Williams One Act Plays Don't Come UP Short

 

". . . an absorbing evening of theater. . . [Sheri S.] Herren capably transforms herself from a dazed and delusional woman approaching middle age in 'Madonna' into a steely, cold and ruthless dowager who will go to extreme lengths to maintain appearances in 'Summer.' . . .Williams is at his most self-indulgent here, weaving into the story hints of incest, homosexuality, abuse of money and power, and even cannibalism. It can be melodramatic; in fact it cries out to be melodramatic, but [Leslie A.] Kobylinski keeps it dialed back. That makes it more realistic. . .The duel between Marybeth Fritzky as the neice and Herren as Violet has some rich moments, mostly as Fritzky's brittle Catherine starts to crumble every time she ventures near the truth of Sebastian's death, leading to a gut-wrentching monologue that shatters the old woman's world. It is dark but compelling must-see Williams." Thurs, Dec1, 2005 --Michael J. Toscano

 

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