New Rep's production of "Collected Stories" by Donald Margulies is a candid glimpse at the relationship between two female authors, one a venerable teacher and one a student of the craft. The story of their friendship unfolds over 6 years and through a series of successes, misunderstandings, and confidences, creating a complex and believable bond between these two women.
Bobbie Steinbach as Ruth Steiner is masterful in her role. She carries herself with the grace of an accomplished writer and professor, engaging the audience with her lively story-telling, her face alight with passion as she tells of her affair with the self-destructive poet Delmore Schwartz. She is the sage professor, casting piercing looks at Lisa (Liz Hayes), who spills tea and gratingly phrases each sentence as a question. She is the endearing grandmother who offers cookies and complements to her young protégé. She is jealous and vehement and vulnerable, and she is completely natural and convincing in all of these roles.
Hayes creates the perfect foil to Steinbach’s confidence. She is the fumbling, star-stricken grad student, ready to leave her mark on the writing world, but desperate for approval before she does. While at times her mannerisms seem stilted next to Steinbach’s, her awkwardness works with her character’s struggle to impress her mentor.
The backdrop for the play is Jenna McFarland Lord’s beautiful set design. A projector screen bathes Ruth’s Greenwich Village apartment in late afternoon sunlight, the orange sunrise dissolving into shadows over her leather couch and stacks of books. A row of track lights above the bookcases casts the room in a warm glow, aiding the feeling of coziness for an apartment made a home for 31 years.
"Collected Stories" is both expertly acted and stunningly set. The play provides an intimate glimpse of the complex relationship between two women as they each evaluate their self-worth and expound on their views of the boundaries of an author.
Bobbie Steinbach as Ruth Steiner is masterful in her role. She carries herself with the grace of an accomplished writer and professor, engaging the audience with her lively story-telling, her face alight with passion as she tells of her affair with the self-destructive poet Delmore Schwartz. She is the sage professor, casting piercing looks at Lisa (Liz Hayes), who spills tea and gratingly phrases each sentence as a question. She is the endearing grandmother who offers cookies and complements to her young protégé. She is jealous and vehement and vulnerable, and she is completely natural and convincing in all of these roles.
Hayes creates the perfect foil to Steinbach’s confidence. She is the fumbling, star-stricken grad student, ready to leave her mark on the writing world, but desperate for approval before she does. While at times her mannerisms seem stilted next to Steinbach’s, her awkwardness works with her character’s struggle to impress her mentor.
The backdrop for the play is Jenna McFarland Lord’s beautiful set design. A projector screen bathes Ruth’s Greenwich Village apartment in late afternoon sunlight, the orange sunrise dissolving into shadows over her leather couch and stacks of books. A row of track lights above the bookcases casts the room in a warm glow, aiding the feeling of coziness for an apartment made a home for 31 years.
"Collected Stories" is both expertly acted and stunningly set. The play provides an intimate glimpse of the complex relationship between two women as they each evaluate their self-worth and expound on their views of the boundaries of an author.
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