Three Tall Women

Reviewed: March 29, 2018
 

Three Tall Women is playing at the John Golden Theatre located at 252 West 45th Street. It runs one hour forty five minutes with no intermission. The play closes on June 24, 2018.

It premiered on June 14, 1991 in Vienna’s English Theatre in Vienna, Austria.

Edward Albee is the playwright. He was born on March 12, 1928 and died on September 16, 2016. Mr. Albee 34 plays. He won two Tony Awards for The Goat or Who’s is Sylvia? (1963) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1963). Four of his plays won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Three Tall Women (1984), Seascape (1975) and A Delicate Balance (1967). He was nominated for five Tony Awards for the revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (2005), Seascape (1975), A Delicate Balance (1967), Tiny Alice (1965) and The Ballad of the Sad Café (1964). The Goat or Who is Sylvia? (2001) and The Play About Baby (2001) were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Joe Montello is the director. He won two Tony Awards for Assassins (2004) and Take Me out (2003). Joe was nominated for five tony Awards for The Humans (2016) The Normal Heart (leading actor 2011), Glengarry Glen Ross (2005), Love! Valour! Compassion (1995) and Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (1993). He won a primetime Emmy in 2014 for The Normal Heart.

Glenda Jackson won two Academy Awards for a Touch of Class (1973) and Women In Love (1970).

Laurie Metcalf won three Primetime Emmy Awards for playing Jackie Harris in in the TV series Roseanne (1992-1994). She won one Tony Award in 2017 for A Doll’s House, Part 2 and was nominated for three Tony Awards for Misery (2016), The Other Place (2013) and November (2008).

Alison Pill was nominated for a Tony Award in 2006 for The Lieutenant of Inishmore.

We are in a lavish bedroom of A (Glenda Jackson). She is sitting in a chair to the right. A is arguing with B (Laurie Metcalf) and C (Alison Pill) on what her age is. They finally settle on 93. B is her caretaker. She helps her to the bathroom; remember things she forgets long ago and now. C works for her lawyer. The pay her bills at least the one she sends them. There are some she can’t remember and won’t pay

As the play goes on we learn more about A, her husband, son, mother and sister.

B puts her to bed when she says she is sleepy. When she goes to check on her she doesn’t know if she is dead or unconscious.

The lights go out on stage. When they come back on we are in another room. There is a reflection of a mannequin which is A lying in bed.

The three women are now A at three different ages. A is 93, B is 52 and C is 26. Again we learn more about A at different times in her life at the perspective of her at the three ages. A and her son don’t talk. He left home and she has had no contact with him since then. “The Boy” (Joseph Mederois) does visit her bedside now. She’s not thrilled with it.

This is an intriguing play. I am glad it finally made its Broadway debut. It is worth seeing. Joe Montello direction is outstanding. The cast is impressive. The set and costumes are well done. This adds to the enjoyment of the play.

Review by Rozanna radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.