The Thinking Person's Play - At the Berkeley Rep, In the Wake by Lisa Kron

Made it to opening night of this unusual new play, "In the Wake," by Lisa Kron, at the Berkeley Rep, directed by Leigh Silverman. It's about the diabolical balance between personal life and political views, as seen through the prism of Ellen, one smart thinking woman in a large city, living with what she considers family - Danny, her live-in mate, and the neighbors upstairs - not Ethel and Fred, but the married couple, Kayla (Danny's sister) and Laurie. All set against the context of the 2000 elections and the subsequent unfolding of national and world events...as the protagonist, Ellen, begins to parse and understand her heart, mind, and soul. Then she figures she knows less and less once she goes for Amy the filmmaker and has deep talks with Judy, a hilariously portrayed grim-faced misanthrope just back from doing refugee work in Africa.

Thank you, Kristen Cato, for facilitating my presence tonight. Had such a great time kibitzing with fellow podcast ("The Lighted Bridge") actor Brian Vouglas and his pal. Met my mother's cool neighbor, Kenneth, during intermission, who told me I looked "fabulous." Yes! That's why we ladies bother to wear our make-up when we leave the house.

CAST: All great!
Ellen - Heidi Schreck (playing a liberal journalist on steroids)
Danny - Carson Elrod (has the best funny lines and moves)
Kayla - Andrea Franckle (keepin' it real as a wonderful redhead)
Laurie - Danielle Skraastad (pretty and butch, same time, while reminding one of that Upper East Side-ish gal in "Sex and the City")
Amy - Emily Donahue (powerful and sexy, has tremendously difficult scenes)
Judy - Deidre O'Connell (an original)
Tessa - Miriam F. Glover (could she be related to Mr. Danny Glover? Sterling performance as a wise African American 'tween)

Author Lisa Kron (originally from Lansing, Michigan) on L.A, from the Berkeley Rep Magazine:

"LA has amazing things and amazingly talented people., but the layout encourages atomization. Living in a place where people's garage doors face the street makes me apoplectic. I loved Griffith Park but I would always get lost. I'd find myself in some ravine as it was getting dark, realizing I was surrounded by coyotes and rattlesnakes. I was going to be that woman on the 6 o'clock news people would watch and say, "Why did we pay to airlift that crazy woman out of the woods?"

Click the title above to link to the Berkeley Rep's website and see photos from the play.