiss neitherneither glibglib nonorr intrusive,intrusive, bubutt risesrises naturallynaturally from thethe criscrispp descriptiodescriptionn ooff ititss characterscharacters'' estrangeestrangedd lives."lives." HeleneHelene KeyssarKeyssar wawass ononee ooff thethe fewfew originaoriginall criticcriticss ooff The HeidiHeidi Chronicles ttoo voicevoice heherr objectionobjectionss from a detacheddetached,, theoreticaltheoretical standpoint.standpoint. InIn 19919911 sheshe publishepublishedd "Drama"Drama anandd thethe DialogicDialogic Imagination:Imagination: The HeidHeidii Chronicles and Fefu and HeHer r FriendsFriends"" iinn Modern Drama. InIn heherr currentcurrent essay,essay, "When"When WendWendyy Isn'Isn'tt Trendy,"Trendy," sheshe developsdevelops herher insightinsightss toto Heidi whilwhilee effectiveleffectivelyy contrastincontrastingg thathatt plaplayy witwithh An American Daughter. Here,Here, KeyssarKeyssar contextualizescontextualizes heherr negativenegative personapersonall reactioreactionn ttoo Heidi withiwithinn a BakhtinianBakhtinian framework.framework. BakhtinBakhtin claimsclaims thathatt allall dramadrama hahass a "mono"monologi logicc framework" thatthat doesdoes nonott alloalloww forfor a mUltiplicitymultiplicity ooff voices.voices. KeyssaKeyssarr arguesargues thathatt thithiss isis truetrue ofof somesome drama,drama, suchsuch aass The Heidi Chronicles, bubutt nonott other,other, suchsuch asas An American Daughter. TheThe earlieearlierr plaplayy focusefocusess oonn oneone woman'woman'ss journey—onjourney---onee upper-middle-class,upper-middle-class , whitwhitee woman'swoman's journeyjourney.. "It"It iiss preciselpreciselyy becausbecausee thisthis plaplayy doesdoes nonott re-presenre-presentt ththee heteroglossiheteroglossiaa ooff thethe worldworld,, preciselpreciselyy becausbecausee itit isis aggressivelyaggressively monologicmono logic,, self-contained,self-contained, a seeminglyseemingly perfecperfectt picturpicturee withoutwithout loopholeloopholess ooff a historichistoric momentmoment,, thathatt iitt iiss soso pleasinpleasingg toto somesome anandd distressindistressingg ttoo others,others,"" KeyssaKeyssarr writeswrites.. Meanwhile,Meanwhile, An American Daughter representrepresentss a changchangee withwith ititss immediatimmediatee sensesense ofof strugglestruggle amongamong thethe characterscharacters anandd withwith ititss relativelyrelatively diversediverse cascastt (includin(includingg Wasserstein'sWasserstein's firsfirstt African-AmericanAfrican-American character).character). IInn thisthis playplay,, "Lyssa"Lyssa hearhearss andand acknowledgesacknowledges thethe voicesvoices"" ofof heherr friends,friends, foes,foes, anandd familyfamily,, ththee heteroglossiheteroglossiaa ofof heherr world.world. GlendGlendaa Frank'sFrank's earlieearlierr workwork includeincludess "The"The StruggleStruggle ttoo Affirm:Affirm: ThThee ImageImage ooff Jewish-AmericansJewish-Americans oonn Stage,"Stage," aann analysisanalysis ooff The SistersSisters Rosensweig iinn termtermss ooff JewisJewishh stereotypes.stereotypes. InIn "Three"Three AmericaAmericann Daughters,Daughters,"" sheshe focusefocusess oonn Wasserstein'sWasserstein's mostmost recentrecent plaplayy anandd discussesdiscusses thethe threethree femalefemale charactercharacterss aass dramaticdramatic foilsfoils anandd asas representativesrepresentatives ooff AmericanAmerican women.women. "These"These threthreee daughterdaughterss livlivee iinn a multilevel,multilevel, multigenr multigenree ploplott witwithh manmanyy comicalcomical devices,"devices," FrankFrank writeswrites.. xviiixviii IntroductionIntroduction

SheShe examinesexamines eacheach ofof thethe threethree daughtersdaughters inin depth,depth, includingincluding theirtheir relationshipsrelationships withwith eacheach otherother andand withwith men.men. SheShe findsfinds parallelsparallels betweenbetween An American Daughter andand thethe fifteenth-centuryfifteenth-century allegoryallegory Everyman,Everyman, includingincluding thethe plotplot andand thethe castcast ofof characterscharacters (which,(which, inin Wasserstein'sWasserstein's play,play, includesincludes updatedupdated versionsversions ofof Fellowship,Fellowship, Despair,Despair, andand Pride).Pride). Lyssa'sLyssa's isis a moralmoral journeyjourney,, andand likelike Everyman,Everyman, sheshe walkswalks alonealone iinn searchsearch ofof salvation.salvation. Ironically,Ironically, Lyssa'sLyssa's crime--defmedcrime—defined asas "not"not managingmanaging herher friendsfriends andand thethe mediamedia well"-hardlywell"—hardly seemsseems toto warranwarrantt thethe punishment:punishment: "Lyssa's"Lyssa's moralitymorality playplay reverberatesreverberates withwith irony."irony." InIn thethe end,end, Lyssa'sLyssa's lifelife remainsremains thethe same,same, withwith minorminor changes:changes: "She"She isis growinggrowing armor,armor, butbut sheshe willwill continuecontinue onon herher ownown merit."merit." JudithJudith anandd QuincyQuincy faceface moremore extremeextreme adjustments.adjustments. Finally,Finally, I includeinclude anan interviewinterview withwith WendWendyy Wasserstein,Wasserstein, whowho tellstells howhow sheshe camecame toto writewrite The Sisters Rosensweig andand talkstalks aboutabout herher writingwriting process.process. ItIt seemsseems appropriateappropriate thatthat thethe finalfinal wordswords ofof thisthis volumevolume shouldshould bbee heherr advicadvicee toto futurefuture playwrightsplaywrights:: "To"To keepkeep writingwriting ...... ththee hardesthardest thingthing isis whenwhen youyou negatnegatee stuffstuff whilwhilee it'sit's inin youryour mind.mind. IInn somesome waysways yoyouu don'tdon't eveneven knoknoww whowho youyou areare oorr whatwhat you'reyou're thinkinthinkingg unlesunlesss you'ryou'ree writingwriting,, andand thathatt helps.helps. MoreMore thanthan anything.anything.""

WORKSWORKS CITEDCITED

AustinAustin,, Gayle.Gayle. ReviewReview ofof The HeidHeidii Chronicles,Chronicles, PlymoutPlymouthh Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww York.York. Theatre JournaJournall 42. 1I (1990):(1990): 107-08.107-08. Dolan,Dolan, JillJill.. Presence & DesireDesire:: Essays on Gender, Sexuality, Performance.Performance. AnAnnn ArborArbor:: U ooff MichigaMichigann PP,, 19931993.. HornbyHornby,, RichardRichard.. RevieRevieww ooff The HeidHeidii ChroniclesChronicles,, PlymoutPlymouthh TheatreTheatre,, NeNeww YorkYork.. The HudsonHudson Review 42.3:42.3: 464-465.464-465. MalpedeMal pede,, KarenKaren.. IntervieIntervieww witwithh RicharRichardd EE.. KramerKramer.. IInn SpeakinSpeakingg on Stage:Stage: Interviews with ContemporarContemporaryy AmericaAmericann Playwrights. EdsEds.. PhiliPhilipp CC.. KoliKolinn anandd ColbColbyy HH.. KullmanKullman.. TuscaloosaTuscaloosa:: U ooff AlabamAlabamaa PP,, 1996.314-1996. 314- 331331.. RoseRose,, PhylliPhylliss JaneJane.. "An"An OpeOpenn LetteLetterr ttoo DrDr. . Holland.Holland."" AmericaAmericann Theatre OctOct.. 1989:1989: 26-2926-29,, I114-117 14- I 17.. StoneStone,, LaurieLaurie.. "Th"Thee Women'Women'ss MovemenMovementt CarrieCarriedd OfOfff MMyy BabBabyy iinn a FlyingFlying Saucer.Saucer."" RevieRevieww ooff ththee HeidHeidii ChroniclesChronicles,, PlymoutPlymouthh TheatreTheatre,, NeNeww York.York. Village Voice 1133 JunJunee 19891989:: 3636.. WassersteinWasserstein,, WendyWendy.. The HeidHeidii ChroniclesChronicles.. The HeidHeidii Chronicle Chronicless anandd OtherOther Plays. NeNeww YorkYork:: VintageVintage,, 19911991.. 155-249.155-249. ChronologyChronology

19501950 WendWendyy WassersteiWassersteinn iiss borbornn inin BrooklynBrooklyn,, thethe youngestyoungest ooff fourfour childrenchildren,, ttoo LolaLola andand MorriMorriss Wasserstein.Wasserstein. 19621962 TheThe WassersteinWasserstein familfamilyy movemovess toto Manhattan'sManhattan's UpperUpper EasEastt Side.Side. WendyWendy changeschanges schools,schools, fromfrom YeshivYeshivaa iinn FlatbushFlatbush toto BrooklynBrooklyn EthicalEthical CultureCulture SchoolSchool toto ththee CalhounCalhoun School.School. HeHerr mothemotherr enrollsenrolls herher aatt JuneJune TaylorTaylor ttoo studystudy balleballett anandd aatt HelenaHelena RubensteinRubenstein forfor "chann""charm" lessons.lessons. 19701970 WassersteinWasserstein enrollenrollss inin heherr firstfirst playwritinplaywritingg coursecourse,, taughtaughtt bbyy LeonarLeonardd BerkmaBerkmann aatt SmithSmith College.College. 19711971 WassersteiWassersteinn graduategraduatess from MountMount HolyokHolyokee CollegeCollege,, returnreturnss ttoo NeNeww York,York, anandd enrollenrollss aatt CitCityy UniversityUniversity toto studystudy creativcreativee writinwritingg witwithh playwrighplaywrightt IsraelIsrael HorovitzHorovitz anandd novelistnovelist JosephJoseph Heller.Heller. 19731973 WassersteiWassersteinn earnsearns herher M.AM.A. . fromfrom CUNCUNYY anandd enrollenrollss inin thethe YaleYale UniversitUniversityy SchoolSchool ofof DramDramaa ttoo studystudy playwritinplaywritingg witwithh RoberRobertt BrusteinBrustein.. SheShe meetmeetss fellowfellow classmateclassmatess ChristopherChristopher DurangDurang,, MeryMeryll Streep,Streep, andand SigourneySigourney Weaver.Weaver. Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss firstfirst playplay,, Any Woman Can't, iiss produceproducedd atat PlaywrightPlaywrightss HorizonHorizonss iinn NeNeww York.York. 19719744 Happy, Birthday Montpelier Pizz-Zazz (a(a musicalmusical)) isis producedproduced iinn NeNeww HavenHaven.. 19751975 Uncommon Women and Others iiss produceproducedd atat YalYalee asas Wasserstein'sWasserstein's MFAMFA thesis.thesis. When Dinah Shore Ruled the Earth (written(written witwithh ChristopherChristopher DurangDurang)) isis produceproducedd aatt thethe YaleYale CabareCabarett Theatre.Theatre. 19761976 WassersteiWassersteinn isis awardeawardedd herher M.F.AM.F.A.. fromfrom Yale.Yale. XXxx Chronology

19771977 Uncommon Women and Others isis produceproducedd bbyy ththee PhoenixPhoenix TheatrTheatree atat MarymounMarymountt ManhattanManhattan TheatreTheatre iinn NeNeww YorkYork,, NovembeNovemberr 21.21, 19781978 Uncommon Women and Others isis televisetelevisedd iinn MaMayy onon ththee PBSPBS GreatGreat PerformancesPerformances Series.Series. 19791979 Uncommon Women and Others isis producedproduced atat MountMount HolyokeHolyoke CollegeCollege.. WassersteinWasserstein attendattendss ththee performancperformancee atat heherr almaalma mater.mater. WassersteinWasserstein adaptadaptss JohnJohn Cheever'Cheever'ss shortshort story,story, "The"The SorrowsSorrows ofof Gin,"Gin," intointo a screenplayscreenplay ofof thethe samesame title.title. 19811981 Isn't IItt Romantic iiss produceproducedd bbyy ththee PhoeniPhoenixx TheatrTheatree inin NeNeww York,York, MaMayy 28.28. 19831983 Tender Offer isis produceproducedd asas parpartt ofof thethe EnsemblEnsemblee StudiStudioo Theatre'sTheatre's MarathoMarathonn ofof OnOnee AcActt Plays,Plays, NeNeww YorkYork.. A revisedrevised versionversion ofof Isn't IItt Romantic opensopens atat PlaywrightsPlaywrights Horizons,Horizons, NeNeww York,York, DecembeDecemberr 15.15. 19841984 WassersteiWassersteinn writeswrites forfor thethe televisiontelevision seriesseries Comedy Zone.Zone. 19861986 The Man in a Case isis produceproducedd aass partpart ooff Orchards, a festivafestivall ofof sevenseven one-actone-act playsplays basebasedd onon AntonAnton Chekhov'Chekhov'ss shortshort stories,stories, atat ththee LucillLucillee LorteLortell TheateTheaterr inin NeNeww YorkYork.. Miami (a(a musicalmusical)) isis produceproducedd atat PlaywrightsPlaywrights HorizonsHorizons,, NeNeww York.York. 19881988 The Heidi Chronicles isis produceproducedd bbyy ththee SeattleSeattle RepertoryRepertory TheatrTheatree startingstarting AprilApril 6 andand movesmoves ttoo PlaywrightPlaywrightss HorizonHorizonss iinn NeNeww YorkYork onon DecembeDecemberr 12.12. 19891989 The Heidi Chronicles movesmoves toto thethe PlymouthPlymouth TheatrTheatree oonn Broadway,Broadway, MarchMarch 9.9. The Heidi Chronicles winswins ththee SusanSusan SmithSmith BlackburnBlackburn PrizePrize,, ththee DramDramaa DesDeskk AwardAward,, ThThee Hull-WarrineHull-Warrinerr AwardAward,, ththee NeNeww YorYorkk DramDramaa CriticCriticss CircleCircle AwardAward, , ththee OuteOuterr CriticsCritics CirclCirclee Award,Award, ththee TonTonyy Award,Award, andand ththee PulitzePulitzerr PrizePrize.. 19919900 Bachelor Girls iiss publishepublishedd bbyy Knopf.Knopf. 19911991 The Heidi Chronicles and Other Plays isis publishepublishedd bbyy VintageVintage.. 19921992 The Sisters Rosensweig iiss performeperformedd inin ththee SeattleSeattle RepertoryRepertory TheatrTheatree NeNeww PlaysPlays ReadinReadingg Series,Series, AprilApril 1992.1992. The Sisters Rosensweig opensopens onon OctobeOctoberr 2222 aatt thethe MitziMitzi EE.. NewhousNewhousee atat LincolLincolnn Center.Center. 19931993 The Sisters Rosensweig movesmoves toto thethe EthelEthel BarrymoreBarrymore TheatreTheatre onon BroadwaBroadwayy iinn March.March . ChronologyChronology xxixxi

TheThe SistersSisters RosensweigRosensweig iiss publishepublishedd bbyy HarcourHarcourtt BraceBrace.. WassersteiWassersteinn adaptadaptss ththee StepheStephenn McCauleMcCauleyy novelnovel The Object ofof MyMy AffectionAffection foforr filmfilm.. Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss adaptatioadaptationn ooff TheThe NutcrackerNutcracker iiss performeperformedd bbyy ththee AmericaAmericann BalleBallett TheaterTheater,, LoLoss AngelesAngeles,, iinn DecemberDecember.. 19919944 A revivarevivall ooff Uncommon Women and Others (wit(withh aann updateupdatedd endingending)) openopenss aatt ththee LucillLucillee LorteLortell TheatreTheatre,, NeNeww YorkYork.. 19919955 The HeidiHeidi Chronicles iiss televisetelevisedd oonn TNTNTT iinn OctoberOctober.. 19919966 Pamela'sPamela's First Musical,Musical, a children'children'ss bookbook,, iiss publishepublishedd bbyy HyperionHyperion.. 19919977 An American Daughter iiss performeperformedd iinn workshoworkshopp aass parpartt ooff ththee NeNeww PlayPlayss SerieSeriess aatt ththee SeattlSeattlee RepertorRepertoryy TheatreTheatre.. ThThee plaplayy premierpremierss iinn NeNeww YorYorkk aatt LincolLincolnn Center'Center'ss CorCortt TheatreTheatre iinn April.April. 19919988 Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss filfilmm adaptatioadaptationn ooff The Object of My AffectionAffection openopenss iinn theatertheaterss nationwidenationwide.. An American Daughter iiss publishepublishedd bbyy HarcourHarcourtt Brace.Brace. This page intentionally left blank WENDWENDYY WASSERSTEINWASSERSTEIN This page intentionally left blank CHAPTERCHAPTER 1I Women'sWomen's MovemenMovementt TheThe PersonalPersonal asas PoliticaPoliticall inin ththee PlayPlayss ofof WendWendyy WassersteiWassersteinn BettBettee MandlMandl

WendyWendy WassersteinWasserstein describesdescribes ththee genesisgenesis ofof Uncommon Women inin a tellingtelling anecdoteanecdote:: "I"I mademade thethe decisiondecision ttoo writwritee a plaplayy withwith allall womewomenn afteafterr seeingseeing allall thathatt JacobeanJacobean dramadrama,, wherewhere a mamann kisseskisses ththee poisonepoisonedd lipslips ofof a woman'swoman's skullskull anandd dropsdrops dead"dead" (Interview(Interview 1987,1987, 425)425).. InIn a lineline thatthat couldcould havehave beebeenn liftedlifted fromfrom oneone ofof herher playsplays,, sheshe humorouslhumorouslyy callcallss intintoo questioquestionn familiarfamiliar imageimagess ooff gendegenderr frofromm ththee classiclassicc traditiontradition,, undercuttinundercuttingg thethe highighh seriousnessseriousness thatthat reinforcesreinforces them.them. HereHere,, aass iinn herher otheotherr exchangeexchangess withwith interviewersinterviewers,, asas welwelll asas iinn herher essayessayss andand talkstalks,, WassersteinWasserstein discussesdiscusses herher motivationmotivationss asas a playwrighplaywrightt witwithh candocandorr anandd explainexplainss whatwhat herher crafcraftt entailsentails foforr her.her. SuchSuch opennessopenness,, whichwhich iiss certainlcertainlyy anan aspecaspectt ooff herher generalgeneral appealappeal,, iiss mormoree thathann merelymerely engaging.engaging. LikLikee ththee playplayss sheshe writes,writes, Wasserstein'sWasserstein's demystificatiodemystificationn ofof ththee portraiportraitt ooff thethe artistartist andand ththee creativcreativee procesprocesss pushepushess againstagainst thethe boundarieboundariess thathatt excludexcludee whatwhat differsdiffers from "all"all thathatt JacobeanJacobean drama."drama." VirginiVirginiaa Woolf,Woolf, inin A Room of One's Own, comparecomparess "fiction"fiction,, imaginativimaginativee work"work" withwith "a"a spider'sspider's web,web, attacheattachedd eveeverr soso lightllightlyy perhapsperhaps,, butbut stillstill attacheattachedd toto lifelife atat allall fourfour cornerscomers"" (43).(43). HeHerr approachapproach ttoo ththee aesthetiaestheticc botbothh de-idealizesde-idealizes thethe makinmakingg ooff artart andand leadsleads ttoo neneww appreciatioappreciationn ooff ththee strugglestruggle artart entails.entails. WassersteinWasserstein (who(who ownsowns twotwo paintingpaintingss bbyy WoolfsWoolf s sister,sister, VanessVanessaa BellBell)) extendextendss ouourr understandinunderstandingg ooff thethe connectionconnectionss betweebetweenn artart anandd liflifee bbyy callingcalling attentioattentionn toto ththee touchtouch ooff ththee reareall inin herher comedies.comedies. AAss a playwrighplaywrightt whwhoo makemakess frequentfrequent ususee ofof heherr ownown "story""story" aass a paradigparadigmm iinn anan ereraa ooff rapirapidd socialsocial changechange,, sheshe willinglywillingly provideprovidess thethe cuescues anandd cluesclues thatthat enableenable uuss ttoo tracetrace thethe beginningbeginningss ooff imaginativimaginativee inventioninvention.. A frienfriendd ooff hershers hahass said thathatt 4 Bette MandlMandl

"many"many ofof herher principalprincipal characterscharacters areare 'very'very Wendy-based'"Wendy-based" ' (Koch(Koch B1).Bl). WassersteinWasserstein acknowledgesacknowledges thethe coincidencecoincidence ofof herher ownown concernsconcerns anandd thosethose ofof herher characterscharacters andand contributescontributes toto thethe identificationidentification ofof thethe playwrightplaywright andand herher plays.plays. SheShe admits,admits, forfor example,example, feelingfeeling somesome apprehensionapprehension aboutabout a recognizablyrecognizably autobiographicalautobiographical charactercharacter iinn Uncommon Women. "Holly"Holly waswas thethe hardesthardest toto writewrite becausebecause I thought,thought, 'That's'That's Wendy,'Wendy,' oror peoplepeople willwill think,think, 'THAT'S'THAT'S WENDY!'"WENDY!'" (Interview(Interview 1987,1987, 424).424). SheShe placesplaces HollyHolly inin a settingsetting likelike herher ownown almaalma mater,mater, MountMount Holyoke,Holyoke, reminiscentreminiscent ofof the.the red-brickred-brick collegescolleges forfor womewomenn WoolfWoolf usesuses asas a startingstarting pointpoint forfor herher reflectionsreflections onon womenwomen anandd literature.literature. TheThe play,play, whichwhich isis punctuatedpunctuated byby a neutralneutral malemale voice-overvoice-over thatthat servesserves asas a counterpointcounterpoint toto thethe generallygenerally animatedanimated conversationsconversations ofof thethe collegecollege students,students, opensopens a spacespace forfor speakingspeaking "in"in a differentdifferent voice,"voice," toto useuse psychologistpsychologist CarolCarol Gilligan'sGilligan's phrase.phrase. GilliganGilligan sayssays thathatt "Bringing"Bringing thethe experienceexperience ooff womenwomen andand girlgirlss toto fullfull light..light .... becomesbecomes a radicalradical endeavor" (xxiv).(xxiv). Wasserstein'sWasserstein's goalgoal ofof anan all-womanall-woman curtaincurtain calcalll growsgrows ououtt ofaof a similarsimilar visiovisionn ooff howhow socialsocial changechange mighmightt occur.occur. IInn a New Yorker profileprofile,, NancNancyy FrankliFranklinn pointpointss outout characteristiccharacteristic parallelparallelss betweebetweenn Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss ownown experienceexperience anandd thatthat ooff heherr characters:characters: "In"In heherr latelate twentietwentiess sheshe turnedturned dowdownn a marriagmarriagee proposaproposall frofromm a nicnicee JewishJewish lawyer;lawyer; foforr further,further, roughlroughlyy accurataccuratee detailsdetails,, seesee Isn't IItt Romantic, iinn whichwhich JanieJanie BlumberBlumbergg turnsturns down a marriagemarriage proposaproposall from a nicnicee JewisJewishh doctor"doctor" (64).(64). WassersteinWasserstein readilreadilyy acknowledgesacknowledges ththee correspondenccorrespondencee betweebetweenn herher owownn mothermother,, LolaLola,, anandd Janie'sJanie's mothermother,, Tasha,Tasha, whwhoo wearswears tie-dyedtie-dyed exercisexercisee clothesclothes,, attendsattends dancdancee classesclasses,, anandd urgeurgess marriagemarriage.. LikLikee JanieJanie,, WassersteiWassersteinn onconcee reactedreacted stronglstronglyy whewhenn a frienfriendd marriemarriedd anandd connecteconnectedd heherr owownn feelingfeelingss ttoo whawhatt shshee wawass noticinnoticingg arounaroundd herher:: "Whe"Whenn I wawass gettingettingg ououtt ooff MounMountt HolyokHolyokee iinn 19711971,, thertheree wawass thithiss pressurpressuree ttoo havhavee a career...career.... . BuButt suddenlsuddenlyy alalll mmyy womewomenn friendfriendss werweree talkintalkingg abouaboutt gettingettingg marriemarriedd anandd havinhavingg babiebabiess ...... I startestartedd tryintryingg ttoo figurfiguree iitt alalll outout,, anandd I decidedecidedd iitt mighmightt bbee interestininterestingg ttoo writwritee a comedcomedyy abouaboutt itit"" (quote(quotedd iinn BoswortBosworthh 142)142).. Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss musingmusingss underscorunderscoree a patterpatternn thathatt persistpersistss foforr herher:: linkinlinkingg a stronstrongg personapersonall responsresponsee ttoo a largelargerr sociasociall trentrendd anandd makinmakingg thathatt ththee basibasiss foforr heherr creativcreativee workwork.. ThaThatt selselff anandd arartt araree coextensivcoextensivee iinn Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss oeuvroeuvree iiss centracentrall ttoo whawhatt shshee accomplishesaccomplishes,, aass welwelll aass ttoo hohoww botbothh araree seenseen,, aass iiss evidenevidentt iinn thithiss commencommentt abouaboutt WassersteiWassersteinn from ththee New York Times: "Yo"Youu liklikee heherr instantlinstantlyy becausbecausee shshee seems,seems, wellwell,, jusjustt liklikee heherr playsplays"" (Mille(Millerr 1).1). WomenWomen's 's MovementMovement 55

EveEvenn whewhenn Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss charactercharacterss araree nonott aass clearlclearlyy WendyWendy­- basebasedd aass HollHollyy anandd JanieJanie,, WassersteiWassersteinn hinthintss aatt self-disclosurself-disclosuree iinn whawhatt wwee seseee oonn ththee stagestage,, aass shshee doedoess iinn The HeidiHeidi Chronicles. WheWhenn HeidiHeidi,, foforr exampleexample,, iinn aann arartt historhistoryy lecturelecture,, describedescribess twtwoo femalfemalee figuresfigures,, botbothh "slightl"slightlyy removeremovedd fromfrom ththee occasionoccasionss aatt handhand"" (206)(206),, wwee suspectsuspect thathatt shshee iiss tellintellingg uuss somethinsomethingg abouaboutt botbothh playwrighplaywrightt anandd charactecharacterr thathatt iiss aass accurataccuratee aass iitt iiss indirectindirect.. WassersteiWassersteinn doedoess closelcloselyy resemblresemblee ththee somewhasomewhatt detacheddetached,, "highl"highlyy informeinformedd spectatorspectator"" (206(206)) HeidHeidii recognizerecognizess herselherselff ttoo bebe.. HeidHeidii alsalsoo soundsoundss ververyy Wendy-likWendy-likee whewhenn shshee describedescribess a boobookk ooff essayessayss oonn arartt shshee hahass writtenwritten:: "Well"Well,, actuallyactually,, it'it'ss sorsortt ooff humoroushumorous.. WellWell,, sorsortt ooff sociasociall observationobservation.. I meanmean,, it'it'ss sorsortt ooff aa poinpointt ooff viewview"" (198)(198).. WassersteiWassersteinn seeseess herselherselff anandd heherr worworkk aass "accommodatin"accommodatingg anandd entertaining"entertaining" (Interview(Interview 1997,1997 , WinerWiner 187),187) , anandd tendtendss ttoo modulatmodulatee botbothh heherr self-presentatioself-presentationn anandd heherr writingwriting:: gentlegentle comedcomedyy ratheratherr thathann bitinbitingg satiresatire,, "sadnesses"sadnesses"" (Intervie(Intervieww 19971997,, BalakiaBalakiann 82)82) ratheratherr thathann tragedy.tragedy. Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss diffidencdiffidencee anandd unpretentiousnesunpretentiousnesss araree ofteoftenn notenotedd bbyy thosthosee describindescribingg herher.. A commencommentt iinn Time iiss typicaltypical:: "He"Herr naturanaturall instincinstinctt iiss ttoo charmcharm,, ttoo disarmdisarm,, ttoo retrearetreatt from harmharm.. ThThee nervousnervous giggles,giggles, ththee wispywispy,, high-pitchehigh-pitchedd voicevoice,, ththee ingratiatiningratiatingg browbrownn eyeeyess anandd perhapperhapss eveneven ththee plumplumpp figurfiguree allall seemseem protectivprotectivee camouflage"camouflage" (Shapir(Shapiroo 90).90). SomeSome whowho knoknoww heherr wellwell insisinsistt onon a fullerfuller picturepicture.. TerrenceTerrence McNally,McNally, forfor example,example, suggestssuggests thathatt "what"what peoplpeoplee oftenoften mismisss aboutabout WendWendyy iiss thethe thoughtfulthoughtful,, passionatepassionate,, maturmaturee womanlwomanlyy sideside ooff her.her. SheShe iiss farfar mormoree interestininterestingg aass a maturemature artisartistt thanthan asas thisthis gigglinggiggling,, girlish,girlish, daughter-persondaughter-person thatthat peoplepeople wantwant toto taketake carecare of'of (quoted(quoted iinn ShapiroShapiro 92).92). However,However, thethe "girlishness""girlishness" andand self-deprecatingself-deprecating witwit areare intrinsicintrinsic toto thethe alternativealternative picturepicture ofof artart andand thethe artistartist thatthat WassersteinWasserstein impressesimpresses onon us.us. SheShe describesdescribes herselfherself workingworking inin a flannelflannel nightgown,nightgown , tryingtrying toto resistresist distractions.distractions. InIn thethe diarydiary entriesentries sheshe composedcomposed forfor Slate,Slate, anan on-lineon-line magazine,magazine, sheshe jotsjots notesnotes onon herher attemptsattempts toto workwork towardtoward deadlines,deadlines, yieldingyielding toto occasionaloccasional lethargy,lethargy, eatingeating tabootaboo frenchfrench fries.fries. SheShe shapesshapes a personapersona thatthat isis veryvery differentdifferent fromfrom thatthat ofof thethe proud,proud, aloofaloof modernmodern artistartist asas hero,hero, asas wellwell asas thatthat ofof thethe stereotypicalstereotypical woman-as­woman-as- artist:artist: "I"I rememberremember whenwhen I waswas inin collegecollege I alwaysalways thoughtthought I couldn'tcouldn't growgrow upup toto bebe anan artistartist oror inin thethe theatretheatre becausebecause womenwomen inin theth etheatre theatre worewore blackblack andand hadhad Pre-RaphaelitePre-Raphaelite hair,hair, thethe silversilver earrings,earrings, thethe shawl,shawl , thethe cheekbones,cheekbones, andand thethe FredFred BraunBraun sandals,sandals, andand I waswas nevernever oneone ooff thosethose peoplepeople (Interview(Interview 1995,1995, 258.)258.) MoreoverMoreover sheshe knowsknows thatthat whatwhat makesmakes herher "other""other" asas a playwrightplaywright isis potentiallypotentially liberatingliberating forfor ththee 6 Bette MandlMandl younyoungg JudithJudith ShakespearesShakespeares iinn thethe audienceaudiencess sheshe addresses.addresses. ShShee imaginesimagines thethe studentsstudents whowho listenlisten ttoo heherr thinking,thinking, "..."... thithiss isis aann accessibleaccessible personperson andand thithiss isis herher jobjob;; thisthis isis whawhatt sheshe does.does. IfIf sheshe waswas ableable ttoo expressexpress herself inin thithiss wayway,, thethenn I cancan dodo that,that, too.too."" SheShe adds,adds, "I"I thinkthink that'that'ss great,great, reallreallyy good,good, becausebecause WendWendyy nevernever camecame toto mmyy schoolschool whewhenn I waswas inin highhigh school"school" (Interview(Interview 1995,273).1995, 273). Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss emphasisemphasis onon thethe collaborativecollaborative aspectaspect ofof herher workwork hashas a similarlysimilarly deconstructivedeconstructive impact.impact. Invariably,Invariably, whenwhen sheshe isis askedasked aboutabout heherr ownown successessuccesses sheshe speaksspeaks ofof hohoww valuablvaluablee sheshe hahass foundfound heherr associationassociation witwithh herher director,director, DanielDaniel Sullivan,Sullivan, andand heherr producerproducer,, AndreAndré Bishop,Bishop, andand isis generousgenerous inin ththee praisepraise andand ththee creditcredit sheshe givesgives them.them. SheShe alsoalso frequentlyfrequently mentionmentionss ChristopherChristopher Durang,Durang, botbothh asas anan importantimportant friendfriend andand asas a cowriter,cowriter, andand speaksspeaks admiringlyadmiringly ofof hishis workwork,, aass wellwell asas thatthat ofof otherother playwrightsplaywrights,, suchsuch asas LanfordLanford Wilson,Wilson, JohnJohn Guare,Guare, AugusAugustt Wilson,Wilson, andand TinaTina Howe.Howe. WhileWhile sheshe acknowledgesacknowledges howhow mucmuchh sheshe appreciatesappreciates thethe artisticartistic controlcontrol thatthat beinbeingg a playwrighplaywrightt affords,affords, sheshe tendstends ttoo deflectdeflect a focusfocus onon herself asas ththee creativecreative individualist,individualist, explainingexplaining withoutwithout hesitationhesitation thatthat sheshe listenslistens toto suggestionssuggestions andand devotesdevotes herselfherself toto rewritingrewriting.. SheShe alsoalso takestakes inin thethe responsresponsee ofof critics,critics, acknowledgingacknowledging thatthat eveneven painfupainfull babadd reviewreviewss maymay bebe important:important: "If"If everybodyeverybody sayssays thethe samesame thingthing andand thesethese areare intelligentintelligent peoplpeoplee whwhoo havehave comecome toto youyourr play,play, thenthen something'ssomething's nonott gettinggetting across;across; soso I thinthinkk that'that'ss important"important" (Interview(Interview 1995,1995, 270).270). MoreoverMoreover,, althoughalthough herher firsfirstt devotiondevotion isis ttoo PlaywrightsPlaywrights HorizonsHorizons asas a supportivesupportive theatetheaterr communitycommunity,, sheshe workworkss withoutwithout modernismodernistt conflictconflict andand angstangst iinn otherother spheres.spheres. SheShe unabashedlunabashedlyy lovesloves BroadwayBroadway andand worksworks inin televisiontelevision,, journalismjournalism,, anandd film,film, endurinenduringg suchsuch frustrationsfrustrations asas thethe prolongeprolongedd delaydelay inin thethe filmingfilming ofof heherr versionversion ofof StephenStephen McCauley'McCauley'ss The Object of My Affection.Affection. ConcernedConcerned withwith ideasideas inin herher playsplays,, sheshe iiss nonethelesnonethelesss unapologetiunapologeticc aboutabout plyingplying heherr tradetrade atat ththee margimarginn ofof seriousserious artart andand entertainment.entertainment. AAss a contemporarycontemporary womawomann playwright,playwright, sheshe defiesdefies easyeasy categorization.categorization. However,However, herher ownown modus operandi isis noteworthnoteworthyy forfor whawhatt itit revealsreveals aboutabout ththee naturnaturee ofof a commitmentcommitment toto a lifelife inin thethe theatetheaterr todaytoday,, asas womewomenn movmovee towartowardd centercenter stagestage.. ThatThat WassersteiWassersteinn isis asas resilienresilientt asas sheshe isis genialgenial isis apparentapparent inin herher responsresponsee toto ththee controversycontroversy arousedaroused byby The Heidi Chronicles. SheShe explainexplainss whawhatt originallyoriginally motivatemotivatedd herher:: "I"I wrotewrote thisthis plaplayy becausbecausee I hahadd thisthis imageimage ofaof a womawomann standingstanding upup atat a women'swomen's meetinmeetingg saying,saying, 'I've'I've neveneverr beebeenn soso unhappunhappyy inin mymy life.'life.' ...... TalkingTalking toto friends,friends, I knekneww thertheree wawass thisthis feelingfeeling around,around, inin meme andand iinn othersothers andand I thoughtthought itit shouldshould bbee WomenWomen's 's MovementMovement 7 expresseexpressedd theatricallytheatrically.. BuButt iitt wasn'twasn't"" (quote(quotedd iinn ShapirShapiroo 90)90).. IInn ththee plaplayy thathatt emergedemerged,, HeidHeidii movemovess througthroughh aann episodiepisodicc structurstructuree thathatt taketakess heherr frofromm a highighh schooschooll dancdancee iinn 19619655 througthroughh ththee sociasociall currentcurrentss ooff ththee yearyearss thathatt followfollow.. AfteAfterr aann initiainitiall euphorieuphoriaa abouaboutt ththee women'swomen's movementmovement,, HeidHeidii findfindss ititss promispromisee ooff "sisterhood"sisterhood"" illusoryillusory.. IInn heherr "Wome"Womenn WherWheree ArAree WWee GoinGoingg SpeechSpeech"" aatt aann alumnaalumnaee luncheonluncheon,, sheshe describedescribess heherr alienatioalienationn frofromm ththee womewomenn iinn heherr lockelockerr roomroom.. ShShee deniedeniess thathatt shshee meanmeanss ttoo blamblamee themthem,, oorr "an"anyy ooff us"us":: "It's"It's jusjustt thathatt I feefeell strandedstranded.. AnAndd I thoughthoughtt ththee wholwholee poinpointt wawass thathatt wwee wouldn'wouldn'tt feefeell stranded.stranded. I thoughthoughtt ththee poinpointt wawass thathatt wwee werweree alalll iinn thithiss togethertogether"" (232)(232).. SomSomee feminisfeministt criticcriticss founfoundd ththee speecspeechh particularlparticulariyy disturbingdisturbing,, anandd werweree understandablunderstandablyy uncomfortabluncomfortablee witwithh a plaplayy thathatt focusefocusess oonn thethe failurfailuree ooff femalfemalee friendshifriendshipp anandd solidaritysolidarity.. TheTheyy pointepointedd toto Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss seeminseemingg complicitcomplicityy witwithh ththee biasebiasess ooff mainstreammainstream theatetheaterr anandd ititss compromises,compromises, andand urgeurgedd greatergreater awarenessawareness ofof otherother voicesvoices,, otheotherr theatricaltheatrical spaces.1 I ThatThat sheshe wawass tappintappingg intintoo a currentcurrent ofof feelinfeelingg amongamong somesome second-wavesecond-wave feministfeministss iiss undeniableundeniable,, however.however. VivianVivian Gornick,Gornick, foforr example,example, describedescribess a similarsimilar disillusionmendisillusionmentt iinn herher volumevolume ofof essaysessays,, Approaching Eye Level:Level.

ThThee feministfeministss werewere mymy swordsword andand mmyy shield-myshield—my solace,solace, mmyy comfort,comfort, mmyy excitement.excitement...... ThenThen thethe unthinkableunthinkable happened.happened . Slowly,Slowly , aroundaround 1980,1980, feminisfeministt solidaritysolidarity beganbegan ttoo unravel.unravel. AAss ththee worldworld hahadd failefailedd toto changechange sufficientlysufficiently toto reflecreflectt ouourr efforts,efforts, thathatt whichwhich hahadd separatedseparated allall womenwomen beforebefore begabegann ttoo reassertreassert itselitselff nonoww iinn usus.. ThThee sensesense ofof connectionconnection beganbegan toto erodeerode ...... OneOne dayday I wokewoke uupp toto realizerealize thethe excitement,excitement, thethe longing,longing, thethe expectationexpectation ofof communitycommunity waswas over.over. (66-67)(66-67)

LikeLike Gornick,Gornick, WassersteinWasserstein has,has, inin fact,fact, remainedremained committedcommitted toto feminism,feminism, recentlyrecently sayingsaying thatthat itit gavegave herher "the"the perspectiveperspective toto seesee thathatt therethere weren'tweren't enoughenough women'swomen's voicesvoices beingbeing heard.heard. ItIt gavegave meme thethe beliefbelief thatthat mymy ownown voicevoice waswas worthworth hearing. AndAnd thatthat therethere couldcould bebe manymany differentdifferent women'swomen's voices,voices, allall thatthat couldcould andand shouldshould bebe heard"heard" ("Yes("Yes I AmAm a Feminist"Feminist" 45).45). SheShe tendstends toto respondrespond withwith equanimityequanimity toto thethe criticismcriticism ofof Heidi'sHeidi's complaint.complaint. SheShe hashas eveneven jocularlyjocularly picturedpictured herselfherself asas a membermember ofof thethe audienceaudience reactingreacting asas somesome othersothers diddid:: "Some"Some nightsnights I wouldwould seesee The Heidi Chronicles andand bebe veryvery movedmoved byby itit andand think,think, 'I'm'I'm stillstill thatthat woman.woman. I stillstill feelfeel stranded,stranded, too.'too.' AndAnd thenthen somesome nights,nights, she'dshe'd say,say, 'Oh,Oh, I feelfeel stranded,'stranded,' andand I'dI'd think,think, 'Oh,'Oh, justjust 8 Bette MandlMandl

shutshut upup andand bebe happy.happy. StopStop whining'"whining'" (Interview(Interview 1995,275).1995, 275). AsAs forfor thethe angeranger thatthat thethe finalfinal scenescene ofof HeidiHeidi andand herher newlynewly adoptedadopted babybaby girlgirl provoked,provoked, WassersteinWasserstein sayssays sheshe sometimessometimes sidessides withwith thosethose whowho areare exasperatedexasperated byby it.it. SheShe insists,insists, however,however, thatthat "there"there shouldshould bebe moremore playsplays byby women,women, andand inin somesome playsplays thethe womanwoman shouldshould adoptadopt thethe babybaby,, andand inin somesome sheshe won't.won't. OneOne playplay can'tcan't standstand forfor everything"everything" (Interview(Interview 1996,1996, 389).389). EverEver thethe perceptiveperceptive observerobserver ofof thethe socialsocial scene,scene, sheshe alsoalso notesnotes wherewhere herher ownown workwork fitsfits inin toto thethe largerlarger schemescheme ofof things:things: ""...... from mmyy pointpoint ooff view,view, what'swhat's politicalpolitical isis thatthat thisthis playplay exists.exists. What'sWhat's politicalpolitical isis thatthat wewe cancan talktalk aboutabout thisthis playplay that'sthat's aboutabout us—likus-likee itit,, don'tdon't likelike it;it; it'sit's there,there, itit exists,exists, andand that'sthat's thethe forwardforward motionmotion"" (Interview(Interview 1995,266).1995, 266). Undeterred,Undeterred, WassersteinWasserstein continuescontinues toto limnlimn herher ownown admittedladmittedlyy circumscribedcircumscribed territory,territory, employingemploying methodsmethods thatthat havehave servedserved herher well.well. ForFor The Sisters Rosensweig, sheshe onconcee moremore lookelookedd botbothh inwarinwardd anandd outwaroutwardd foforr inspiration.inspiration. ActingActing oonn thethe discomfortdiscomfort sheshe feltfelt whewhenn someonesomeone remarkeremarkedd duringduring herher staystay iinn LondoLondonn oonn a writinwritingg grantgrant thathatt sheshe wawass "terribly"terribly JewishJewish"" (Intervie(Intervieww 1997,1997, WineWinerr 181),181), sheshe wrotewrote a plaplayy thatthat growgrowss ououtt ooff thethe experienceexperience ooff heherr owownn assimilateassimilatedd AmericanAmerican family,family, andand hashas somesome resonanceresonance forfor a culturculturee scrutinizingscrutinizing itselitselff aboutabout issueissuess ooff identityidentity.. Wasserstein'sWasserstein's parentparentss areare immigrantimmigrantss fromfrom PolandPoland,, bubutt ththee fourfour siblings,siblings, includingincluding a brotherbrother,, Bruce,Bruce, whowho isis a prominenprominentt investmeninvestmentt bankerbanker,, hahadd toto learnlearn somsomee ooff thethe colloquialismcolloquialismss ooff ththee "ol"oldd countrycountry"" from The Joys of Yiddish bbyy LeoLeo Rosten,Rosten, a writewriterr sheshe looklookss bacbackk ttoo fondlfondlyy iinn a recenrecentt New York Times Magazine piecpiecee ("Talkin("Talkingg TachlisTachlis"" 24)24).. ThThee configuratioconfigurationn ooff The Sisters Rosensweig iiss familialfamilial.. WassersteinWasserstein,, whwhoo bearbearss somsomee resemblancresemblancee ttoo PfenPfenii RosensweigRosensweig,, a peripatetiperipateticc travetravell writewriterr romanticallromanticallyy involveinvolvedd witwithh a bisexuabisexuall theatetheaterr directordirector,, hahass twtwoo sisters.sisters. ThThee eldeseldestt sistersister,, SandrSandraa MeyerMeyer,, a corporatiocorporationn executiveexecutive,, wawass ththee model foforr SaraSara,, ththee fifty-four-year-olfifty-four-year-oldd bankebankerr livingliving iinn LondonLondon,, whoswhosee encounteencounterr witwithh MervMerv,, ththee fatafaux furrier,furrier, remindremindss heherr ofof ththee ethniethnicc worlworldd ooff BrooklyBrooklynn shshee lefleftt behindbehind.. Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss sister,sister, GeorgettGeorgettee LevisLevis,, owneownerr witwithh heherr psychiatrispsychiatristt husbanhusbandd ooff a VermonVermontt inninn,, iiss callecalledd GorgeousGorgeous,, ththee namnamee ooff ththee thirthirdd RosensweiRosensweigg sistersister frofromm NewtonNewton,, MassachusettsMassachusetts,, whwhoo iiss leadinleadingg heherr templtemplee sisterhoodsisterhood oonn a tourtour.. BringinBringingg ththee threthreee sistersisterss togethetogetherr iiss a desigdesignn thathatt oweowess somethinsomethingg ttoo ChekhoChekhovv anandd iiss a kinkindd ooff tributtributee ttoo himhim.. HoweverHowever,, seeinseeingg womewomenn iinn relatiorelationn ttoo ononee anotheranother,, aass welwelll aass ttoo ththee memenn iinn theitheirr liveslives,, iiss Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss trademartrademarkk strategystrategy.. ThougThoughh heherr touctouchh iiss alwayalwayss lightlight,, anandd shshee veerveerss awaawayy frofromm hinted-at-realitiehinted-at-realitiess thathatt araree totooo starstarkk foforr heherr WomenWomen's 's MovementMovement 99

comediescomedies,, shshee hahass mucmuchh iinn commocommonn witwithh womewomenn fictiofictionn writerswriters,, sucsuchh aass MargareMargarett DrabblDrabblee anandd MargareMargarett AtwoodAtwood,, whwhoo sasayy aass mucmuchh abouaboutt women'women'ss differencedifferencess anandd rivalrierivalriess aass abouaboutt aass theitheirr affinitieaffinitiess anandd commonalitiescommonalities.. HeHerr workwork,, liklikee theirstheirs,, enterenterss intintoo aa spiritespiritedd dialogudialoguee witwithh ththee contemporarcontemporaryy feminisfeminismm ooff botbothh ththee academacademyy anandd populapopularr cultureculture.. ThaThatt The Sisters Rosensweig madmadee theatetheaterr historhistoryy iiss nonott loslostt oonn WassersteinWasserstein.. ShShee taketakess pleasurpleasuree iinn notinnotingg whewhenn stridestridess araree mademade:: "It's"It's interestininterestingg thathatt ththee twtwoo mosmostt successfusuccessfull straighstraightt playplayss ththee yeayearr The Sisters Rosensweig camcamee ououtt werweree minminee anandd TonTonyy Kushner'Kushner'ss Angels in AmericaAmerica-a—a plaplayy abouaboutt threthreee womewomenn oveoverr fortfortyy anandd aann epiepicc abouaboutt a gaygay fantasiafantasia.. EveEvenn fivfivee yearyearss beforebefore,, thathatt wouldn'wouldn'tt havhavee happenedhappened"" (Intervie(Intervieww 19971997,, WineWinerr 172-73)172-73).. AnAndd shshee cacann defendefendd herselherselff whewhenn sheshe feelfeelss thathatt ththee impacimpactt ooff heherr playplayss iiss underestimatedunderestimated:: "M"Myy worworkk iiss ofteoftenn thoughthoughtt ooff aass lightweighlightweightt commerciacommerciall comedycomedy,, anandd I havhavee alwayalwayss thoughtthought,, NoNo,, yoyouu don'don'tt understandunderstand:: thithiss iiss iinn facfactt a politicapoliticall actact.. The Sisters Rosensweig hahadd ththee largeslargestt advancadvancee iinn BroadwaBroadwayy historyhistory,, thereforthereforee nobodnobodyy iiss goingoingg ttoo turtumn dowdownn a plaplayy oonn BroadwaBroadwayy becausbecausee a womawomann wrotwrotee iitt oorr becausbecausee it'it'ss abouaboutt womenwomen"" (Intervie(Intervieww 19971997,, WineWinerr 172)172).. HavinHavingg soso fullyfully enteredentered ththee publipublicc spheresphere herselherselff anandd endureenduredd ititss contentiousness,contentiousness, WassersteiWassersteinn grapplesgrapples witwithh suchsuch concernsconcerns iinn heherr sixthsixth playplay,, anandd ththee thirdthird toto comecome toto Broadway.Broadway. InIn An American Daughter,Daughter, WassersteiWassersteinn onceonce agaiagainn mergemergess thethe politicapoliticall andand thethe personapersonall toto considerableconsiderable effecteffect.. ShShee sayssays thathatt ththee playplay "was"was promptepromptedd bbyy Nannygate—bNannygate-byy whatwhat happenedhappened ttoo ZoeZoë BairdBaird,, whawhatt happenedhappened toto LaniLani Guinier,Guinier, whatwhat isis happeninghappening toto HillaryHillary Clinton.Clinton. ItIt waswas alsoalso a reactionreaction toto turningturning forty-two-toforty-two—to mid-lifemid-life decisions, toto notnot havinghaving childrenchildren"" (Interview(Interview 1997,1997, WinerWiner 182).182). InIn thethe play,play, LyssaLyssa DentDent HughesHughes,, competentcompetent andand professional,professional, seeminglyseemingly a womanwoman whwhoo "has"has itit all"all" (ever(ever a troublingtroubling conceptconcept toto Wasserstein),Wasserstein), isis nonethelessnonetheless subjectsubject toto thethe whimswhims ofof a publicpublic thatthat isis stillstill resistantresistant toto women'swomen's accessaccess toto power.power. LiberaLiberall daughterdaughter ofof a RepublicanRepublican senator,senator, sheshe recallsrecalls thethe "daughters"daughters ofof educatededucated men"men" WoolfWoolf speculatedspeculated aboutabout inin Three Guineas, thethe womenwomen whowho wouldwould enter,enter, and,and, sheshe hoped,hoped, transformtransform rolesroles previouslpreviouslyy unavailableunavailable toto them.them. LyssaLyssa getsgets justjust soso farfar beforebefore obstaclesobstacles areare placedplaced inin herher way.way. SheShe becomesbecomes tootoo controversialcontroversial a figurefigure toto succeedsucceed inin herher bidbid forfor thethe positionposition ofof surgeonsurgeon generalgeneral afterafter itit isis learnedlearned thatthat sheshe hadhad atat too-busytoo-busy timestimes ignoredignored juryjury dutyduty noticesnotices (and(and seemedseemed toto speakspeak disparaginglydisparagingly aboutabout herher mother's ice-boxice-box cakes).cakes). WassersteinWasserstein foregroundsforegrounds thethe politicalpolitical here,here, butbut centerscenters thethe playplay inin relationshipsrelationships suchsuch 10 Bette MandlMandl

asas thosthosee sheshe hashas exploredexplored from thethe outsetoutset ofof heherr careercareer.. ConnectionsConnections andand disconnections,disconnections, supportsupport anandd betrayabetrayall remainremain atat ththee corcoree ofof Lyssa'sLyssa's lifelife witwithh herher husbanhusbandd andand children children,, herher goodgood friendfriend,, JudithJudith,, whowho iiss a blacblackk JewisJewishh physicianphysician,, andand a conservativconservativee gaygay malmalee friend.friend. TheThe younyoungg neofeministneofeminist QuincQuincyy QuinceQuince isis nonott unlikeunlike DenisDenisee ooff The HeidiHeidi Chronicles, a remindereminderr ooff ththee faultfault lineliness iinn feminismfeminism.. TrueTrue ttoo forformm forfor a WassersteinWasserstein character,character, LyssaLyssa isis slowedslowed down byby inevitableinevitable disappointment,disappointment, bubutt willwill surelysurely movmovee forwardforward.. WassersteiWassersteinn says,says, "What"What I knoknoww howhow ttoo dodo isis ttoo listen"listen" (Intervie(Intervieww 1997,1997, BalakiaBalakiann 72).72). TheThe accoladesaccolades andand prizeprizess sheshe hahass garnered,garnered, includinincludingg ththee PulitzePulitzerr Prize,Prize, ththee Tony,Tony, andand ththee NeNeww YorkYork DramaDrama CriticCriticss CirclCirclee Prize,Prize, confirconfirmm thatthat sheshe hahass anan increasingincreasing audienceaudience whwhoo areare happhappyy ttoo dependdepend oonn heherr exceptionaexceptionall acuity,acuity, anandd eagerlyeagerly awaitawait ththee nexnextt reporreportt oonn wherewhere wwee havehave beebeenn andand wherwheree wewe areare goinggoing.. ThaThatt sheshe continuecontinuess ttoo connecconnectt ththee telletellerr witwithh ththee taltalee iinn innovativinnovativee waywayss makesmakes whawhatt sheshe hashas ttoo saysay asas transformationatransformationall aass iitt iiss compellingcompelling..

NOTENOTE

1I.. ForFor a rangrangee ofof perspectiveperspectivess onon issueissuess inin The HeidHeidii Chronicles,Chronicles, seesee foforr exampleexample:: AustinAustin,, Gayle.Gayle. RevieRevieww ofof The HeidHeidii Chronicles.Chronicles. Theatre JournalJournal 42.142.1 (1990):(1990): 107-108;107-108; Balakian,Balakian, Jan.Jan. "The HeidHeidii Chronicles:Chronicles: TheThe BiBigg ChillChill ofof Feminism.Feminism."" South Atlantic Review 60.60.22 (1995):(1995): 93-10193-101;; KeyssarKeyssar,, Helene.Helene. "Drama"Drama anandd ththee DialogiDialogicc Imagination:Imagination: The HeidHeidii ChronicleChronicless anandd Fefu andand HerHer FriendsFriends."r ModerModernn DramDramaa 34.34.11 (1991):(1991): 88-10788-107;; Mandl,Mandl, BetteBette.. "Feminism,"Feminism, Postmodernism,Postmodernism, anandd The HeidHeidii Chronicles."Chronicles." Studies in the Humanities 17.217.2 (1990)(1990):: 120-128.120-128. VorlickyVorl icky,, Robert.Robert. "(In)Visible"(In)Visible AllianceAlliance:: ConflictingConflicting 'Chronicles''Chronicles' ooff Feminism.Feminism."" IInn EngenderinEngenderingg MenMen: : The Question of MaleMale Feminist Criticism. Eds.Eds . JosephJoseph BooneBoone andand MichaelMichael Cadden.Cadden. NeNeww York:York: Routledge,Routledge, 1990:1990: 275-323.275-323.

WORKSWORKS CITEDCITED

BosworthBosworth,, PatriciaPatricia.. "Some"Some UncommonUncommon Dramatists."Dramatists." Working Woman AugAug.. 1984:1984: 138-141138-141.. Franklin,Franklin, NancyNancy.. "The"The TimTimee ofof HeHerr Life."Life." New Yorker 1414 ApriAprill 1997:1997: 63-7163-71.. Gilligan,Gilligan, CarolCarol.. In A Different Voice: PsychologicalPsychological Theory andand Women'sWomen's Development. Cambridge:Cambridge: HarvarHarvardd UP,UP, 1982.1982. GornickGornick,, VivianVivian.. ApproachinApproachingg EyEyee Level. Boston:Boston: BeacoBeaconn Press,Press, 1996.1996. KochKoch,, John.John. "The"The FurtheFurtherr ChroniclesChronicles ofof Wasserstein."Wasserstein." Boston Globe 3 MarchMarch 1991:1991: BI-2.Bl-2. WomenWomen's 's MovementMovement 11

MillerMiller,, JudithJudith.. "Th"Thee SecreSecrett WendWendyy WassersteinWasserstein"" New York Times 1188 OctOct.. 19921992,, sesecc 22:: 11,8., 8. ShapiroShapiro,, WalterWalter.. "Chronicle"Chroniclerr ooff FrayeFrayedd Feminism.Feminism."" Time 2277 MarcMarchh 19891989:: 9090,, 9292.. WassersteinWasserstein,, WendyWendy.. AAnn AmericaAmericann DaughterDaughter.. NeNeww YorkYork:: HarcourHarcourtt Brace,Brace, 1998.1998. ---.. "Diary.""Diary." Slate.Slate. Internet.Internet. Online.Online. http://www.slate.com/Diary/96-09-http://www.slate.com/Diary/96-09- 30/Diary.asp30IDiary.asp.. ---.. The HeidHeidii ChroniclesChronicles.. IInn The HeidHeidii ChronicleChronicless andand Other PlaysPlays.. NeNeww YorkYork:: VintageVintage,, 1990. 155-249.155-249. ---.. InterviewInterview withwith JanJan Balakian.Balakian. "Two"Two InterviewsInterviews WithWith WendyWendy Wasserstein.Wasserstein."" JournaJournall of America Americann DramDramaa anandd TheatrTheatree 9 (Sprin(Springg 1997):1997): 58-8458-84.. ---.. InterviewInterview withwith JanJan Balakian.Balakian. InIn SpeakingSpeaking on Stage:Stage: Interviews withwith ContemporarContemporaryy AmericaAmericann Playwrights. EdsEds.. Kolin,Kolin, PhiliPhilipp CC.. andand KullmanKullman,, ColbColbyy HH.. TuscaloosaTuscaloosa:: U ofof AlabamaAlabama PP,, 1996.1996. ---.. InterviewInterview withwith KathleenKathleen BetskoBetsko andand RachelRachel Koenig.Koenig. Interviews withwith ContemporarContemporaryy Women Playwrights. Eds.Eds . BetskoBetsko andand Koenig.Koenig. NeNeww York:York: BeechBeech TreTreee BooksBooks,, 1987.1987. 418-3418-31 I.. ---.. InterviewInterview withwith LeslieLeslie Jacobson.Jacobson. The Playwright'sPlaywright's Art:Art: ConversationsConversations with ContemporaryContemporary AmericaAmericann Dramatists. Ed.Ed . JacksonJackson RR.. BryerBryer.. NeNeww BrunswickBrunswick,, NJNJ:: RutgerRutgerss UPUP,, 1995.257-76.1995. 257-76. ---.. InterviewInterview withwith LaurieLaurie Winer.Winer. "The"The ArtArt ofof TheaterTheater XIII."XIII." ParisParis ReviewReview 142142(1997) (1997):: 164-188.164-188. ---.. Isn'tIsn't It Romantic. The HeidiHeidi ChroniclesChronicles andand Other Plays. NewNew York:York: Vintage,Vintage, 1990.1990. 72-153.72-153. ---.. The SistersSisters Rosensweig.Rosensweig. NewNew York:York: HarcourtHarcourt Brace,Brace, 1993.1993. ---.. "Talking"Talking Tachlis."Tachlis." TheThe New York Times MagazineMagazine 4 Jan.Jan. 1998:1998: 24-25.24-25. ---.. "Yes"Yes II amam aa Feminist."Feminist." Ms. Sept./Oct.Sept./Oct. 1997:1997: 42-49.42-49. ---.. Uncommon Women andand Others. InIn The HeidiHeidi ChroniclesChronicles andand OtherOther Plays.Plays. NeNeww York:York: Vintage,Vintage, 1990.1990. 1-72.1-72. Woolf,Woolf, Virginia.Virginia. A Room of One'sOne's Own. NeNeww York:York: Harcourt,Harcourt, BraceBrace anandd World,1927.World, 1927. ---.Three.Three Guineas.Guineas. NeNeww York:York: Harcourt,Harcourt, BraceBrace andand World,World, 1938.1938. This page intentionally left blank References

Contents

Contributors 213

Index 215 ii ontents r isters Rosenswei eborah Anderso r aylord Brewe r e eidi hronicles erican Daughte elene Keys a r lenda Fran r laudia Barnet laudia Barnet i 5 BibliographyBibliography

PRIMARYPRIMARY SOURCESSOURCES PlayPlayss An American Daughter. StagedStaged NeNeww York,York, 1997.1997. American Theatre Sept.Sept. 1997:1997: 25-43.25-43. ReprintedReprinted NeNeww YorkYork:: HarcourtHarcourt Brace,Brace, 1998.1998. Boy Meets Girl. IInn The Best American Short Plays 1990. Eds.Eds. HowarHowardd SteinStein anandd GlennGlenn YoungYoung.. NeNeww YorkYork:: Applause,Applause, 1991.1991. 169-179.169-179. The Heidi Chronicles. StagedStaged SeattleSeattle andand NeNeww York,York, 1988.1988. The HeidiHeidi Chronicles and Other Plays. NeNeww YorkYork:: VintageVintage,, 1991.1991. 155-249.155-249. Isn't It Romantic. StagedStaged NeNeww York,York, 1981,1981, reviserevisedd 1983.1983. The Heidi ChroniclesChronicles and Other Plays. NeNeww York:York: VintageVintage,, 1991.1991. 73-154.73-154. The Man in a Case. 1986.1986. (Adaptation(Adaptation ofof ththee AntoAntonn ChekhovChekhov shortshort story.)story.) Orchards. NeNeww YorkYork:: Knopf,Knopf, 1986.1986. 19-31.19-31. The Sisters Rosensweig. StagedStaged NeNeww YorkYork,, 1992.1992. NeNeww YorkYork:: HarcourHarcourtt Brace,Brace, 1993.1993. Tender Offer. StagedStaged NeNeww YorkYork,, 1983.1983. Antaeus 6666 (1991):(1991): 452-457.452-457. Uncommon Women and Others. StagedStaged NeNeww HavenHaven,, 19751975 andand NewNew York,York, 1977.1977. NeNeww York:York: Avon,Avon, 1978.1978. RptRpt.. inin The Heidi Chronicles and OtherOther Plays. NeNeww York:York: Vintage,Vintage, 1991.1991. 1-72.1-72. Workout. 1995.1995. InIn Facing Forward. Ed.Ed. LeaLeahh D.D. FrankFrank.. NeNeww York:York: BroadwayBroadway PlaPlayy Publishing,Publishing, 1995.1995. 499-502.499-502.

BooksBooks,, ArticlesArticles,, andand ReviewsReviews ""...... AndAnd TheThe BessBess Mess.Mess."" ReviewReview ofof When She Was Bad: The Story of Bess,Bess, Hortense, Sukhreet & Nancy, bbyy ShanaShana AlexanderAlexander,, anandd Queen Bess: AnAn 190190 BibliographyBibliography

Unauthorized BiographyBiography ofof Bess Bess Myerson,Myerson, bbyy JennifeJenniferr PrestonPreston.. The New YorkYork Times BookBook ReviewReview 88 ApriAprill 19901990:: 1313.. BachelorBachelor Girls. NeNeww YorkYork:: KnopfKnopf,, 19901990.. "Christma"Christmass iinn Camelot.Camelot."" NewNew York Times MagazineMagazine 2222 DecDec.. 19961996:: 4949.. "Complications."Complications."" New York Times BookBook Review 2200 MarcMarchh 19881988:: 1313.. "Confrontin"Confrontingg ththee BeautBeautyy Mystique.Mystique."" RevieRevieww ooff The Power of Beauty,Beauty. bbyy NancNancyy FridayFriday.. TimTimee 8 JulJulyy 19961996:: 7070.. "Designin"Designingg Men.Men."" Architecture SeptembeSeptemberr 19951995:: 55-5955-59.. "Designin"Designingg Men.Men."" New Yorker 1I MayMay 1995:1995 : 96.96 . "Diar"Diaryy ooff a MaMadd Playwright.Playwright."" New York Times Book Review 2244 SeptSept.. 19891989:: 11II.. "Don'"Don'tt TelTelll MotherMother:: ThThee StorieStoriess MMyy BiBigg SisteSisterr WoulWouldd RatheRatherr I Didn'Didn'tt Repeat."Repeat." New Yorker 26 FebFeb.. 19961996:: 196-199196-199.. "Famil"Familyy Plot.Plot."" RevieRevieww ooff Among the Ginzburgs, bbyy ElleEllenn PallPall.. New York Times Book Review 2 JunJunee 19961996:: 2424.. "Fift"Fiftyy ThingThingss ttoo DDoo iinn 5500 Days.Days."" Time 1188 Nov.Nov. 1996:1996: 122.122. "Firs"Firstt LadieLadiess GeGett Dressed.Dressed."" New Yorker 2211 OctOct.. 19961996:: 192192.. "Foreword."Foreword."" American Women Playwrights 1900-1950./900-/950. EdEd.. YvonnYvonnee Shafer.Shafer. NeNeww YorkYork:: PetePeterr LangLang,, 1995.1995. xi-xiixi-xii.. "Foreword."Foreword."" (Wit(WithhAndr Andreé Bishop.Bishop.)) Conversations in thethe Wings: Talking AboutAbout Acting. EdEd.. RoyRoy HarrisHarris.. PortsmouthPortsmouth,, NHNH:: HeinemannHeinemann,, 1994.1994. xiiixiii.. "Glasses:"Glasses: WhoWho NeedNeedss 'Em?"'Em?" The New York Times Book Review 1010 Nov.Nov. 1991:1991: 54.54. "Heidi"Heidi Chronicled.Chronicled."" New Yorker 6 MarcMarchh 1995:1995: 132132.. "How's"How's HeHe Doing?"Doing?" RevieRevieww ooff Murder at City Hall,Hall. bbyy EdwardEdward 1.I. KochKoch.. NewNew York Times Book Review 8 Oct.Oct. 19951995:: 23.23. "I"I CanCan GetGet ItIt forfor YouYou Retail."Retail." ReviewReview ofof Carriage Trade.Trade, bbyy StephenStephen Birmingham.Birmingham. New York Times Book Review 8 AugustAugust 1993:1993: 8.8. "Jill's"Jill's AdventuresAdventures inin RealReal EstateEstate or,or, I CanCan GetGet itit ForFor YouYou atat 3.2."3.2." New Yorker 1616 OctoberOctober 1995:1995: l70-177.170-177. "Let"Let ThemThem EatEat Plays."Plays." American Theatre May-JuneMay-June 1996:1996: 59.59. "The"The LumpLump List."List." New Yorker 1515 Sept.Sept. 1997:1997: 96.96. "Meryl"Meryl StreepStreep ComesComes Calling."Calling." Saturday Evening Post July-Aug.July-Aug. 1989:1989: 50-53,50-53, 106-110.106-110. "Mount"Mount HolyokeHolyoke CommencementCommencement Address."Address." 2727 MayMay 1990.1990. Unpublished,Unpublished, MountMount HolyokeHolyoke CollegeCollege Library.Library. "The"The MuseMuse ThatThat Mewed."Mewed." New Woman AprilApril 1995:1995: 84,86.84, 86. Pamela's First Musical. IllustratedIllustrated byby AndrewAndrew Jackness.Jackness. NewNew York:York: Hyperion,Hyperion, 1996.1996. "Party"Party Animals."Animals." New York Times Magazine 2020 Oct.Oct. 1996:1996: 71.71 . "The"The PrincessPrincess Brides."Brides." New YorkYork TimesTimes MagazineMagazine 2424 Nov.Nov. 1996:1996: 92.92. Bibliography 191

"Something"Something inin thethe Air."Air." New York Times Book Review 9 Oct.Oct. 1988:1988: 23.23. "Way"Way offoff BroadwayBroadway withwith Pamela."Pamela." New York Times Book Review 3030 JuneJune 1996:1996: 3535.. "When Superstores Were Truly Super." New York Times 27 Oct. 1996: E15. "When Superstores Were Truly Super." New York Times 27 Oct. 1996: El5. Forums Forums "Drop Dead, Lewis Carroll: History's Rejection Slips." New York Times Book "DroReviewp Dead , 1Lewi Mays 1994:Carroll 3,: 33-34.History' s Rejection Slips." New York Times Book Festinger,Review Sharon,1 May 1994et al.: "Present3, 33-34. Perfect." New York 2 Dec. 1996: 105- Festinger6. , Sharon, et al. "Present Perfect." New York 2 Dec. 1996: 105- "Finishing6. the Play." American Theatre July-Aug. 1996: 72. "Israel:"Finishin Enduringg the Play. Impressions."" American TheatreNew York July-Aug 3 May .1993: 1996 :IA-6A 72. Kolin,"Israel :Philip Endurin C.g "A Impressions." Streetcar NamedNew York3 Desire: Ma Ay Playwrights'1993: 1A-6A Forum." KolinMichigan, Philip CQuarterly. "A Streetcar Review Named 29.2 (1990):Desire: 173-204.A Playwrights ' Forum. " "Of MichiganPlays and QuarterlyPolitics andReview Politicians 29.2 (1990)at Play.": 173-204 New York. Times 6 Oct. "Of Play1996:s anH5.d Politics and Politicians at Play." New York Times 6 Oct. "To Be1996 Continued: H5. .... " Harper's Magazine August 1992: 35-46. "To Be Continued " Harper's Magazine August 1992: 35-46. INTERVIEWINTERVIEWSS ANDAND SECONDARYSECONDARY SOURCES,SOURCES, ANNOTATEDANNOTATED InterviewInterviewss Wasserstein,Wasserstein, WendyWendy.. InterviewsInterviews withwith JanJan Balakian.Balakian. "Two"Two InterviewsInterviews witwithh WendyWendy Wasserstein.Wasserstein."" Journal of American Drama and Theatre 9 (Spring(Spring 1997):1997): 58-84.58-84. TheseThese interviewsinterviews providprovidee a goldgold minminee ofof informationinformation aboutabout Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss unpublisheunpublishedd manuscriptsmanuscripts.. BalakiaBalakiann hahass reareadd Wasserstein'sWasserstein's paperpaperss aatt MounMountt HolyokHolyokee CollegCollegee anandd engageengagess ththee playwrighplaywrightt iinn a detailedetailedd discussiodiscussionn abouaboutt heherr less-know less-knownn playsplays'' subjecsubjectt mattematterr anandd productioproductionn historieshistories.. TheTheyy alsalsoo discusdiscusss Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss screenplaysscreenplays,, manymany ooff whicwhichh araree adaptationsadaptations.. ---.. InterviewInterview withwith JanJan Balakian.Balakian. Speaking on Stage: Interviews withwith Contemporary American Playwrights. EdsEds.. PhiliPhilipp CC.. KoliKolinn anandd ColbColbyy HH.. KullmanKullman.. TuscaloosaTuscaloosa:: U AlabamAlabamaa PP,, 19961996.379-391.. 379-391. ThiThiss intervieintervieww opensopens witwithh a three-pagthree-pagee overvieovervieww ooff ththee playwright'playwright'ss workwork,, includingincluding summariesummariess ooff heherr unpublisheunpublishedd playsplays,, screenplays,screenplays, anandd teleplaysteleplays.. ThThee subjecsubjectt shiftshiftss frofromm The Sisters Rosensweig ttoo ththee naturnaturee ooff comedcomedyy ttoo feminisfeminismm anandd inevitablinevitablyy endendss uupp witwithh The Heidi Chronicles. WassersteiWassersteinn respondrespondss ttoo ththee criticcriticss whwhoo opposopposee ththee baby-adoptiobaby-adoptionn endingending:: "There"There shoulshouldd bbee mormoree playplayss bbyy womenwomen,, anandd iinn somsomee playplayss ththee womawomann shoulshouldd adopadoptt ththee babybaby,, anandd iinn somsomee shshee won'twon't.. OnOnee plaplayy can'can'tt stanstandd foforr 192192 BibliographyBibliography

everythingeverything"" (389)(389).. ShShee discussediscussess aatt lengtlengthh whwhyy adoptioadoptionn iiss ththee righrightt choicchoicee foforr thithiss charactercharacter.. ---.. IntervieIntervieww witwithh KathleeKathleenn BetskBetskoo anandd RacheRachell KoenigKoenig.. InterviewsInterviews with ContemporaryContemporary WomenWomen Playwrights.Playwrights. EdsEds.. BetskBetskoo anandd KoenigKoenig.. NeNeww YorkYork:: BeecBeechh TreTreee BooksBooks,, 19871987.. 418-431418-431.. WassersteiWassersteinn saysayss shshee wrotwrotee UncommonUncommon Women largellargelyy becausbecausee shshee wantewantedd aa plaplayy witwithh aann all-femalall-femalee castcast.. ShShee talktalkss abouaboutt women'women'ss comedcomedyy anandd aa "femal"femalee aestheticaesthetic"" anandd explainexplainss thathatt shshee whilwhilee doedoess nonott speaspeakk foforr alalll womenwomen,, heherr gendegenderr iiss integraintegrall ttoo heherr workwork:: ""II don'don'tt knoknoww iiff that'that'ss womewomenn oorr that'that'ss WendWendyy .... BuButt WendWendyy iiss aa womawomann writerwriter"" (419)(419).. SpeakinSpeakingg generallgenerallyy abouaboutt heherr writingwriting,, shshee statesstates:: "Ther"Theree aren'aren'tt googoodd guyguyss anandd thertheree aren'aren'tt villainvillainss iinn mmyy playsplays"" (424)(424).. ShShee alsalsoo talktalkss abouaboutt Isn'tIsn't ItIt Romantic,Romantic, drawindrawingg comparisoncomparisonss betweebetweenn ththee twtwoo mothermotherss iinn ththee playplay.. ---.. IntervieIntervieww witwithh MariaMariann ChristyChristy.. "Wasserstein:"Wasserstein: GlaGladd ttoo BBee OnOnee ooff thethe Girls.Girls."" Boston Globe 1I FebFeb.. 19901990:: 74-7574-75.. WassersteiWassersteinn recallrecallss thathatt aatt a meetinmeetingg ooff JewisJewishh feministsfeminists,, severaseverall challengechallengedd ththee endinendingg ooff The Heidi Chronicles',Chronicles; ononee ooff heherr friendfriendss stoppestoppedd speakinspeakingg ttoo heherr afteafterr shshee wowonn ththee PulitzerPulitzer.. ""II don'don'tt loolookk bacbackk aatt feminisfeminismm witwithh anger,anger,"" shshee sayssays.. "I'"I'mm a feministfeminist,, bubutt I'I'mm alsalsoo interesteinterestedd iinn otheotherr things...things ..... I thinthinkk ththee fighfightt forfor equalitequalityy isn'isn'tt over.over. ThereThere areare limitedlimited slotsslots open.open. That'sThat's whywhy womenwomen fightfight withwith eacheach other!other! FoForr thosethose slots"slots" (75).(75). ---.. InterviewInterview withwith StephanieStephanie Coen.Coen. "A"A World,World, One'sOne's Life."Life." AmericanAmerican Theatre Sept.Sept. 1997:1997: 24.24. WassersteinWasserstein talkstalks aboutabout classclass andand privilegeprivilege withwith respectrespect toto An American Daughter. SheShe commentscomments thathatt WalterWalter "is"is certainlycertainly oneone ofof thethe mostmost interestinginteresting characterscharacters I'veI've written"written" andand discussesdiscusses hishis betrayalbetrayal ofof hishis wife.wife. SheShe alsoalso respondsresponds toto questionsquestions aboutabout whywhy herher playsplays seemseem angrierangrier inin printprint thanthan onon stage.stage. ---.. InterviewInterview withwith EstherEsther Cohen.Cohen. "Uncommon"Uncommon Woman:Woman: AnAn InterviewInterview withwith WendyWendy Wasserstein."Wasserstein." Women's Studies 1515 (1988):(1988): 257-270.257-270. InIn thisthis light-heartedlight-hearted interview,interview, WassersteinWasserstein comparescompares andand contrastscontrasts thethe differentdifferent mediamedia forfor whichwhich sheshe hashas written,written, fromfrom childhoodchildhood fashionfashion showsshows toto televisiontelevision moviesmovies toto magazinemagazine articlesarticles toto theatre.theatre. PlaysPlays areare thethe mostmost difficultdifficult forfor herher toto write,write, whereaswhereas magazinemagazine writingwriting functionsfunctions asas aa "release""release" (262).(262). WassersteinWasserstein alsoalso sayssays womenwomen areare moremore proneprone thanthan menmen toto "use"use [comedy][comedy] asas aa defense"defense" (259).(259). AskedAsked aboutabout thethe importanceimportance ofof humor,humor, sheshe responds:responds: "It"It isis aa pointpoint ofof view.view. ItIt reallyreally is.is . AndAnd itit sortsort ofof prickspricks aa holdhold inin things,things, too,too , keepskeeps thingsthings inin line.line. AndAnd thenthen alsoalso itit helpshelps youyou dealdeal withwith thingsthings thatthat areare overwhelminglyoverwhelmingly tragic,tragic, whichwhich areare undealableundealable with"with" (265).(265) . ---.. InterviewInterview withwith LeslieLeslie Jacobson.Jacobson . TheThe Playwright'sPlaywright's Art:Art: ConversationsConversations withwith ContemporaryContemporary AmericanAmerican Dramatists.Dramatists. Ed.Ed. JacksonJackson R.R . Bryer.Bryer. NewNew BibliographyBibliography 193193

Brunswick:Brunswick: RutgersRutgers UP,UP, 1995.1995 . 257-276.257-276. ThisThis pre-Sisterspro-Sisters RosensweigRosensweig interviewinterview focusesfocuses onon issuesissues ofof autobiography:autobiography: WassersteinWasserstein sayssays thatthat herher playsplays areare "semiautobiographical"semiautobiographical oror comecome outout ofof somethingsomething that'sthat's irkingirking [her)"[her]" (262).(262). SheShe speaksspeaks ofof herher parents'parents' influenceinfluence onon herher writingwriting andand onon herher self-image.self-image. SheShe considersconsiders TheThe Heidi ChroniclesChronicles herher "least"least autobiographicalautobiographical play"play" (272)(272) andand realizes:realizes: "The"The playsplays becomebecome funfun whenwhen theythey stopstop beingbeing autobiography"autobiography" (275).(275). SheShe discussesdiscusses howhow sheshe sometimessometimes "merge[s)""merge[s]" withwith characters:characters: "Some"Some nightsnights II wouldwould seesee TheThe HeidiHeidi ChroniclesChronicles andand wouldwould bebe veryvery movedmoved byby itit andand think,think, "I'm"I'm stillstill thatthat woman.woman. II stillstill feelfeel stranded,stranded, too."too." AndAnd thenthen somesome nightsnights she'dshe'd say,say, "Oh,"Oh, II feelfeel stranded,"stranded," andand I'dI'd think,think, "Oh,"Oh, justjust shutshut upup andand bebe happy.happy. StopStop whining"whining" (275).(275). SheShe addressesaddresses thethe feministfeminist controversycontroversy surroundingsurrounding TheThe Heidi Chronicles (266);(266); sheshe alsoalso admits:admits: "There"There isis a partpart ofof meme thatthat thinksthinks The Heidi Chronicles waswas takentaken moremore seriouslyseriously becausebecause itit waswas aboutabout aa GentileGentile girlgirl fromfrom Chicago"Chicago" (272),(272), asas opposedopposed toto a JewishJewish heroine.heroine. ---.. InterviewInterview withwith CathleenCathleen StinsonStinson Ouderkirk.Ouderkirk. "Human"Human Connections-AConnections—A Playwright'sPlaywright's View:View: WendyWendy WassersteinWasserstein DiscussesDiscusses The Heidi Chronicles.Chronicles. Christian Science Monitor 1010 Oct.Oct. 1989:1989: II.11. WassersteinWasserstein challengeschallenges herher intervieweinterviewerr abouaboutt The Heidi Chronicles: "Why"Why calcalll iitt 'feminist'?'feminist'? You'dYou'd nevernever askask a man,man, 'Is'Is thithiss a masculinismasculinistt play.play.'' I didn'didn'tt writewrite itit asas eitheeitherr a feminisfeministt tractractt oorr a non-feminisnon-feministt tract.tract. I wasn'wasn'tt settingsetting ououtt ttoo bebe didactididacticc inin anyany way.way."" OuderkirkOuderkirk disagreesdisagrees:: "Deny"Deny iitt shshee maymay,, bubutt WassersteiWassersteinn hashas alwayalwayss beebeenn a sociasociall chroniclechroniclerr iinn heherr playwriting"playwriting";; shshee supportsupportss thithiss thesithesiss witwithh analysesanalyses ooff Isn't It Romantic anandd Uncommon Women. WassersteiWassersteinn addsadds:: "What's"What's googoodd abouaboutt HeidHeidii iiss thathatt ththee plaplayy hahass causedcaused conversationconversationss abouaboutt a topitopicc peoplpeoplee weren'weren'tt havinhavingg conversationconversationss abouaboutt ssoo mucmuchh anymore."anymore." ---.. InterviewInterview withwith LaurieLaurie Winer.Winer. "The"The ArtArt ofof TheaterTheater XIII."XIII." The ParisParis Review 141422 (1997)(1997):: 164-188164-188.. WassersteiWassersteinn talktalkss abouaboutt heherr childhoochildhoodd experienceexperiencess aass a "fibber"fibber"" (169(169)) aass welwelll aass heherr high-schoohigh-schooll realizatiorealizationn thathatt "ther"theree werweree peoplpeoplee whwhoo worworee reareall PapagallPapagalloo shoeshoess anandd thethenn thertheree werweree peoplpeoplee whwhoo worworee imitatioimitationn PapagallPapagalloo shoeshoess frofromm ChandlersChandlers"" (171)(171);; heherr fascinatiofascinationn witwithh fictiofictionn anandd realitrealityy begabegann iinn heherr youthyouth.. ShShee alsalsoo discussediscussess heherr writinwritingg aass ""aa politicapoliticall actact"" (172(172)) becausbecausee The Sisters RosensweigRosensweig hahadd "th"thee largeslargestt advancadvancee iinn BroadwaBroadwayy historyhistory"" (172)—thereb(I 72}-therebyy provinprovingg thathatt a plaplayy woulwouldd nonott automaticallautomaticallyy bbee rejecterejectedd simplsimplyy becausbecausee aa womawomann wrotwrotee itit.. ShShee reminiscereminiscess abouaboutt winninwinningg ththee PulitzePulitzerr PrizPrizee anandd shshee comparecomparess playwritinplaywritingg ttoo screenwritingscreenwriting.. 194194 BibliographyBibliography ProfileProfiless BilowitBilowit,, IrIraa J1.. "Thre"Threee SisterSisterss UnitUnitee witwithh WendWendyy WassersteiWassersteinn Presiding.Presiding."" BackBack StageStage 3300 OctOct.. 19921992:: 7-87-8.. WassersteiWassersteinn discussediscussess heherr relationshiprelationshipss wit withh directordirectorss DaDann SullivaSullivann anandd AndrAndree BishopBishop.. ShShee speakspeakss aatt lengtlengthh abouaboutt ththee neeneedd foforr mormoree womewomenn playwrightplaywrightss anandd artistiartisticc directordirectorss anandd warnswarns:: "Th"Thee dangedangerr iiss thathatt sometimesometimess iinn ththee seasoseasonn they'lthey'lll havhavee aa 'slot'slot'' foforr aa 'woman''woman'ss playplay'' oorr aa 'slot'slot'' foforr aann 'Afro-America'AfrO-Americann play'—anplay'-andd thethenn alalll ththee otheotherr playplayss [ar[aree bbyy men]men]"" (7)(7).. BosworthBosworth,, PatriciaPatricia.. "Som"Somee UncommoUncommonn Dramatists.Dramatists."" WorkingWorking WomanWoman AugAug.. 19941994:: 138-141138-141.. WassersteiWassersteinn remembersremembers:: "Whe"Whenn II wawass goingoingg ttoo YalYalee DramaDrama,, I'I'dd reareadd thesthesee so-calleso-calledd classicclassicss abouaboutt prostituteprostitutess oorr terriblterriblee mothermotherss anandd I'I'dd thinkthink,, 'bu'butt thithiss isn'isn'tt abouaboutt mmyy friends.friends.'' WhaWhatt II wanwantt ttoo ddoo iiss writwritee abouaboutt mmyy generationgeneration,, becausbecausee II thinthinkk II understanunderstandd wherwheree they'rthey'ree comincomingg fromfrom.. MosMostt ooff themthem,, myselmyselff includedincluded,, araree unwillinunwillingg ttoo settlsettlee foforr someonsomeonee oorr somethinsomethingg thathatt fallfallss shorshortt ooff ththee idealideal"" (141)(141).. FinnFinn,, WilliamWilliam.. "Siste"Sisterr Act.Act."" Vogue SeptSept.. 19921992:: 360-61360-61.. FinFinnn telltellss charmincharmingg storiestoriess abouaboutt ththee WassersteiWassersteinn familyfamily.. HHee alsalsoo quotequotess ththee playwrightplaywright rememberinrememberingg ththee firsfirstt readinreadingg ooff Uncommon Women aatt YaleYale:: ".." .... anandd I'llI'll neveneverr forgeforgett this—thithis-thiss guguyy gogott uupp aatt ththee enendd ooff ththee firsfirstt acactt anandd saidsaid:: 'I'I can'can'tt gegett intintoo thisthis,, it'it'ss abouaboutt girls.girls.'' AnAndd iitt waswas amazinamazingg ttoo mmee thatthat someonesomeone woulwouldd reallreallyy saysay thithiss anandd nonott bbee embarrassedembarrassed.. AnAndd I thoughtthought,, I spentspent mymy lifelife gettinggetting intointo Hamlet andand Lawrence of Arabia, soso whywhy don'tdon't youyou trytry it.it ... I waswas quitequite angry"angry" (360).(360). Franklin,Franklin, Nancy.Nancy. "The"The TimeTime ofof HerHer Life."Life." New Yorker 1414 AprilApril 1997:1997: 62-71.62-71. ThisThis chattychatty articlearticle isis ostensiblyostensibly a previewpreview ofof An American Daughter butbut isis actuallyactually a gossipgossip columncolumn aboutabout Wasserstein.Wasserstein. FranklinFranklin hashas interviewedinterviewed WassersteinWasserstein asas wellwell asas herher familyfamily members,members, playwrightplaywright ChristopherChristopher Durang,Durang, andand LeonardLeonard Berkman,Berkman, Wasserstein'sWasserstein's firstfirst playwritingplaywriting teacher.teacher. SheShe writeswrites aboutabout thethe autobiographicalautobiographical elementselements ofof Wasserstein'sWasserstein's plays,plays, . includingincluding thethe derivationderivation ofof characters'characters' names.names. Wasserstein'sWasserstein's popularity­popularity— herher manymany friends,friends, herher travels,travels, andand herher socialsocial engagements-isengagements—is thethe focus.focus . Gold,Gold, Sylviane.Sylviane. "Wendy,"Wendy, thethe WaywardWayward Wasserstein."Wasserstein." WallWall StreetStreet JournalJournal 71 Feb.Feb . 1984:1984: 30.30 . GoldGold profilesprofiles Wasserstein'sWasserstein's careercareer upup toto Isn'tIsn't ItIt Romantic,Romantic, focusingfocusing firstfirst onon herher seeminglyseemingly oddodd choicechoice toto becomebecome aa playwrightplaywright inin lightlight ofof herher siblings'siblings' moremore conventionalconventional lifestyles,lifestyles, andand laterlater onon herher likenesslikeness withwith herher characters.characters . Hoban,Hoban , Phoebe.Phoebe . "The"The FamilyFamily Wasserstein."Wasserstein." NewNew YorkYork 44 Jan.Jan . 1993:1993 : 32-37.32-37 . Wasserstein'sWasserstein's familyfamily isis asas aa sourcesource ofof encouragementencouragement andand subjectsubject mattermatter Bibliography 195

forfor thethe playwright.playwright. HerHer siblingssiblings areare incrediblyincredibly successfulsuccessful andand supportive,supportive, herher mothermother isis eclectic,eclectic, andand herher grandfathergrandfather waswas a playwright.playwright. Kaufman,Kaufman, Loretta.Loretta. "Uncommon"Uncommon Wendy."Wendy." Live Feb.Feb. 1997:1997: 72-75.72-75. WassersteinWasserstein isis presentedpresented asas a feministfeminist andand a socialsocial commentatorcommentator whosewhose "plays"plays areare notnot autobiographical"autobiographical" (74).(74). SheShe says:says: "Things"Things oftenoften happenhappen inin thethe theatertheater becausbecausee theatertheater isis a placeplace ofof anan individualindividual voice.voice. You'llYou'll seesee thatthat HeidiHeidi willwill raiseraise a babbabyy alone,alone, beforbeforee MurphyMurphy Brown,Brown, andand inin The Sisters Rosensweig,Rosensweig, you'llyou'll seesee threethree middle-agedmiddle-aged womenwomen beforbeforee The First Wives Club" (74).(74). AnAn insertinsert titledtitled "Working"Working withwith Wendy"Wendy" (74)(74) comprisescomprises a lengthylengthy quotationquotation byby MerylMeryl StreepStreep aboutabout workingworking withwith WassersteinWasserstein onon AnAn American Daughter.Daughter. Marks,Marks, Peter.Peter. "An"An OutsiderOutsider GoesGoes InsideInside thethe Beltway."Beltway." New York Times 2323 MarchMarch 1997,1997, sec.sec. 2:2: 5,5, 10.10. InIn thisthis previewpreview ofof An American Daughter,Daughter, MarksMarks distinguishesdistinguishes thethe playplay fromfrom Wasserstein'sWasserstein's earlierearlier workwork becausbecausee ofof itsits politicapoliticall subjectsubject mattematterr bubutt hhee commentcommentss thatthat ththee titltitlee ofof ththee plaplayy couldcould havehave beebeenn "Heidi"Heidi GoesGoes ttoo WashingtonWashington"" (5)(5).. HeHe examineexaminess ththee themetheme ofof thethe "outsider""outsider" asas itit relatesrelates ttoo Wasserstein'sWasserstein's workwork andand toto herher liflifee andand hehe quotesquotes AndreAndre BishopBishop,, whowho sayssays ofof WassersteinWasserstein,, "People"People mamayy loolookk atat herher anandd say:say: 'ThisThis damedame hahass madmadee itit,, sheshe hashas thithiss interestininterestingg life,life, it'sit's many-faceted'many-faceted';; I thinkthink sheshe stillstill believebelievess thathatt womewomenn can'can'tt bbee insiders.insiders. It'sIt's stillstill nonott theirtheir party.party."" Shapiro,Shapiro, WalterWalter.. "Chronicler"Chronicler ofof FrayedFrayed Feminism.Feminism."" Time 2727 MarcMarchh 1989:1989: 9090,, 92.92. ShapiroShapiro discussediscussess Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss angeangerr anandd heherr humorhumor anandd hohoww ththee twotwo mergmergee inin The Heidi Chronicles. HeHe portrayportrayss ththee playwrighplaywrightt asas aann ingratiatingingratiating personperson:: "Only"Only inin a writtewrittenn playscripplayscriptt doedoess WassersteiWassersteinn allowallow herselherselff ttoo bbee assertiveassertive"" (90)(90).. HHee alsalsoo relaterelatess anecdoteanecdotess abouaboutt heherr family,family, includinincludingg heherr parentsparents'' reactioreactionn ttoo Heidi's openinopeningg oonn BroadwayBroadway:: "We're"We're ververyy prouproudd ...... BuButt there'there'ss a vacuum.vacuum ...... Where'Where'ss ththee children?children?"" (92)(92).. SweetSweet,, JeffreyJeffrey.. "Making"Making IItt Specific:Specific: FivFivee PlaywrightPlaywrightss oonn TheiTheirr Craft.Craft."" Back Stage 29 ApriAprill 19941994:: 21-2221-22.. SweetSweet reportreportss oonn a panepanell ooff fivfivee playwrights,playwrights, includinincludingg AA.. RR.. GurneyGurney,, TonTonyy KushnerKushner,, TerrencTerrencee McNallyMcNally,, WendyWendy WassersteinWasserstein,, anandd AugusAugustt WilsonWilson.. OOff WassersteiWassersteinn hhee writeswrites:: "I"Itt wawass herher awarenesawarenesss thathatt ververyy fefeww ooff ththee playplayss shshee sasaww whewhenn shshee wawass younyoungg offeredoffered heherr imageimagess ooff womewomenn thathatt helpehelpedd heherr defindefinee heherr dramatidramaticc territoryterritory"" (21)(21).. DurinDuringg ththee panepanell WassersteiWassersteinn saisaidd ththee Uncommon Women iiss heherr favoritefavorite ooff heherr owownn workworkss "becaus"becausee iitt feelfeelss liklikee a googoodd firsfirstt novelnovel"" (21)(21).. ShShee saidsaid thathatt shshee iiss frequentlfrequentlyy askeaskedd abouaboutt updatinupdatingg heherr playsplays:: "An"Andd there'there'ss a certaicertainn appeaappeall ttoo ththee ideideaa ooff visitinvisitingg HeidHeidii agaiagainn nonoww thathatt she'she'ss olderolder.. BuButt I'vI'vee prettprettyy mucmuchh decidedecidedd thathatt playplayss araree ververyy mucmuchh ooff theitheirr timestimes.. CharacterCharacterss livlivee iinn certaicertainn placeplacess aatt certaicertainn timestimes,, anandd thesthesee thingthingss havhavee ttoo 196196 BibliographyBibliography

influencinfluencee theitheirr choiceschoices.. EveEvenn SistersSisters RosensweigRosensweig iiss aa kinkindd ooff perio periodd playplay"" (22)(22).. WalshWalsh,, ThomasThomas.. "To"Topp PlaywrightPlaywrightss GatheGatherr ttoo MeasurMeasuree 'Crosscurrents'Crosscurrents'' ooff U U.. SS.. Theatre.Theatre."" BackBackStage Stage 1IS8 JunJunee 19931993:: 33,, 66,, 2626.. A panepanell titletitledd "Crosscurrents"Crosscurrents iinn AmericaAmericann Theatre,Theatre,"" presentepresentedd bbyy YounYoungg PlaywrightPlaywrightss Inc.Inc.,, includeincludedd playwrightplaywrightss TonTonyy KushnerKushner,, TerrencTerrencee McNallyMcNally,, MarshMarshaa NormanNorman,, anandd WassersteinWasserstein.. IInn responsresponsee ttoo aa questioquestionn abouaboutt whicwhichh playplayss oorr musicalmusicalss influenceinfluencedd thethemm iinn theitheirr youthyouth,, WassersteiWassersteinn saidsaid,, "I"Itt wawass ththee RadiRadioo CitCityy ChristmaChristmass ShowShow,, actuallactuallyy ...... BuButt whewhenn ththee RocketteRockettess formeformedd aa croscrosss oonn ththee stagestage,, II thoughtthought,, 'Well'Well,, maybmaybee thithiss isn'isn'tt foforr me'me'"" (6)(6)..

PerformancPerformancee ReviewReviewss ArthurArthur,, HelenHelen.. RevieRevieww ooff The Heidi Chronicles, TNTTNT,, OctobeOctoberr 19951995.. The NationNation 1166 OctOct.. 19951995:: 443-44443-44.. ArthuArthurr blameblamess JamiJamiee LeLeee CurtiCurtiss (Heidi(Heidi)) anandd PauPaull BogarBogartt (director(director)) foforr ththee failurefailuress ooff ththee televisiotelevisionn moviemovie.. AustinAustin,, GayleGayle.. RevieRevieww ooff The Heidi Chronicles, PlymoutPlymouthh TheatreTheatre,, NeNeww YorkYork.. Theatre Journal 42.42.11 (1990)(\ 990):: 107-08107-0S.. AfteAfterr listinlistingg ththee manmanyy awardawardss The Heidi Chronicles hahass wonwon,, AustiAustinn launchelaunchess heherr attacattackk onon ththee play:play: "Ostensibl"Ostensiblyy a triumptriumphh foforr womenwomen,, Heidi iiss insteainsteadd a problematiproblematicc exampleexample ooff howhow ththee male-dominatemale-dominatedd productioproductionn systemsystem ooff commercialcommercial theatertheater maintainmaintainss itsits controlcontrol oveoverr women,women, iinn thisthis cascasee withwith thethe complicitcomplicityy ooff a womanwoman playwright"playwright" (\(107) 07).. SheShe supportssupports heherr thesisthesis withwith condemnationscondemnations ofof Heidi'sHeidi's passivepassive behaviorbehavior asas wellwell asas thethe "near"near caricatures"caricatures" ofof otherother womenwomen inin thethe play.play. SheShe thenthen explainsexplains whywhy liberalliberal feministsfeminists areare pleasedpleased withwith thethe play'splay's successsuccess (that(that itit "represents"represents a stepstep forwardforward forfor allall womenwomen playwrights"playwrights" [lOS])[108]) whilewhile materialmaterial feministsfeminists remainremain leeryleery ("The("The veryvery factorsfactors thatthat allowedallowed thisthis playplay toto achieveachieve itsits privilegedprivileged positionposition areare thethe samesame factorsfactors thatthat preventprevent playsplays withwith moremore threateningthreatening messagesmessages toto crosscross thethe lineline intointo thethe canon"canon" [lOS]).[108]). TheThe conclusionconclusion servesserves asas a caution:caution: "The"The biggestbiggest dangerdanger toto womenwomen posedposed byby thethe playplay isis itsits futurefuture influenceinfluence...... TheThe playplay willwill becomebecome partpart ofof thethe systemsystem thatthat oppressesoppresses womenwomen andand soso highlyhighly rewardsrewards theirtheir creativecreative expressionsexpressions whenwhen theythey aidaid inin itsits purposes"purposes" (lOS).(108). Barnett,Barnett, Claudia.Claudia. ReviewReview ofof An American Daughter,Daughter, CortCort Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York.York. TheatreTheatre JournalJournal 4949 (1997):(1997): 520-21.520-21. EchoesEchoes ofof TheThe Heidi ChroniclesChronicles areare seenseen inin AnAn AmericanAmerican Daughter,Daughter, butbut thethe newernewer playplay hashas aa moremore modemmodern message:message: "having"having itit allall actuallyactually meansmeans havinghaving toto taketake carecare ofof itit all"all" (520).(520). Bolotin,Bolotin, Susan.Susan. ReviewReview ofof Isn'tIsn't ItIt Romantic,Romantic, PlaywrightsPlaywrights Horizons,Horizons, NewNew York.York. VogueVogue MarchMarch 19S4:1984 : 12S.128 . TheThe premisepremise ofof Isn'tIsn't ItIt RomanticRomantic maymay seemseem trite,trite, BolotinBolotin argues,argues , "but"but thethe honestyhonesty withwith whichwhich WassersteinWasserstein treatstreats herher Bibliography 197

charactercharacterss isis anythinganything bubutt usual,usual, particularlparticularlyy iinn a timetime whewhenn femalefemale friendshipfriendshipss havhavee becombecomee idealized."idealized." SheShe quotesquotes WassersteinWasserstein,, whowho isis tiredtired ooff beinbeingg askedasked ifif sheshe iiss a feminist,feminist, asas saying,saying, "People"People tendtend toto thinkthink youyou havehave ttoo enendd youryour plaplayy withwith a womawomann ridingriding offoff oonn a tractor."tractor." BrantleyBrantley,, BenBen.. "In"In ththee HostileHostile GlareGlare ooff WashingtonWashington,, ththee MediMediaa DefineDefine andand Defy."Defy." RevieRevieww ooff An American Daughter, CortCort Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww York.York. NewNew York Times 1414 AprilApril 1997:1997: CCll,I 1, C16.CI6. IInn spitespite ooff hihiss admirationadmiration forfor thethe playwright'playwright'ss work,work, BrantleyBrantley isis disappointeddisappointed witwithh An American Daughter,Daughter, whichwhich,, hehe feels,feels, hashas tootoo manmanyy one-linersone-liners,, tootoo manymany quirks,quirks, andand nonott enoughenough resolutionresolution "Themes"Themes (bi(bigg themes),themes), relationshiprelationshipss (deep(deep andand confusingconfusing ones),ones), ploplott complicationcomplicationss (of(of thethe melodramaticmelodramatic variety)variety) areare pilepiledd ttoo thethe topplingtoppling pointpoint,, mostmost ooff thethemm neveneverr satisfactorilysatisfactorily defined"defined" (Cll).(C11). ---.. ReviewReview ofof The Sisters Rosensweig, EthelEthel BarrymoreBarrymore Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York.York. New York Times, 2244 Sept.Sept. 1993:1993: C3C3.. BrantleyBrantley comparecomparess andand contrastcontrastss ththee currencurrentt andand previoupreviouss castcastss ofof The Sisters Rosensweig. HeHe findsfinds thathatt thethe neneww actorsactors seemseem moremore likelike a familyfamily bubutt thathatt "the"the sheersheer comiccomic bribrioo ofof thethe earlieearlierr versionversion mamayy bbee somewhatsomewhat diminished."diminished." BrusteinBrustein,, Robert.Robert. "Woman"Woman inin Extremis.Extremis."" ReviewReview ooff The Heidi Chronicles,Chronicles, PlymoutPlymouthh TheatreTheatre,, NeNeww York.York. New Republic 1717 ApriAprill 1989:1989: 32-33.32-33. Brustein'sBrustein's revierevieww isis mostlymostly positivpositivee anandd isis alwaysalways sensitivesensitive towardtoward Heidi:Heidi: "She"She hashas nono answers-neitheranswers—neither doesdoes ththee playwright—excepplaywright-exceptt ttoo maintainmaintain a degreedegree ooff gracegrace anandd stylestyle iinn ththee faceface ofof generalgeneral disillusionment"disillusionment" (33)(33).. HeHe interpretinterpretss thethe plaplayy asas suggestingsuggesting "that"that thethe feminisfeministt movement,movement, insteainsteadd ofof reformingreforming society,society, hashas succeededsucceeded largellargelyy inin introducingintroducing womewomenn ttoo thethe raveningravening competitivenescompetitivenesss ooff ththee '80s,'80s, whicwhichh iiss ttoo say,say, adaptingadapting womewomenn toto thethe worsworstt qualitiequalitiess ooff men"men" (34)(34).. HisHis oneone complaincomplaintt isis thatthat thethe characterscharacters areare tootoo funny:funny: "Their"Their weaknesweaknesss forfor wisecrackwisecrackss makemakess thethemm seemseem shallowershallower thathann intendedintended andand undercutundercutss ththee seriousnessseriousness ofof ththee work"work" (34).(34). ---.. ReviewReview ofof The Sisters Rosensweig, MitziMitzi E.E. NewhouseNewhouse Theater,Theater, NewNew YorkYork.. New Republic 7 DecDec.. 1992:1992: 34.34. BrusteinBrustein criticizescriticizes hihiss formerformer studentstudent foforr heherr "witticism"witticism habit"habit" andand explains:explains: "Wasserstein's"Wasserstein's wiwitt iiss notnot cruelcruel,, whichwhich makemakess herher plaplayy atat ththee samesame timtimee endearingendearing anandd somewhatsomewhat toothless."toothless." CarterCarter,, Graydon.Graydon. "East"East SideSide Stories."Stories." RevieRevieww ooff The Heidi Chronicles,Chronicles, PlymoutPlymouthh Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww YorkYork.. Vogue MarcMarchh 1989:1989: 266B266B.. CarterCarter accusesaccuses WassersteiWassersteinn ooff writingwriting television-styletelevision-style dramas;dramas; sheshe findsfinds quotationsquotations fromfrom Mary Tyler Moore whicwhichh supportsupport herher pointpoint,, provinprovingg LoLouu GranGrantt andand TedTed BaxteBaxterr ttoo bbee prototypeprototypess ooff ScoopScoop Rosenbaum.Rosenbaum. Clurman,Clurman, Harold.Harold. RevieRevieww ooff Uncommon Women, PhoeniPhoenixx Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww York.York. The Nation 1717 Dec.Dec. 1977:1977: 667-68667-68.. ClurmanClurman beginbeginss bbyy claimingclaiming thathatt "a"a 198 BibliographyBibliography

younyoungg womawomann whwhoo wenwentt ttoo collegcollegee iinn ththee earlearlyy 70s70s"" woulwouldd makmakee a bettebetterr reviewereviewerr ooff thithiss plaplayy anandd thethenn saysayss thatthat,, liklikee mosmostt younyoungg writerswriters,, WassersteiWassersteinn doedoess nonott teltelll aa "story."story."" HiHiss mosmostt seriouseriouss complaintcomplaint,, howeverhowever,, iiss leveleleveledd aatt ththee characterscharacters:: "Thei"Theirr collegcollegee curriculucurriculumm hahass beebeenn thoroughlthoroughlyy 'serious.'serious.'' BuButt nonnonee ooff thithiss educatioeducationn seemseemss ttoo havhavee rubberubbedd ofofff oonn themthem.. TherTheree iiss nnoo taltalkk aatt alalll abouaboutt sociasociall affairaffair,, artart,, literatureliterature,, theatretheatre,, politicpoliticss .... TherTheree iiss nnoo sigsignn ooff a beliebelieff inin,, oorr commitmencommitmentt toto,, anythinganything"" (668)(668).. CorlissCorliss,, RichardRichard.. RevieRevieww ooff Isn'tIsn't ItIt Romantic,Romantic, PlaywrightPlaywrightss HorizonsHorizons,, NeNeww YorkYork.. Time 26 DecDec.. 19831983:: 6868.. CorlisCorlisss notenotess thathatt WassersteiWassersteinn "write"writess aboutabout JewJewss anandd WaspWaspss withouwithoutt a tincturtincturee ooff sitcositcomm condescensioncondescension,, findingfinding poignanpoignantt similaritiesimilaritiess iinn perpendiculaperpendicularr liveslives,, givingivingg jusjustt abouaboutt everyevery charactecharacterr equaequall timtimee anandd a faifairr numbenumberr ooff laughs.laughs."" EderEder,, RichardRichard.. RevieRevieww ooff Uncommon Women, PhoeniPhoenixx TheatreTheatre,, NeNeww YorkYork.. New York Times 22 NovNov.. 1977:1977: 48.48. "Although"Although thethe playplay dealsdeals withwith feministfeminist ideas,ideas,"" writewritess EderEder,, "i"itt iiss nonott soso mucmuchh interesteinterestedd iinn ththee traptrapss aass iinn thethe womenwomen.. IItt doedoess nonott disassociatdisassociatee itselitselff frofromm ththee marcmarchh bubutt iitt concernconcernss itselfitself witwithh ththee blisters.blisters."" FranklinFranklin,, NancyNancy.. "McNall"McNallyy MenMen,, WassersteiWassersteinn Women.Women."" RevieRevieww ooff UncommonUncommon Women, LucilleLucille LorteLortell TheaterTheater,, NeNeww YorkYork.. New Yorker 1414 NovNov.. 19941994:: 129-131.129-131. FranklinFranklin enjoyedenjoyed thethe plaplayy inin 19781978 andand lamentlamentss thatthat thisthis revivalrevival wawass directeddirected forfor "maximum"maximum laughlaughss andand minimalminimal emotionalemotional impact"impact" (131).(131). Gerard,Gerard, JeremyJeremy.. ReviewReview ooff The Sisters Rosensweig, EtheEthell BarrymorBarrymoree Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww YorkYork.. Variety 22 MarcMarchh 1993:1993: 5656.. GerardGerard complaincomplainss thatthat ththee play,play, whichwhich hashas movemovedd toto Broadway,Broadway, iiss "glib,""glib," bubutt hhee focusesfocuses hihiss attentionattention onon thethe expertexpert castcast andand direction.direction. ---.. ReviewReview ofof The Sisters Rosensweig, MitziMitzi E.E. NewhouseNewhouse Theater,Theater, NewNew York.York. Variety 26 Oct.Oct. 1992:1992: 75.75. GerardGerard callscalls thethe playplay "a"a mean-spiritedmean-spirited affair"affair" andand accusesaccuses thethe playwrightplaywright ofof "dipping"dipping inin justjust enoughenough toto implyimply seriousnessseriousness beforebefore pullingpulling outout andand movingmoving onon toto thethe nextnext situation."situation." ---.. ReviewReview ofof UncommonUncommon Women,Women, LucilleLucille LortelLortel Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York:York. Variety 3 1I Oct.Oct. 1994:1994: 98.98. GerardGerard citescites thethe failurefailure ofof thethe feministfeminist movementmovement asas "a"a themetheme thatthat runsruns thoughthough allall ofof Wasserstein'sWasserstein's work,"work," andand arguesargues thatthat "it"it sometimessometimes ringsrings hollow,hollow, notnot onlyonly becausebecause a man'sman's worldworld isis alsoalso fullfull ofof compromise,compromise, butbut becausebecause itit ignoresignores thethe womenwomen ofof thisthis generationgeneration whowho throughthrough nono smallsmall strugglestruggle havehave struckstruck aa rewardingrewarding balancebalance betweenbetween personalpersonal fulfillmentfulfillment andand professionalprofessional accomplishment."accomplishment." OfOf Uncommon Women hehe concludes:concludes: "The"The worldworld ofof thesethese particularparticular womenwomen isis uncommonlyuncommonly insularinsular andand self-referential."self-referential." Bibliography 199

GoldGold,, Sylviane.Sylviane. "Circle"Circle PinsPins ttoo PowerPower Lunches."Lunches." RevieRevieww ooff The HeidiHeidi Chronicles, PlaywrightPlaywrightss HorizonsHorizons,, NeNeww York.York. Wall Street Journal 1616 DecDec.. 1988.1988. IInn spitespite ofof minorminor complaintcomplaintss aboutabout thethe script,script, GolGoldd concludesconcludes thathatt thethe "note"note ofof savagery"savagery" iinn The Heidi Chronicles "moves"moves MsMs.. WassersteinWasserstein fromfrom ththee rankrankss ooff talentedtalented witwitss toto thosthosee ooff seriousserious socialsocial critics.critics."" GussowGussow,, MelMel.. "Dramatizing"Dramatizing ththee WoeWoess ooff Yuppies."Yuppies." New York Times 1 Jan.Jan. 1989:1989: 115lIS.. ThiThiss articlarticlee includesincludes a briebrieff interpretatiointerpretationn ofof The HeidiHeidi Chronicles: "An"An epiphanepiphanyy comecomess toto [Heidi][Heidi] iinn aann aerobicaerobicss classclass...... CowedCowed bbyy herher sisters,sisters, bubutt nonott blaminblamingg themthem forfor herher depressiondepression,, HeidHeidii feelsfeels strandedstranded and,and, almostalmost,, outout ooff ideals.ideals."" AAss a resultresult,, sheshe "finds"finds a renewedrenewed strengthstrength inin heherr independenceindependence"" andand adoptsadopts a baby.baby. ---.. "A"A Modem-DayModern-Day HeffalumpHeffalump inin SearchSearch ofof Herself."Herself." ReviewReview ofof TheThe Heidi Chronicles, PlaywrightPlaywrightss HorizonsHorizons,, NeNeww YorkYork.. New York Times 1122 Dec.Dec. 1988:1988: C13C 13.. GussoGussoww isis sympatheticsympathetic ttoo thethe protagonistprotagonist:: "She"She simplysimply wantswants toto bbee HeidiHeidi,, bubutt ththee closestclosest sheshe cacann comcomee ttoo self-definitioself-definitionn isis ambivalenceambivalence,, empathizinempathizingg withwith ththee HeffalumpHeffalump inin 'Winnie'Winnie ththee Pooh.Pooh.' "," IInn hishis finalfinal paragraph,paragraph, hhee comparecomparess thithiss HeidHeidii toto JoannJoannaa Spyri'sSpyri's andand concludesconcludes:: "To"To ouourr pleasurepleasure,, ththee endearingendearing charactercharacter findfindss selflessselfless fulfillment.fulfillment."" ---.. "Stage:"Stage: NewNew 'Romantic''Romantic' byby WendyWendy Wasserstein."Wasserstein." ReviewReview ofof Isn't ItIt Romantic, PlaywrightPlaywrightss Horizons,Horizons, NeNeww YorkYork.. New York Times 1616 DecDec.. 1983:1983: C3C3.. IInn WWasserstein' asserstein's revisiorevisionn ooff Isn't It Romantic, sheshe "has"has cutcut backback oonn self-mockeryself-mockery andand hashas eveevenn sacrificedsacrificed a fefeww ooff herher funniesfunniestt lines"lines" toto creatcreatee thithiss "new,"new, improveimprovedd version."version." ---.. ReviewReview ofof Isn't It Romantic, PhoenixPhoenix Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York.York. New YorkYork Times, I1 S5 JuneJune 1981198 I:: C11CI 1.. GussoGussoww focusefocusess oonn ththee comedicomedicc naturnaturee ooff thethe dramdramaa andand writewritess thatthat WassersteiWassersteinn "is"is a card-carryincard-carryingg kvetch,kvetch, a femalefemale versioversionn ooff WoodWoodyy Allen'Allen'ss woefuwoefull stand-upstand-up persona."persona." ---.. ReviewReview ofof Tender Offer, EnsembleEnsemble StudioStudio Theater,Theater, NewNew York.York. NewNew York Times 1I JunJunee 1983:1983: CI7C17.. "There"There araree a fewfew easeasyy topicatopicall referencesreferences andand anan occasionaoccasionall stretchstretch ooff credibilitycredibility,, butbut,, iinn performance..performance .... ththee playplay achievesachieves aann engaginengagingg wistfulness."wistfulness." ---.. "Via"Via Chekhov."Chekhov." ReviewReview ofof The Man inin a Case, LucilleLucille LortelLortel Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww YorkYork.. New York Times 2233 ApriAprill 1986:1986: C15CIS.. The Man in a Case isis parpartt ooff Orchards, sevesevenn playplayss (each(each bbyy a differendifferentt playwrightplaywright)) adaptedadapted fromfrom storiesstories bbyy AntonAnton ChekhovChekhov.. GussoGussoww considerconsiderss Wasserstein'sWasserstein's ononee ofof ththee twotwo besbestt becausbecausee sheshe "has"has skillfullyskillfully mergemergedd heherr voicvoicee witwithh thathatt ofof Chekhov.Chekhov."" HHee discussediscussess herher changechangess ttoo ththee storystory,, includinincludingg focufocuss oonn thethe femalefemale charactecharacterr anandd heherr endinendingg witwithh "a"a notnotee ofof irresolution."irresolution." 200200 BibliographyBibliography

---.. "Wasserstein"Wasserstein:: ComedyComedy,, CharacterCharacter,, Reflection.Reflection."" RevieRevieww ooff The SistersSisters Rosensweig,Rosensweig, MitzMitzii EE.. NewhousNewhousee TheaterTheater.. NeNeww YorkYork.. NewNew York Times 2233 OctOct.. 19921992:: C3C3.. GussoGussoww makemakess aa serieseriess ooff astutastutee remarkremarkss abouaboutt charactercharacter,, followefollowedd bbyy thithiss observationobservation:: "Overlookin"Overlookingg ththee plaplayy iiss ththee symbolisymbolicc figurfiguree ooff AntoAntonn ChekhovChekhov,, smilingsmiling.. AlthougAlthoughh ththee charactercharacterss ddoo nonott directldirectlyy paralleparallell thosthosee iinn The Three Sisters, ththee comparisocomparisonn iiss intentionalintentional.. ThThee RosensweigRosensweigss havhavee theitheirr owownn dreamdreamss ooff reclamatioreclamationn bbyy romanceromance,, ooff escapinescapingg ttoo a metaphoricametaphoricall Moscow.Moscow."" HenryHenry,, WilliaWilliamm A.A.,, IIIIII.. "Rebor"Rebornn witwithh Relevance.Relevance."" Revie Revieww ooff The SistersSisters Rosensweig, MitzMitzii EE.. NewhousNewhousee TheaterTheater,, NeNeww YorkYork.. Time 2 NovNov.. 19921992:: 69-7069-70.. HenrHenryy contendcontendss thathatt thesthesee thre threee sisterssisters'' "proble"problemm iiss nonott failinfailingg ttoo gegett ttoo MoscoMoscoww bubutt failinfailingg ttoo staystay,, spirituallyspiritually,, iinn theitheirr ancestraancestrall JewisJewishh BrooklynBrooklyn"" (69)(69).. ---.. "Way"Way Stations."Stations." RevieRevieww ofof The Heidi Chronicles, PlymouthPlymouth Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww YorkYork.. Time 2200 MarcMarchh 19891989:: 9090.. "Th"Thee plot..plot .... ofteoftenn seemseemss mormoree likelike aann unconsciouunconsciouss cartoocartoonn ooff feminisfeministt dialectic,dialectic,"" writewritess HenryHenry.. HHee alsoalso complaincomplainss abouaboutt Heidi'Heidi'ss binarbinaryy choicechoicess ooff menmen:: "Thi"Thiss iiss ththee there-are-no­there-are-no- memenn lamenlamentt reducereducedd ttoo a greetingreetingg card."card." HodgsonHodgson,, MoiraMoira.. RevieRevieww ooff The Heidi Chronicles, PlymoutPlymouthh TheatreTheatre,, NewNew York.York. The Nation 1 MayMay 1989:1989: 605-6605-6.. Hodgson'Hodgson'ss briebrieff revierevieww isis encapsulatedencapsulated inin ononee ooff heherr openingopening lineslines:: "It"It isis hardhard toto writewrite aboutabout womenwomen,, ththee 1960s,1960s, gaysgays,, yuppieyuppiess andand singlesingle motherhoomotherhoodd withouwithoutt slippingslipping intintoo clichecliche,, andand WassersteiWassersteinn can'can'tt helhelpp it."it." HornbyHornby,, RichardRichard.. ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles, PlymoutPlymouthh Theatre,Theatre, NewNew YorkYork.. The Hudson Review 42.3:42.3: 464-465.464-465. Hornby'sHornby's revierevieww cacann bbee summarizedsummarized withwith thisthis remark:remark: "Wendy"Wendy Wasserstein'sWasserstein's The HeidiHeidi Chronicles isis a lifeless,lifeless, vulgarvulgar play,play, renderedrendered allall thethe moremore irritatingirritating byby thethe manymany awardsawards thatthat thisthis non-playwrightnon-playwright hashas wonwon simplysimply becausebecause sheshe isis a woman,woman, writingwriting onon fashionablefashionable issues"issues" (464).(464). HeHe alsoalso lamentslaments hihiss inabilityinability ttoo "understand"understand whywhy a womanwoman asas attractiveattractive asas JoanJoan AllenAllen shouldshould bebe limitedlimited toto a homosexualhomosexual andand a compulsivecompulsive philandererphilanderer whenwhen itit comescomes toto men"men" (464).(464). ---.. ReviewReview ofof TheThe SistersSisters Rosensweig. TheThe HudsonHudson ReviewReview 46.246.2 (1993):(1993): 365-71.365-71. HornbyHornby callscalls thisthis playplay "a"a pseudo-feministpseudo-feminist piece"piece" (367),(367), arguingarguing thatthat allall threethree sisterssisters definedefine themselvesthemselves byby theirtheir relationshipsrelationships withwith men­men— andand "inadequate"inadequate men"men" (367)(367) atat that.that. "If"If thisthis werewere supposedsupposed toto bebe ajeminista feminist play,"play," hehe writes,writes, "I"I wouldwould hatehate toto seesee oneone inin whichwhich WassersteinWasserstein waswas beingbeing traditionalist"traditionalist" (368).(368). Hummler,Hummler, Richard.Richard. ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles,Chronicles, PlymouthPlymouth Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York.York. Variety 44 Oct.Oct. 1989:1989: 126.126. HummlerHummler focusesfocuses onon thethe recastingrecasting ofof thethe Bibliography 201

plaplayy witwithh itsits movmovee ttoo ththee PlymoutPlymouthh TheaterTheater,, anandd whilwhilee hhee approveapprovess ooff DaviDavidd PiercPiercee (Peter(Peter)) anandd DeboraDeborahh HedwelHedwelll (Susan(Susan)) aass additionadditionss ttoo ththee castcast,, hhee seemseemss disappointedisappointedd witwithh ththee "angrie"angrierr HeidiHeidi"" presentepresentedd bbyy ChristinChristinee LahtiLahti.. "Heid"Heidii isn'isn'tt a worworkk ooff angrangryy feminism,feminism,"" hhee writeswrites,, "an"andd a certaicertainn poignancpoignancee iiss nonoww missing."missing." KanferKanfer,, StefanStefan.. "The"The TrivialTrivial,, ththee TraumaticTraumatic,, ththee TrulTrulyy Bad.Bad."" RevieRevieww ooff The Sisters Rosensweig, EtheEthell BarrymorBarrymoree TheatreTheatre,, NeNeww YorkYork.. The NewNew Leader 5 ApriAprill 1993:1993: 22-2322-23.. Kanfer'Kanfer'ss revierevieww beginsbegins:: "Sisterhood"Sisterhood iiss powerfulpowerful.. TakTakee Chekhov'Chekhov'ss The Three Sisters. WendWendyy WassersteiWassersteinn did.did. ThThee playwrighplaywrightt transportetransportedd a tritrioo ooff siblingsiblingss frofromm ImperiaImperiall RussiRussiaa ttoo present-dapresent-dayy EnglandEngland,, gavgavee theitheirr yearningyearningss a feel-goofeel-goodd spinspin,, anandd diluteddiluted thethemm witwithh gagsgags"" (22)(22).. IItt continuecontinuess iinn mucmuchh ththee samesame vein.vein. ---.. "Past"Past Imperfect."Imperfect." ReviewReview ofof Uncommon Women, LucilleLucille LortelLortel TheatreTheatre,, NeNeww YorkYork.. The New Leader 7 NovNov.. 19941994:: 22-2322-23.. KanferKanfer considersconsiders ththee revivalrevival ofof Uncommon Women poorlpoorlyy writtenwritten andand dated,dated, andand hhee attacksattacks Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss otherother writinwritingg too:too: "Either"Either WassersteinWasserstein isis ononee ofof thethe mostmost originaloriginal anandd brillianbrilliantt talentstalents ofof ourour ageage,, oror contemporarycontemporary theatricatheatricall standardstandardss araree soso debasedebasedd thathatt a sitcositcomm writewriterr cacann bbee elevatedelevated toto superstarsuperstar status.status. TheThe latterlatter seemsseems moremore accurateaccurate ttoo me"me" (22).(22). KerrKerr,, WalterWalter.. "Does"Does ThisThis PlayPlay NeeNeedd a Stage?"Stage?" RevieRevieww ofof Isn't It Romantic,Romantic, PhoeniPhoenixx Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww York.York. New York Times 2828 JuneJune 1981:1981: 113lB.. KenKerr- doedoess notnot feefeell thertheree iiss enoughenough actioactionn inin thithiss plaplayy ttoo warranwarrantt ththee dramaticdramatic formform:: "It"It woulwouldd functionfunction exactlyexactly asas well—perhapwell-perhapss eveneven better—obetter-onn paper,paper, asas a novelnovel oror a shortshort storystory oorr anan interpretivinterpretivee surveysurvey forfor a magazine."magazine." ---.. "Parents"Parents onon Stage."Stage." ReviewReview ofof Isn't It Romantic, PlaywrightsPlaywrights Horizons,Horizons, NewNew York.York. New York Times Feb.Feb. 26,26, 1984:1984: 1I7.117. KerrKerr prefersprefers thethe revisedrevised versionversion ofof thethe playplay becausebecause thethe rolesroles ofof thethe mothersmothers havehave becomebecome moremore complex.complex. ---.. "Somebody"Somebody UpUp ThereThere LikesLikes BillieBillie andand Heidi."Heidi." ReviewReview ofof TheThe HeidiHeidi Chronicles, PlaywrightsPlaywrights Horizons,Horizons, NeNeww York.York. New York Times Feb.Feb. 19,19, 1989:1989: 1I5.115. KerrKerr listslists a seriesseries ofof unansweredunanswered questionsquestions aboutabout charactercharacter motivationmotivation onlyonly toto dismissdismiss themthem withwith "I"I don'tdon't know"know" andand anan implicitimplicit "I"I don'tdon't care."care." "I"I cancan onlyonly telltell you,"you," hehe adds,adds, "that"that I believedbelieved inin HeidiHeidi allall thethe timetime I waswas watchingwatching her."her." King,King, RobertRobert L.L. ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles, PlymouthPlymouth Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York.York. The Massachusetts Review 31.1-231.1-2 (1990):(1990): 273-274.273-274. KingKing accusesaccuses WassersteinWasserstein ofof "reveling"reveling inin thethe familiarfamiliar patternpattern ofof a televisiontelevision sitcom"sitcom" (272),(272), usingusing familiarfamiliar namesnames andand stereotypesstereotypes forfor easyeasy laughslaughs whenwhen sheshe should,should, instead,instead, "try"try toto reinformreinform thethe familiar"familiar" (274).(274). 202 Bibliography

Kramer,Kramer, Mimi.Mimi. "Portrait"Portrait ofof a Lady."Lady." ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles,Chronicles, PlaywrightPlaywrightss Horizons,Horizons, NeNeww YorkYork.. New Yorker 2266 DecDec.. 1988:1988: 81-8281-82.. KrameKramerr beginbeginss bbyy focusingfocusing onon ththee "Women,"Women, WherWheree AreAre WWee Going"Going" speech,speech, ofof whichwhich sheshe atat firstfirst seemsseems critical:critical: "The"The scene ...... justifiejustifiess thethe wholwholee playplay,, yeyett nothingnothing inin thethe plaplayy hashas preparepreparedd usus forfor it"it" (81)(81).. ButBut laterlater whewhenn sheshe sayssays thethe samesame sortsort ofof thingthing aboutabout Heidi,Heidi, itit soundsound likelike a compliment:compliment: "We'll"We'll neveneverr findfind ououtt exactlyexactly whatwhat makesmakes HeidHeidii tick,tick, butbut thethenn wwee neveneverr reallyreally finfindd outout whatwhat makesmakes IsabelIsabel ArcherArcher tick"tick" (82).(82). AtAt thisthis pointpoint,, thethe reviewreview becomebecomess a rave,rave, andand KrameKramerr explainsexplains howhow Wasserstein'sWasserstein's plaplayy "mimics..."mimics... yetyet managemanagess ttoo transcendtranscend"" (82)(82) thethe faultsfaults ofof herher generationgeneration ofof playwrights.playwrights. KrollKroll,, JackJack.. "You"You GottaGotta HaveHave Heart.Heart."" RevieRevieww ofof The Sisters Rosensweig, MitziMitzi E.E. NewhousNewhousee TheaterTheater,, NeNeww York.York. Newsweek 2 NovNov.. 1992:1992: 104.104. WassersteinWasserstein,, accordingaccording toto Kroll,Kroll, usesuses "her"her undoubtedundoubted comedicomedicc giftgiftss toto evadeevade ratherrather thathann ttoo confront."confront." SheShe createcreatess characterscharacters andand situationssituations withwith manmanyy possibilitiespossibilities,, nonenone ofof whichwhich areare fullyfully realizedrealized.. OOff Merv'Merv'ss successsuccess witwithh SarahSarah inin thethe playplay,, KrollKroll concludes:concludes: "It's"It's nicnicee ttoo seesee a feministfeminist writerwriter showshow herher pivotapivotall femalefemale charactecharacterr savedsaved byby a realreal mensch. " Leonard,Leonard, JohnJohn.. "Defining"Defining Women.Women."" RevieRevieww ofof The Heidi Chronicles, TNT,TNT, OctobeOctoberr 1995.1995. New York 1616 OctOct.. 1995:1995: 70-7170-71.. LeonardLeonard callscalls The HeidiHeidi Chronicles "sour"sour onon ththee smallsmall screen"screen" (70)(70) andand blamesblames JamiJamiee LeLeee Curtis,Curtis, whowhomm hhee findsfinds "hangdog"hangdog listless"listless" (70)(70) inin ththee leadlead role.role. HeHe theorizetheorizess thatthat Heidi'sHeidi's pettpettyy grievancegrievancess cannocannott comparcomparee witwithh thethe cocaincocainee addiction,addiction, cancer,cancer, anandd kidnappinkidnappingg founfoundd iinn otherother made-for-televisionmade-for-television movies.movies. Low,Low, LisaLisa.. "Feminism"Feminism andand The Heidi Chronicles: BettyBetty FriedanFriedan andand GloriaGloria SteinemSteinem Reflect.Reflect."" Christian Science Monitor 1010 OctOct.. 1989:1989: 11II.. BettyBetty FriedaFriedann andand GloriaGloria Steinem'sSteinem's reactionsreactions toto Heidi areare quotedquoted herehere (at(at length).length). FriedanFriedan says:says: "In"In depictingdepicting HeidiHeidi asas troubletroubledd overover careecareerr andand family,family, WendyWendy WassersteiWassersteinn inadvertentlyinadvertently fedfed a medimediaa hypehype,, a newnew feminisfeministt mystiqumystiquee aboutabout thethe either/oreither/or choicechoicess inin a woman'woman'ss life."life." SteinemSteinem counterscounters:: "To"To havehave a plaplayy onon BroadwaBroadwayy aboutabout thethe changchangee thathatt a womanwoman goesgoes througthroughh inin herher lifelife,, ttoo bbee iinn a situationsituation wherwheree hundredshundreds ofof thousandsthousands ofof peoplpeoplee havehave satsat completelcompletelyy absorbedabsorbed inin thethe lifelife choiceschoices ofof a particularparticular womawomann ...... thisthis isis anan achievementachievement inin itself."itself." Lyons,Lyons, DonaldDonald.. "Theatre:"Theatre: TheThe PoliticalPolitical,, ththee Personal.Personal."" ReviewReview ofof An AmericanAmerican Daughter, CortCort Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww York.York. Wall Street Journal 1717 AprilApril 1997:1997: A20.A20. LyonLyonss discussesdiscusses ththee costumecostumess andand setset iinn detail,detail, praisinpraisingg thethe designersdesigners andand thenthen lamentinglamenting thathatt thethe plaplayy itselfitself isis notnot worthyworthy ofof "this"this plusplushh setting."setting." Lyssa'Lyssa'ss "tirade,""tirade," hhee says,says, "has"has nono relevancerelevance toto ththee issuesissues raiseraisedd earlier."earlier." HHee suggestssuggests thathatt WassersteiWassersteinn coulcouldd nonott stillstill bbee "exercised""exercised" Bibliography 203

abouaboutt ZoeZoë BairdBaird andand KimbKimbaa WoodWood,, andand thatthat thisthis playplay mustmust reallyreally bbee aboutabout HillaryHillary RodhaRodhamm Clinton.Clinton. HeHe concludes:concludes: "But"But codedcoded defensesdefenses andand repressedrepressed subjectssubjects makemake forfor dankdank andand curiouslycuriously unfunnyunfunny drama.drama. AndAnd pleaseplease callcall thethe clichclicheé police.police."" McGuigan,McGuigan, Cathleen.Cathleen. "The"The UncommonUncommon WendWendyy WassersteinWasserstein GoesGoes toto Broadway."Broadway." ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles, PlymoutPlymouthh Theatre,Theatre, NewNew YorkYork.. Newsweek 2200 MarcMarchh 1989:1989: 76-77.76-77. McGuigaMcGuigann seemsseems skepticalskeptical aboutabout Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss claimclaim thathatt "Heidi"Heidi iiss nonott WendyWendy"" bubutt shshee quotesquotes thethe playwright'playwright'ss explanationexplanation:: "Sometimes"Sometimes I writwritee toto makmakee orderorder forfor myself'myself (76)(76).. Munk,Munk, Erika.Erika. "'Tis"Tis thethe ReasoReasonn .... "Review"Review ooff IsnIsn't 't It Romantic, PlaywrightsPlaywrights HorizonsHorizons,, NewNew YorkYork.. Village Voice 2277 DecDec.. 1983:1983: 109-110.109-110. MunkMunk likenslikens Isn't It Romantic toto televisiontelevision dramadrama andand especiallespeciallyy criticizescriticizes ththee wayway thethe playwrighplaywrightt handlehandless ththee oneone majormajor differencedifference betweebetweenn setssets ofof characters,characters, JewishnesJewishnesss versuversuss Protestantism,Protestantism, withoutwithout dealingdealing witwithh issuesissues ofof ethicethicss oror religionreligion.. NightingaleNightingale,, BenedictBenedict.. "There"There ReallyReally IsIs a WorldWorld BeyondBeyond DiaperDiaper Drama."Drama." ReviewReview ofof Isn't It Romantic,Romar;tic, PlaywrightPlaywrightss HorizonsHorizons,, NewNew YorkYork.. New York Times I1 Jan.Jan. 1984:1984: II2.112. NightingaleNightingale findsfinds itit "difficult"difficult ttoo taktakee thesethese [characters][characters] andand theitheirr feelingsfeelings ...... quitquitee asas seriouslyseriously aass MissMiss WassersteinWasserstein seemseemss toto want"--quitewant"—quite possibly,possibly, hehe says,says, becausbecausee ofof thethe play'play'ss "comic"comic atmosphere."atmosphere." HeHe criticizecriticizess JanieJanie forfor notnot havinhavingg "a"a career,career, a husband,husband, a family,family, a hobbyhobby"" atat herher ageage andand makemakess anan astuteastute observationobservation aboutabout MartyMarty SterlingSterling beinbeingg "a"a parenparentt camouflagedcamouflaged asas a loverlover,, a symptomsymptom ofof [Janie's][Janie's] reareall problemproblem,, whichwhich isis aann umbilicaumbilicall cordcord aass thicthickk andand stronglystrongly shackledshackled asas a ship'sship's cable."cable." Oliver,Oliver, Edith.Edith. "Chez"Chez Rosensweig.Rosensweig."" RevieRevieww ofof The Sisters Rosensweig, MitziMitzi E.E. NewhousNewhousee Theater,Theater, NeNeww York.York. New Yorker 2 NovNov.. 1992:1992: 105.105. OliverOliver suggestsuggestss thatthat The Sisters Rosensweig hashas moremore inin commoncommon witwithh Isn't It Romantic thathann withwith ththee moremore recentrecent Heidi Chronicles.Chronicles. ---.. ReviewReview ofof Isn't It Romantic, PhoenixPhoenix Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York.York. New YorkerYorker 22 JuneJune 1981:1981: 87.87. OliverOliver callscalls thisthis plaplayy "as"as outout ofof shapeshape andand aass listleslistlesss asas its beguilinbeguilingg heroine,heroine,"" bubutt addsadds thathatt sheshe findsfinds itit "very"very funnyfunny indeedindeed.. TheThe sourcesource ooff ththee fufunn ...... iiss Janie'sJanie's (Wasserstein's(Wasserstein's)) comiccomic turturnn ooff mindmind,, whichwhich iiss liklikee nnoo otheotherr onon earth."earth." ---.. ReviewReview ofof Isn't It Romantic, PlaywrightsPlaywrights Horizons,Horizons, NewNew York.York. NewNew Yorker 2266 Dec.Dec. 1983:1983: 68.68. InIn its reviserevisedd version,version, Isn't It Romantic isis nono longerlonger "listless""listless" butbut hashas beebeenn givegivenn "momentum"momentum andand a sensesense ofof purpose...... ItIt has..has .... lostlost itsits innocenceinnocence bubutt inin ththee doingdoing hashas acquiredacquired musclmusclee andand form."form." 204 Bibliography

---.. ReviewReview ofof Tender Offer, EnsembleEnsemble StudioStudio Theater,Theater, NewNew York.York. NewNew Yorker 1313 JuneJune 1983:1983: 98.98. IInn thisthis plaplayy aboutabout a fathefatherr anandd daughter,daughter, "Wasserstein"Wasserstein hahass useusedd a triviatriviall incidentincident toto triggetriggerr importantimportant emotionsemotions,, andand sheshe doesn'tdoesn't falter forfor a moment."moment." ---.. ReviewReview ofof Uncommon Women, PhoenixPhoenix Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York.York. NewNew Yorker 5 DecDec.. 1977:1977: 115.115. InIn spitespite ooff thisthis remarkremark,, "There"There isis nnoo playplay,, oror,, iiff therethere isis oneone,, I couldn'couldn'tt findfind it,"it," Oliver'Oliver'ss revierevieww isis warmwarm witwithh praisepraise and,and, sheshe says,says, "every"every momentmoment isis theatrical.theatrical."" SheShe discussesdiscusses individualindividual performancesperformances,, mentionmentionss thethe "exceptionally"exceptionally witty"witty" costumescostumes,, andand notes:notes: "In"In spitespite ooff [the[the characters']characters'] bluntnesbluntnesss andand candocandorr iinn talkingtalking aboutabout theirtheir feelingfeelingss andand,, abovabovee all,all, aboutabout sex,sex, thertheree isis somesome confusionconfusion anandd underlyingunderlying sadnesssadness asas theythey trtryy toto copcopee withwith ththee timestimes anandd withwith whawhatt isis expectedexpected ofof themthem.. MisMisss WassersteiWassersteinn iiss alwaysalways awarawaree ofof thesethese feelingsfeelings,, yetyet theythey nevernever impedeimpede herher wonderful,wonderful, originaloriginal comedy."comedy." Perlmutter,Perlmutter, Donna.Donna. RevieRevieww ooff Nutcracker, AmericaAmericann BalletBallet Theater,Theater, LosLos AngelesAngeles.. Dance Magazine MarchMarch 1994:1994: 89.89. ThisThis versionversion ooff The Nutcracker isis "bogged"bogged downdown iinn clutterclutter"" andand Wasserstein'sWasserstein's workwork oonn thethe librettolibretto "didn't"didn't leadlead toto anythinanythingg illuminating.illuminating. A big-nambig-namee credicreditt isis sometimesometimess jusjustt that."that." ReviewReview ooff The Heidi Chronicles, DoolittleDoolittle Theater,Theater, LoLoss AngelesAngeles.. Variety 22 OctOct.. 1990:1990: 7676.. ThisThis criticcritic comparescompares ChristineChristine Lahti'sLahti's BroadwayBroadway portrayalportrayal ooff HeidiHeidi withwith AmAmyy Irving'sIrving's performancperformancee inin LoLoss AngeleAngeless asas a wawayy ofof provinprovingg thathatt "this"this plaplayy iiss highlhighlyy affectedaffected bbyy thethe actressactress whowho takestakes thethe leadlead part.part."" HeidiHeidi hahass "a"a bittersweetnesbittersweetnesss thathatt isis especiallespeciallyy well-mindewell-mindedd byby Irving"Irving" whereawhereass "Lahti's"Lahti's HeidiHeidi waswas mucmuchh stronger,stronger, mormoree resilientresilient.. IrvingIrving hahass founfoundd botbothh mormoree quietnesquietnesss anandd emotionaemotionall turmoil,turmoil, whicwhichh brinbringg moremore balancbalancee ttoo thethe proceedings."proceedings." Rich,Rich, Frank.Frank. "On"On Stage,Stage, ththee FeministFeminist MessagMessagee TakesTakes onon a SlySly anandd SubtleSubtle Tone."Tone." ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles, PlymoutPlymouthh Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww York.York. New York Times 1919 ApriAprill 1989:1989: C15.CI5. RichRich marvelmarvelss atat "how"how comprehensivelycomprehensively DrDr.. HollandHolland ...... foldefoldedd a feminisfeministt arartt historhistoryy lesson,lesson, withwith slides,slides, intointo thethe creasecreasess ofof a plaplayy thatthat iiss otherwiseotherwise anan unpedagogicalunpedagogical accounaccountt ofof a woman'woman'ss liflifee inin thethe far-from-academicfar-from-academic worlworldd ofof 19651965 toto 1989."1989." RichardsRichards,, David.David. RevieRevieww ofof Uncommon Women, LucilleLucille LortelLortel Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York.York. New York Times 2727 Oct.Oct. 1994:1994: CCI5 15.. RichardsRichards claimclaimss thathatt ththee plaplayy isis datedatedd andand thathatt "It's"It's tryingtrying totooo hardhard toto bbee clevecleverr anandd brighbrightt anandd maybe,maybe, witwithh itsits frankfrank discussiondiscussionss ofof diaphragmsdiaphragms,, penisespenises,, anandd menstruamenstruall blood,blood, a littlelittle outrageous."outrageous." Bibliography 205

---.. "Wendy"Wendy Wasserstein'sWasserstein's SchoolSchool ofof Life."Life." ReviewReview ofof The SistersSisters Rosensweig, MitzMitzii EE.. NewhousNewhousee TheaterTheater,, NewNew York.York. New York Times 11 NovNov.. 1992:1992: lIS.115. RichardRichardss complainscomplains thathatt "in"in evereveryy respectrespect ththee plaplayy seemsseems toto bbee a waterinwateringg dowdownn ofof a workwork thatthat couldcould havehave beebeenn fafarr moremore intimateintimate anandd revelatory.revelatory. YoYouu cancan sensesense mormoree rawraw painpain,, moremore stubbornstubborn angeranger,, moremore simplesimple sadnesssadness iinn thesethese liveslives thathann thethe playwrighplaywrightt isis willingwilling toto acknowledge. " RobinsRobins,, CorinneCorinne.. "Betrayals.""Betrayals." RevieRevieww ooff The Heidi Chronicles, PlymouthPlymouth TheatreTheatre,, NewNew YorkYork.. American Book Review Nov.-DecNov.-Dec.. 1989:1989: 4.4. RobinsRobins considersconsiders The Heidi Chronicles a betrayabetrayall ofof feminisfeminismm anandd discussediscussess herher angeranger atat thethe play/playwrightplay/playwright:: "It"It seemsseems thethe women'women'ss movementmovement hashas condemnecondemnedd HeidiHeidi toto a liflifee ofof childlesschildless lonelinessloneliness,, andand thethe nextnext generationgeneration ooff womewomenn hashas beenbeen madmadee intointo franticfrantic,, soullesssoulless careeristscareerists intentintent onon havinghaving itit all...... ThThee women'women'ss movementmovement iiss presentepresentedd asas atat besbestt a quainquaintt butbut somewhatsomewhat dangeroudangerouss aberrationaberration ooff thethe recentrecent pastpast,, aann ololdd stylestyle whosewhose powepowerr ttoo attractattract hashas fallenfallen awayaway andand,, therefore,therefore, a timelytimely subjectsubject forfor a historicahistoricall review."review." RosenbergRosenberg,, DaviDavidd AA.. RevieRevieww ooff Uncommon Women and Others, LucillLucillee LortelLortel Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww YorkYork.. Back Stage 1111 NovNov.. 1994:1994: 3131.. RosenberRosenbergg sayssays thisthis productioproductionn ooff thethe plaplayy isis "cold"-from"cold"—from itsits directiondirection toto ititss lightinglighting ttoo itsits "skeletal""skeletal" set.set. HHee observesobserves:: "In"In thisthis asas inin laterlater works,works, WassersteinWasserstein exploresexplores ththee conflictconflict betweebetweenn mindmind anandd heart.heart. HerHer sterilesterile intellectualintellectual achieverachieverss andand fecunfecundd emotionaemotionall misfitsmisfits findfind thatthat beinbeingg exceptionaexceptionall isis a handicap,handicap, causincausingg repercussions."repercussions." Schaeffer,Schaeffer, MartinMartin.. RevieRevieww ofof The Sisters Rosensweig, MitziMitzi E.E. NewhouseNewhouse TheaterTheater,, NeNeww YorkYork.. Back Stage 3300 Oct.Oct. 1992:1992: 48.48. ThiThiss ravravee reviewreview opensopens witwithh thethe followingfollowing analysis:analysis: "Wasserstein"Wasserstein isis ableable ttoo gracefullgracefullyy sculptsculpt convincing,convincing, sympathetisympatheticc charactercharacterss witwithh thethe subtletysubtlety ooff a JapanesJapanesee haikuhaiku master,master, slowlyslowly anandd inextricablyinextricably drawingdrawing uuss intointo heherr worldworld,, whilewhile maintainingmaintaining a seeminglyseemingly untroubleuntroubledd surface."surface." Sheward,Sheward, David.David. RevieRevieww ·ofof An American Daughter, CorCortt TheatreTheatre,, NeNeww York.York. Back Stage 1818 ApriAprill 1997:1997: 6060.. ShewardSheward praisepraisess thethe set,set, costumes,costumes, andand lightinlightingg bubutt arguearguess thathatt ththee plaplayy comescomes acrossacross "as"as a panepanell discussiodiscussionn onon contemporarycontemporary topicstopics ratheratherr thathann asas a portrayaportrayall ooff realreal peoplpeoplee inin a plausibleplausible situation."situation." HeHe sayssays thethe audienceaudience isis nonott givengiven reasonreason toto carecare abouaboutt LyssaLyssa untiluntil herher second-actsecond-act "impassioned"impassioned defensedefense ooff heherr standstand onon women'women'ss healthhealth issuesissues andand ...... plepleaa forfor respecrespectt ooff herher privacyprivacy"" anandd thathatt thithiss isis "too"too latelate toto drawdraw ouourr sympathy."sympathy." ---.. ReviewReview ofof The Sisters Rosensweig, EthelEthel BarrymoreBarrymore Theatre,Theatre, NewNew YorkYork.. Back Stage 1616 ApriAprill 1993:1993: 2121.. ShewardSheward gushegushess abouaboutt ththee acting,acting, 206 Bibliography

directing,directing, lightslights,, costumes,costumes, andand setssets andand predictpredictss thathatt Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss SistersSisters wilwilll bbee aass oft-producedoft-produced asas Chekhov's.Chekhov's. Simon,Simon, John.John. "The"The BesBestt SoSo Far.Far."" RevieRevieww ofof The Sisters Rosensweig, MitziMitzi E.E. NewhousNewhousee Theater,Theater, NeNeww YorkYork.. New York 2 NovNov.. 1992:1992: 100-101.100-101. SimonSimon callcallss The Sisters Rosensweig "Wasserstein's"Wasserstein's mosmostt accomplishedaccomplished plaplayy toto datedate"" andand ravesraves:: "[Wasserstein]"[Wasserstein] iiss surelsurelyy ononee ooff ouourr wittieswittiestt one-lineone-line writerswriters,, bubutt underunder ththee bubblebubbless andand eddieeddiess ofof heherr wiwitt areare reareall peoplpeoplee inin deepdeep waterwater,, resolutelresolutelyy andand resonantlresonantlyy tryintryingg ttoo keekeepp fromfrom drowning.drowning."" (100).(100). ---.. "Failing"Failing thethe WassersteinWasserstein Test."Test." ReviewReview ofof Isn't It Romantic, PhoenixPhoenix Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww YorkYork.. New York 29 JunJunee 1981:1981: 3636.. SimonSimon sayssays thathatt thethe humohumorr iinn thithiss plaplayy "consists"consists ofof scrumptious,scrumptious, scattershoscattershott bitchinesbitchinesss thatthat makemakess foforr a pointillispointillismm ofof pinprickpinprickss refusinrefusingg ttoo solidifsolidifyy intointo shapeliness."shapeliness." ---.. "No"No ThanksThanks forfor thethe Memories."Memories." ReviewReview ofof Uncommon Women,Women, LucilleLucille LorteLortell Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww YorkYork.. New York 17 NovNov.. 1994:1994: 101-102.101-102. SimonSimon labelslabels Uncommon Women "a"a standardstandard memormemoryy playplay"" andand sayssays thatthat overover ththee yearsyears,, "the"the plaplayy hahass growgrownn limp,limp, laboredlabored,, andand predictablepredictable"" (102).(102). ---.. "Partial"Partial Autobiographies."Autobiographies." ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles,Chronicles, PlaywrightsPlaywrights HorizonsHorizons,, NeNeww YorkYork.. New York 2 JanJan.. 1989:1989: 4949.. AlthoughAlthough SimonSimon findfindss ththee productioproductionn "scintillating""scintillating" (49),(49), hhee considersconsiders thethe playplay "unsatisfying""unsatisfying" andand complainscomplains aboutabout "the"the dutifuldutiful wawayy [Wasserstein][Wasserstein] ticksticks ofofff allall ththee trendtrendss andand buzzwordbuzzwordss ofof herher timetime"" andand alsoalso aboutabout thethe "distressing"distressing glibglib solution"solution" thathatt HeidHeidii adoptsadopts a babybaby.. HHee comparecomparess The Heidi Chronicles witwithh a concurrentconcurrent productioproductionn ofof Our Town: "It"It isis also,also, inin somesome waysways,, nonott unlikunlikee Our Town, whawhatt witwithh anan autobiographicalautobiographical protagonisprotagonistt botbothh participatinparticipatingg iinn eventeventss andand somehowsomehow commentincommentingg fromfrom outsideoutside,, botbothh intermittentlintermittentlyy addressinaddressingg ththee audienceaudience andand bemoaninbemoaningg a lostlost promise.promise."" ---.. ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles, PlymouthPlymouth Theatre,Theatre, NewNew York.York. NewNew York 2727 MarchMarch 1989:1989: 66,66, 68.68. SimonSimon isis criticacriticall ooff ththee "inconsistencies"inconsistencies iinn Heidi'sHeidi's character"character" (66)(66) andand findsfinds iitt harhardd t too imagineimagine "the"the elegant,elegant, glamorousglamorous JoanJoan Allen"Allen" playinplayingg "Wendy"Wendy WassersteiWassersteinn transmutetransmutedd intointo anan artart historianhistorian"" (68}--apparently(68)—apparently becausbecausee hhee envisionsenvisions ththee playwrighplaywrightt asas mormoree "portly""portly" anandd "ethnic""ethnic" (68).(68). ---.. "The"The Group."Group." ReviewReview ofof Uncommon Women, PhoenixPhoenix Theatre,Theatre, NewNew YorkYork.. New York 1212 DecDec.. 1977:1977: 103-104.103-104. SimoSimonn sayssays ththee plaplayy hahass neitherneither directiondirection nonorr purposepurpose:: "In"In fact,"fact," hhee writes,writes, "Miss"Miss Wasserstein'Wasserstein'ss probleproblemm iiss a veryvery commoncommon oneone amongamong youngyoung playwrightsplaywrights writingwriting memorymemory playsplays aboutabout themselvethemselvess andand friendfriendss whewhenn youngeyoungerr yetyet:: NothinNothingg mucmuchh hashas happenehappenedd ttoo themthem,, andand whawhatt hahass isis fafarr fromfrom unusualunusual"" (103)(103).. Bibliography 207

Sirkin,Sirkin, Elliot.Elliot. ReviewReview ooff Isn'tIsn;t It Romantic, PlaywrightsPlaywrights Horizons,Horizons, NeNeww York.York. The Nation 1818 Feb.Feb. 1984:1984: 202.202. SirkinSirkin comparecomparess JanieJanie withwith RhodRhodaa fromfrom ththee Mary Tyler Moore Show andand sayssays thathatt thithiss plaplayy seemsseems "blunted""blunted" inin comparisoncomparison withwith Uncommon Women. HeHe concludesconcludes:: "What"What isis disturbingdisturbing abouaboutt Isn't It Romantic iiss its uglyugly reversereverse bigotrybigotry,, whicwhichh growsgrows uglieuglierr stillstill foforr beinbeingg unacknowledgeunacknowledgedd andand probablprobablyy unconscious...unconscious ..... WhaWhatt Isn't It Romantic reallyreally dramatizedramatizess isis aann oldold racialracial mythmyth:: JewsJews areare warmwarm andand emotional,emotional, anandd WASPSWASPS ...... araree colcoldd fish."fish." Stevens,Stevens, Rob.Rob. ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles, SeversonSeverson Theatre,Theatre, SantaSanta Maria.Maria. Back Stage West 4 FebFeb.. 1994:1994: 8W.8W. StevensStevens citecitess Heidi'Heidi'ss longlong speechspeech andand ththee feministfeminist supportsupport grougroupp scenescene asas ththee besbestt momentmomentss ofof ththee play.play. HeHe describesdescribes ththee plaplayasy as anan "amazingly"amazingly concisconcisee looklook aatt ththee socialsocial changechangess ofof thethe paspastt threthreee decadesdecades"" andand sayssays thatthat HeidiHeidi,, "though"though neveneverr asas fullyfully committedcommitted toto thethe issuesissues asas araree heherr friends,friends, holdsholds onon toto heherr valuesvalues,, herher choiceschoices,, andand herher idealidealss a lotlot longerlonger thanthan most."most." Stone,Stone, Laurie.Laurie. "The"The Women'sWomen's MovemenMovementt CarriedCarried OffOff MyMy BabyBaby inin a FlyingFlying Saucer."Saucer." ReviewReview ofof ththee Heidi Chronicles, PlymoutPlymouthh Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww York.York. Village Voice 1313 JuneJune 1989:1989: 36.36. StoneStone buildbuildss a casecase foforr labelinlabelingg The HeidiHeidi Chronicles feminisfeministt backlashbacklash andand insists:insists: "The"The keykey toto Wasserstein'sWasserstein's ignoranceignorance ofof andand alienatioalienationn fromfrom feminismfeminism iiss herher silencesilence throughoutthroughout thethe plaplayy aboutabout abortionabortion,, anan omissionomission,, iinn lightlight ofof thethe WashingtonWashington marchmarch,, thatthat screamsscreams ofof ththee work'work'ss inauthenticity."inauthenticity." TobiasTobias,, Tobi.Tobi. RevieRevieww ofof Nutcraker. New York 1313 JuneJune 1994:1994: 72-3.72-3. "The"The playwrighplaywrightt WendyWendy WassersteinWasserstein waswas co-optedco-opted ttoo addadd a freshfresh angleangle andand somesome feminism,feminism, bubutt produceproducedd onlyonly confusioconfusionn bbyy messinmessingg witwithh E.E. TT.. A.A. Hoffman'Hoffman'ss unbeatablunbeatablee textextt andand subtext"subtext" (72).(72). WealesWea1es,, GeraldGerald.. "American"American TheateTheaterr WatchWatch:: 1988-1989."1988-1989." ReviewReview ofof The HeidiHeidi Chronicles, PlymouthPlymouth Theatre,Theatre, NeNeww YorkYork.. Georgia Review 63.363.3 (1989):(1989): 573-85573-85.. WealeWealess examinesexamines Heidi'sHeidi's twotwo artart lectureslectures andand suggests:suggests: "Even"Even ifif academiacademicc successsuccess iiss nonott enoughenough toto makmakee a completcompletee woman/persowoman/personn ofof HeidiHeidi,, surelysurely WassersteinWasserstein intendsintends thethe lectureslectures asas a reflectioreflectionn ofof herher heroine'sheroine's intelligenceintelligence andand theirtheir subjecsubjectt asas a worthwhilworthwhilee scholarlyscholarly enterprise.enterprise. MaybeMaybe notnot.. SheShe provideprovidess HeidHeidii witwithh professionalprofessional mannerismmannerismss ...... whicwhichh suggestsuggest ththee playwrighplaywrightt isis makingmaking fufunn ofof academicacademic lectureslectures oror ooff ththee attemptattempt toto correccorrectt ththee femalefemale imbalanceimbalance inin artart historyhistory oror ofof HeidiHeidi herself'herself (574).(574). HHee furtherfurther arguesargues thathatt thisthis samesame ambiguityambiguity isis echoedechoed bbyy WassersteiWassersteinn inin statementsstatements aboutabout herher playwritingplaywriting,, andand thathatt suchsuch ambiguity,ambiguity, tingedtinged witwithh comedycomedy,, underminesundermines heherr seriousserious intentions.intentions. ---.. "Prize"Prize Problems:Problems: Chronicles andand Cocktail Hour."Hour" ReviewReview ofof The Heidi Chronicles. Commonweal 5 MayMay 1989:1989: 279-80.279-80. WealeWealess iiss criticacriticall ofof 208 Bibliography

Heidi'Heidi'ss choicchoicee ttoo adopadoptt a babbabyy anandd hhee finds heherr unconvincinunconvincingg aass "activist,"activist, unrealizeunrealizedd loverlover,, and..and .... arartt historianhistorian"" (281)(281).. HHee lamentlamentss "th"thee play'splay's tendenctendencyy ttoo trivializtrivializee ththee genuingenuinee concernconcernss ooff womewomenn iinn particularparticular,, radicalradicalss iinn generalgeneral,, bbyy emphasizinemphasizingg ththee fashionablfashionablee patinpatinaa oonn socialsocial changechange"" (281)(281).. WinerWiner,, LaurieLaurie.. "Christine"Christine LahtLahtii aass aann AngrAngryy HeidHeidii iinn Chronicles"Chronicles." New York Times 9 OctOct.. 1989:1989: CI3C13.. ChristinChristinee LahtiLahti,, iinn contrascontrastt witwithh JoaJoann Allen'sAllen's "fawnlike"fawnlike,, reactivreactivee presence,presence,"" playplayss HeidHeidii aass "a"a womawomann warriowarriorr goingoingg intointo battlbattlee foforr heherr sisters.sisters."" HeHerr HeidiHeidi,, howeverhowever,, iiss "hardl"hardlyy ththee martyremartyredd warriorwarrior thathatt MsMs.. WassersteiWassersteinn anandd MsMs.. LahtLahtii woulwouldd havhavee uuss believe.believe."" WinerWiner demonstratedemonstratess hohoww thithiss HeidHeidii seemseemss "ungenerous""ungenerous" anandd judgmentajudgmentall anandd thathatt ultimatelyultimately,, "I"Inn MsMs.. Lahti'Lahti'ss handshands,, anandd despitdespitee ththee actress'actress'ss tearstears,, HeidHeidii iiss mormoree blamefublamefull thathann guiltyguilty.. MsMs.. Lahti'Lahti'ss iiss a mormoree activactivee bubutt lessless sophisticatesophisticatedd readinreadingg ooff ththee character."character."

ScholarlyScholarly CriticismCriticism Balakian,Balakian, Jan.Jan. "The Heidi Chronicles: TheThe BiBigg ChilChilll ooff Feminism."Feminism." SouthSouth Atlantic Review 60.60.22 (1995)(1995):: 93-101.93-101. BalakiaBalakiann summarizessummarizes ththee feministfeminist argumentsarguments leviedlevied againstagainst The Heidi Chronicles anandd suggestssuggests:: "These"These criticscritics overloooverlookk ththee bolboldd anandd epiepicc projecprojectt thathatt WassersteinWasserstein hashas undertakenundertaken"" (93)(93).. SheShe pinpointpinpointss certaincertain themethemess ooff ththee play play,, suchsuch asas "women's"women's loslosss ooff identity"identity" (95)(95),, "how"how ttoo reforreformm thethe malemale establishment"establishment" (96)(96),, anandd thethe "having"having iitt allall"" problematiproblematicc (98(98)) andand discussesdiscusses eaceachh ooff themthem inin relatiorelationn ttoo feminism,feminism, concluding:concluding: "If"If whawhatt ththee largelargerr women'swomen's movementmovement seeksseeks isis a transformationtransformation ofof a primaryprimary malemale powepowerr whichwhich nownow orderorder ourour society,society, thenthen The Heidi Chronicles isis inin somesome waysways a feministfeminist play"play" (100).(100). Carlson,Carlson, SusanSusan L.L. "Comic"Comic TexturesTextures andand FemaleFemale CommunitiesCommunities 19371937 andand 1977:1977: ClarClaree BootheBoothe andand WendyWendy Wasserstein."Wasserstein." Modern Drama 2727 (1984):(1984): 564-564- 73.73. ReprintedReprinted inin Modern American Drama: The Female Canon. Ed.Ed. JuneJune Schlueter.Schlueter. Rutherford:Rutherford: FarleighFarleigh DickinsonDickinson UP,UP, 1990.1990. 207-217.207-217. Carlson'sCarlson's comparisoncomparison betweenbetween Boothe'sBoothe's The Women andand Wasserstein'sWasserstein's UncommonUncommon Women hingeshinges onon thisthis point:point: "Boothe's"Boothe's comedycomedy aboutabout womenwomen generatedgenerated bitterness,bitterness, complaints,complaints, andand brittlebrittle laughter;laughter; Wasserstein'sWasserstein's comedycomedy aboutabout womenwomen nurturesnurtures faith,faith, concern,concern, andand warm,warm, easyeasy laughter.laughter. Community"Community" (215).(215). CarlsonCarlson arguesargues thatthat Boothe'sBoothe's all-femaleall-female universeuniverse isis cynicalcynical andand confining,confining, andand thethe triumphtriumph ofof itsits heroineheroine isis anan "unsatisfying"unsatisfying finalfinal compromise"compromise" (211).(211). InIn contrast,contrast, WWasserstein' asserstein' s womenwomen areare ableable toto makemake choices,choices, andand asas a result,result, "In"In a newnew mode,mode, [Wasserstein][Wasserstein] presentspresents thethe samesame Bibliography 209

comicomicc searcsearchh foforr resolutionresolution,, foforr ththee comforcomfortt ooff a happhappyy endingending"" (212)(212),, bubutt shshee "show"showss hohoww a comedcomedyy fulfulll ooff womewomenn nnoo longelongerr needneedss ttoo bbee a bittebitterr deadeadd endend"" (212)(212).. CarlsoCarlsonn concludeconcludess heherr essaessayy witwithh heherr hophopee thathatt WassersteiWassersteinn anandd otheotherr womewomenn playwrightplaywrightss mamayy somedasomedayy finfindd ""aa wawayy ttoo translattranslatee comedcomedyy frofromm its inhereninherentt sociasociall conservatisconservatismm withouwithoutt destroyingdestroying comedcomedyy itselitself'f (216)(216).. DawsonDawson,, BarbarBarbaraa GailGail.. "Sacre"Sacredd anandd ProfanProfanee DynamicDynamicss iinn ContemporaryContemporary AmericaAmericann Drama.Drama."" DissDiss.. U MissouriMissouri,, ColumbiaColumbia,, 1993.1993. ChapteChapterr 7 ooff thithiss dissertatiodissertationn iiss devotedevotedd ttoo aann analysianalysiss ooff The Heidi Chronicles aass a humanishumanistt playplay.. DawsoDawsonn exploreexploress Heidi'Heidi'ss worlworldd aass a serieseriess ooff humanhuman relationships—mostlrelationships-mostlyy unfulfilledunfulfilled.. SheShe demonstratedemonstratess thathatt HeidHeidii "never"never pursuepursuess a relationshirelationshipp witwithh ththee OtherOther,, a relationshirelationshipp whicwhichh woulwouldd helhelpp heherr ttoo finfindd significansignificantt connectionconnectionss ttoo othersothers"" (154)(154).. IInn Heidi'Heidi'ss worldworld,, familiesfamilies araree artificiallartificiallyy generatedgenerated:: "thes"thesee upwardlupwardlyy mobilmobilee memenn anandd womewomenn seemseem toto creatcreatee familiesfamilies theythey cacann relatrelatee ttoo onlyonly afterafter theythey havhavee createdcreated themselves"themselves" (167)(167).. HeidiHeidi finallyfinally createscreates herher ownown familfamilyy bbyy castingcasting "Peter"Peter aass 'father,'father,'' andand JudyJudy asas daughterdaughter"" (183).(183). ThisThis familfamilyy iiss viewedviewed aass a solutionsolution toto ththee "problem""problem" HeidiHeidi exhibitsexhibits throughoutthroughout ththee playplay:: "her"her neglectneglect ofof thethe ontological"ontological" (170).(170). DolanDolan,, JillJill.. Presence and Desire: Essays on Gender, Sexuality, Performance.Performance. AnnAnn Arbor:Arbor: U MichigaMichigann PP,, 1993.1993. InIn a sectionsection titledtitled "The HeidiHeidi Chronicles: ChokingChoking onon thethe RageRage ofof Postfeminism"Postfeminism" (50-55)(50-55),, DolanDolan complainscomplains thatthat thethe playwrighplaywrightt "shies"shies awayaway fromfrom exploringexploring femalefemale sexuality"sexuality" (51(51)) andand claimclaimss thatthat witwithh thethe focusfocus onon PeterPeter,, "Ultimately,"Ultimately, thethe strugglstrugglee ofof malemale homosexualhomosexualss iiss valuevaluedd moremore thanthan feminism'feminism'ss strugglestruggle forfor gendergender equality"equality" (53).(53). SheShe accusesaccuses HeidiHeidi ofof buyinbuyingg herselfherself a familyfamily (54)(54) andand sheshe concludes:concludes: "The Heidi Chronicles isis anan exampleexample ofof misdirectedmisdirected ragerage inin whichwhich whitewhite feministfeminist angeranger isis suppressedsuppressed byby thethe realistrealist texttext andand eruptserupts inappropriatelyinappropriately toto trashtrash thethe historyhistory ofof thethe movement"movement" (54-55).(54-55). A "Postproduction"Postproduction Tangent"Tangent" (55-59)(55-59) focusesfocuses onon herher directiondirection ofof thethe play.play. Frank,Frank, Glenda.Glenda. "The"The StruggleStruggle toto Affirm:Affirm: TheThe ImageImage ofof Jewish-AmericansJewish-Americans onon Stage."Stage." InIn Staging Difference: Cultural Pluralism in American TheatreTheatre and Drama. Ed.Ed. MarcMarc Maufort.Maufort. NewNew York:York: PeterPeter Lang,Lang, 1995.1995. 245-257.245-257. FrankFrank analyzesanalyzes The Sisters Rosensweig asas anan enactmentenactment ofof MikhailMikhail Bakhtin'sBakhtin's termterm "interanimation,""interanimation," whichwhich meansmeans "the"the interactioninteraction ofof overlappingoverlapping valuesvalues asas languagelanguage systemssystems interface"interface" (244).(244). EachEach ofof thethe sisterssisters isis historicizedhistoricized asas a recognizablerecognizable JewishJewish type.type. SaraSara GoodeGoode embodiesembodies thethe dialecticdialectic ofof ancientancient conflictsconflicts andand thethe twotwo menmen whowho representrepresent eacheach sideside vievie forfor herher attentions:attentions: "Since"Since thethe playplay isis a comedy,comedy, thethe tugtug ofof warwar betweenbetween thethe assimilatedassimilated centercenter andand thethe ethnicethnic marginmargin isis presentedpresented asas twotwo romanticromantic 210 Bibliography

possibilities—anpossibilities-andd twotwo accents"accents" (253)(253);; SaraSara herselfherself isis ththee "prize""prize" (252(252)) forfor thisthis competition.competition. A finalfinal sectionsection onon literaryliterary antecedentsantecedents toto thethe plaplayy beginsbegins bbyy suggestinsuggestingg thatthat "the"the titulatitularr referencereference toto Chekhov'sChekhov's Three Sisters isis a reminderreminder thatthat thethe JewsJews ofof RussiRussiaa andand PolandPoland werewere usuallusuallyy absentabsent frofromm thethe nationalnational dramadrama andand livedlived undeunderr harsharshh conditions"conditions" (255)(255) andand endendss withwith a paragrapparagraphh thathatt exploreexploress thethe plaplayasy as a "revisionist,"revisionist, feminist"feminist" (256)(256) retellingretelling ofof Shakespeare'sShakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Haedicke,Haedicke, JanetJanet V.V. "Margins"Margins inin thethe Mainstream:Mainstream: ContemporarContemporaryy WomenWomen Playwrights."Playwrights." InIn Realism and the American Dramatic Tradition. Ed.Ed. WilliaWilliamm W.W. DemastesDemastes.. Tuscaloosa:Tuscaloosa: U AlabamaAlabama P,P, 1996.1996. 203-217.203-217. ArmedArmed withwith thethe theoriestheories ooff JillJill DolaDolann andand LauraLaura MulveyMulvey,, HaedickeHaedicke arguesargues forfor a feminisfeministt dramadrama thathatt challengeschallenges realismrealism.. SheShe considersconsiders Wasserstein'sWasserstein's successuccesss "disturbing""disturbing" (208)(208) andand venturesventures:: "How"How mormoree safelysafely foforr criticscritics toto navigatenavigate ththee currentcurrent backlasbacklashh againstagainst feminismfeminism thanthan ttoo acclaiacclaimm a self­self- proclaimeproclaimedd feministfeminist playwrighplaywrightt whwhoo actuallactuallyy reinscribereinscribess dominantdominant notionsnotions ofof femalefemale identity?identity?"" (209)(209).. SheShe accuseaccusess HeidiHeidi ofof "defining"defining herselfherself bbyy a mamann andand bbyy anan adoptedadopted childchild"" (209(209)) anandd concludesconcludes heherr condemnationcondemnation ofof The Heidi Chronicles asas follows:follows: "Mocking"Mocking gendergender yeyett leavingleaving thethe constructconstruct intact,intact, WassersteiWassersteinn offersoffers nnoo voicevoice foforr transformation,transformation, notnot possibilitpossibilityy ofof difference,difference, nnoo performancperformancee ofof multiplicitymUltiplicity"" (210).(210). Kachur,Kachur, Barbara.Barbara. "Women"Women PlaywrightsPlaywrights onon Broadway:Broadway: HenleyHenley,, Howe,Howe, NormanNorman andand Wasserstein.Wasserstein."" IInn Contemporary American Theatre. EdEd.. BruceBruce King.King. NeNeww YorkYork:: St.St. Martin's,Martin's, 1991.1991. 15-39.15-39. KachurKachur discussediscussess UncommonUncommon Women, Isn't It Romantic, andand The Heidi Chronicles asas a "quasi-trilogy""quasi-trilogy" inin whicwhichh WassersteinWasserstein "is"is preoccupiepreoccupiedd witwithh foregroundingforegrounding feministfeminist issues"issues" (3(31) I).. SheShe tracestraces thematicthematic andand charactercharacter developmentdevelopment amongamong ththee threethree playplayss anandd concludesconcludes thatthat "Wasserstein"Wasserstein cannotcannot dictatedictate,, sheshe cancan onlyonly explorexploree thethe terrainterrain,, andand cancan onlyonly dodo soso fromfrom wherwheree societysociety forceforcess heherr toto sit"sit" (34).(34). Keyssar,Keyssar, Helene.Helene. "Drama"Drama anandd ththee DialogicDialogic Imagination:Imagination: The Heidi ChroniclesChronicles and Fefu and Her Friends." Modern Drama 3434.t. 1 (1991)(1991):: 88-107.88-107. ReprinteReprintedd inin Feminist Theater and Theory. Ed.Ed. Keyssar.Keyssar. NewNew YorkYork:: St.St. Martin's,Martin's, 1996.1996. 109-136.109-136. KeyssarKeyssar takestakes issueissue withwith Bakhtin'Bakhtin'ss assertionassertion thatthat dramdramaa iiss inherentlinherentlyy monomonologi logicc anandd sheshe proveprovess otherwiseotherwise witwithh heherr loolookk atat MariMariaa IrenIrenee Fornes'Fornes' Fefu and Her Friends, a plaplayy whicwhichh "elaborates"elaborates differencesdifferences amongamong thethe voicevoicess ofof thethe womewomenn bubutt alsalsoo removeremovess thethemm andand usus ttoo separateseparate spaces"spaces" (99).(99). Heidi servesserves aass a contrastcontrast ttoo Fefu andand asas a modelmodel ofof Bakhtin'sBakhtin's complaintcomplaint becausbecausee ititss characterscharacters inhabiinhabitt a "coherent,"coherent, consistentconsistent anandd stable"stable" (98(98)) world,world, shareshare thethe samesame valuevaluess andand language,language, andand makemake nnoo attempattemptt toto "interanimate""interanimate" eaceachh otherother (98)(98).. ThisThis,, KeyssarKeyssar BibliographyBibliography 211211

contendscontends,, iiss whwhyy shshee findfindss ththee plaplayy "disturbing"disturbing"" (97)(97):: "I"Itt iiss preciselpreciselyy becausbecausee thithiss dramdramaa doedoess nonott re-presenre-presentt ththee heteroglossiheteroglossiaa ooff ththee worldworld,, preciselpreciselyy becausbecausee iitt iiss aggressivelaggressivelyy monologicmono logic,, self-containedself-contained,, aa seeminglseeminglyy perfecperfectt picturpicturee withouwithoutt loopholeloopholess ooff aa particulaparticularr historicahistoricall momenmomentt thathatt iiss ssoo pleasinpleasingg ttoo somsomee anandd distressindistressingg ttoo othersothers"" (97)(97).. ---.. FeministFeminist Theatre. LondonLondon:: MacmillanMacmillan,, 19841984.. IInn heherr briebrieff discussiodiscussionn ooff Uncommon Women, KeyssaKeyssarr findfindss thathatt ththee charactercharacterss araree "uncommon""uncommon" onlonlyy "i"inn theitheirr privilegeprivilegedd positiopositionn iinn ththee upper-middlupper-middlee anandd uppeupperr classeclassess ooff AmericaAmericann society"society";; otherwiseotherwise,, thetheyy araree "recognizabl"recognizablyy embarrassingembarrassing stereotypestereotypess ooff femalfemalee collegcollegee studentsstudents"" (154)(154).. HeHerr finafinall blobloww iiss heherr complaincomplaintt witwithh regarregardd ttoo ththee minimizinminimizingg messagmessagee ooff ththee unseeunseenn malmalee voicevoice:: "Th"Thee plaplayy offerofferss nnoo alternativealternativess ttoo oorr substantiasubstantiall critiqucritiquee of thathatt messagemessage.. TToo ththee contrarycontrary,, ththee womewomenn araree ssoo amusinamusingg anandd banabanall thathatt otheotherr optionoptionss seeseemm irrelevantirrelevant"" (154)(154).. MandlMandl,, BetteBette.. "Feminism"Feminism,, PostmodernismPostmodernism,, anandd The Heidi Chronicles"Chronicles." StudiesStudies in the Humanities 17.17.22 (1990)(\990):: 120-128.120-128. CitinCitingg JilJilll Dolan'Dolan'ss The FeministFeminist Spectator as Critic anandd GaylGaylee Austin'Austin'ss revierevieww ooff The Heidi Chronicles,Chronicles, MandMandll developdevelopss ththee materiamateriall feminis feministt argumenargumentt againsagainstt ththee plaplayy iinn orderorder toto effectivelyeffectively undermineundermine itit.. BorrowingBorrowing a frameworkframework frofromm DeborahDeborah RosenfelRosenfeltt anandd JudithJudith Stacey,Stacey, authorsauthors ofof "Second"Second ThoughtThoughtss onon thethe SecondSecond Wave,Wave,"" sheshe termsterms ththee plaplayy "postfeminist""postfeminist" andand discussesdiscusses ththee validitvalidityy ooff thethe issuesissues itit raises.raises. SheShe alsoalso addressesaddresses GayleGayle Austin'sAustin's fearsfears aboutabout Heidi'sHeidi's monologuemonologue withwith herher ownown hopeshopes forfor "an"an increasingincreasing audienceaudience forfor thethe theatretheatre shapedshaped byby women,women, anan audienceaudience bothboth responsiveresponsive toto andand resistantresistant toto thethe texttext andand performanceperformance inin waysways thatthat areare stillstill difficultdifficult toto conceiveconceive...... SuchSuch anan audienceaudience couldcould bebe trusted,trusted, eveneven withwith Heidi'sHeidi's complaint"complaint" (\26-27).(126-27). Rose,Rose, PhyllisPhyllis Jane.Jane. "An"An OpenOpen LetterLetter toto Dr.Dr. Holland."Holland." American Theatre Oct.Oct. 1989:1989: 26-29,114-117.26-29, 114-117. Rose'sRose's wrywry andand sardonicsardonic letter,letter, addressedaddressed toto HeidiHeidi herself,herself, challengeschallenges thethe charactercharacter forfor herher admissionadmission thatthat sheshe feelsfeels stranded:stranded: "Y"Yo ouu are stranded,stranded, butbut notnot wherewhere andand byby whomwhom youyou think"think" (29).(29). HerHer detailed,detailed, compellingcompelling argumentargument includesincludes aa feministfeminist readingreading ofof Aeschylus'Aeschylus' Oresteia asas "the"the beginningbeginning ofof WesternWestern Democracy"Democracy" andand "also"also thethe endend ofof justicejustice andand self-determinationself-determination forfor women"women" (114)(114) withwith whichwhich sheshe implicatesimplicates HeidiHeidi forfor herher dependencedependence onon andand submissionsubmission toto men,men, whichwhich sheshe hashas alreadyalready characterized:characterized: "If"If II werewere ableable toto paintpaint anan imageimage ofof TheThe HeidiHeidi Chronicles,Chronicles, thethe compositioncomposition wouldwould targettarget Peter·Peter andand ScoopScoop inin thethe center.center. AtAt thethe outerouter edgesedges I'dI'd washwash aa shadowshadow ofof anonymousanonymous malemale suitors.suitors. YouYou wouldwould bebe trappedtrapped betweenbetween thethe innerinner andand outerouter circles,circles, 'hanging'hanging around,'around,' 'waiting'waiting toto seesee whatwhat mightmight happenhappen' '"" (114).(114). RoseRose discussesdiscusses herher ownown workwork asas wellwell asas otherother women'swomen's theatretheatre inin orderorder toto emphasizeemphasize thethe needneed forfor 212 Bibliography

participation—tparticipation-too urgurgee HeidHeidii nonott toto "hang"hang aroundaround ...... waitingwaiting toto seseee whatwhat mightmight happen"happen" (116)(116).. Ruling,Ruling, KarKarll G.G. "The Heidi Chronicles: A ProductionProduction Casebook.Casebook."" TC127.3TCI 27.3 (1993):(1993): 40-4340-43.. RulingRuling designeddesigned thethe sceneryscenery andand lightinglighting foforr a productionproduction ofof The Heidi Chronicles aatt thethe PolkaPolka DoDott PlayhousePlayhouse inin Bridgeport,Bridgeport, Connecticut.Connecticut. HeHe comparecomparess anandd contrastcontrastss hishis low-budgelow-budgett setset ($600($600)) andand costumecostumess ($200($200)) withwith thosthosee ofof otherother productions—namelproductions-namelyy ththee NationalNational JewishJewish TheatrTheatree inin Skokie,Skokie, Illinois,Illinois, andand ActorsActors TheatrTheatree ofof LouisvilleLouisville.. HeHe concludeconcludess witwithh a discussiondiscussion aboutabout ththee difficultydifficulty ofof locatinglocating thethe arartt imagesimages forfor Heidi'sHeidi's lectures:lectures: "Wendy"Wendy pickepickedd somesome reallyreally obscurobscuree ones"ones" (43).(43). Watermeier,Watermeier, DanieDaniell J.J. "The"The SearchSearch forfor Self:Self: AttachmentAttachment,, LossLoss,, andand RecoveryRecovery inin The Heidi Chronicles." InIn Staging Difference: Cultural Pluralism in American Theatre and Drama. EdEd.. MarMarcc MaufortMaufort.. NeNeww YorkYork:: PetePeterr Lang,Lang, 1995.1995. 351-362.351-362. ThiThiss psychoanalytipsychoanalyticc readingreading ofof The Heidi ChroniclesChronicles examinesexamines thethe maimainn charactecharacterr inin termsterms ofof herher melancholymelancholy.. Freud'sFreud's definitiondefinition ofof melancholia involveinvolvess a strugglestruggle betweebetweenn lovlovee andand hatehate;; thisthis samesame struggle,struggle, WatermeierWatermeier contends,contends, characterizescharacterizes Heidi'sHeidi's relationshipsrelationships withwith heherr friendfriendss andand loverslovers.. HeHe lookslooks closelyclosely atat Heidi'sHeidi's motivations,motivations, asking,asking, forfor instanceinstance,, "Why"Why doedoess sheshe gogo ttoo bebedd withwith Scoop?"Scoop?" (353)(353),, andand offeringoffering lengthlengthyy explanationsexplanations ofof Heidi'sHeidi's contradictorycontradictory tendencies.tendencies. MelaniMelaniee Klein'Klein'ss object-relationsobject-relations theorietheoriess helphelp explaiexplainn Heidi'Heidi'ss actions:actions: "Heidi"Heidi triestries toto escapeescape thethe sufferingsuffering connecteconnectedd witwithh herher erotieroticc obsessionobsession withwith ScoopScoop bbyy substitutingsubstituting friendshifriendshipp witwithh PeterPeter anandd thethe causcausee ofof feminism,feminism, botbothh perceiveperceivedd asas 'external'external googoodd objects'"objects'" (356)(356).. LateLaterr iinn thethe argumentargument,, JudyJudy tootoo isis seenseen asas anan externaexternall goodgood objectobject whenwhen "Heidi"Heidi hashas substitutedsubstituted agape (through(through Judy)Judy) anandd philia (throug(throughh Peter)Peter) foforr eros"eros" (361).(361). ErosEros,, WatermeierWatermeier pointspoints out,out, isis lackinglacking inin evereveryy character'scharacter's life;life; "Significantly,"Significantly, moreover,moreover, alalll transfertransfer toto childrenchildren theirtheir futurefuture hopeshopes oror attemptattemptss ttoo makmakee reparationsreparations foforr theirtheir personalpersonal failures"failures" (361)(361)..