PTC's "Third' (2nd review)

Wendy Wasserstein at twilight

STEVE COHEN

The late Wendy Wasserstein was a wise, observant, clever playwright. But her final play, Third, isn’t her best memorial.

This play had its premiere at Lincoln Center in October 2005, and its first Philadelphia production just opened at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. It’s not a bad play, but falls short of the expectations raised by Wasserstein’s body of excellent work (including The Heidi Chronicles, The Sisters Rosensweig and An American Daughter).

Third’s biggest weakness is its lack of a center. The main character at first seems to be Laurie Jameson, a middle-aged English professor at a New England college. This woman appears to be a stand-in for Wasserstein herself– they have many similarities– but we soon see she’s no heroine. The playwright is satirizing (albeit with lame humor) such women who are intellectual, elitist, politically liberal and obsessed with gender roles. Wasserstein skewers Laurie’s rigidity and her egocentricism. Repeated references to her hot flashes are awkward. We come to like more, and to empathize with, a young male student who is the professor’s bête noire. The student and his journey become the core of the play.

Straining credulity

I don’t think Wasserstein ever made up her mind who the leading character is, and a sentimental coming-together for a final scene doesn’t ring true. The play is serious, with some heavy-handed melodrama and few comic moments. What might have been the play’s dramatic high point comes too early, and it strains credulity as the professor files charges of plagiarism against her student without any evidence. Suspense flies out the window.

I prefer to dwell on the play’s good points.

The young man, Woodson Bull III, is a refreshing free spirit whose main interest is wrestling but who also has a passion for King Lear. He’s intelligent, sensitive and open-minded but he seems to be from blue-blood Republican stock, and consequently Laurie immediately dislikes him. I like him a lot. He’s very well played by Will Fowler, whose interpretation seems completely natural. The character’s wonderful qualities, however, ultimately render him a bit implausible.

Strength of will vs. self-doubt

The play’s title, by the way, seems to derive from his name plus the thought that Laurie is heading into what she describes as the last third of her life. Lizbeth Mackay does a valiant job with Laurie, trying to make her appealing. She is best depicting Laurie’s strong will, not so good at showing self-doubt. Jennifer Blood is a sympathetic daughter.

Melanye Finister is effective as Nancy, Laurie’s best friend. She is ill with cancer, and the playwright must have identified most with her. Nancy takes a leave of absence and undergoes a bone marrow transplant. It appears as if she’s about to die, and then she makes a miraculous recovery. If only it were Wasserstein!

The most original creation on stage is Laurie’s father, who has Alzheimer’s. His alternating flashes between reality and dementia resemble real people I’ve known, but with unusual warmth and humor. The character also reminds us of King Lear. Ben Hammer’s portrayal is a standout.

Mary B. Robinson’s direction is fluid, making clever use of the stage apron, the aisles and the rear of the theater for actors’ entrances and for sound effects. She also populates scene-changes with students moving across the stage to create a semblance of college life.

The most provocative thing about Third is that Wasserstein seems to be saying, at age 55 and with only three months to live, that things she once was sure about might not be true. Or, at least, those causes are not as important as compassion and open-mindedness.



To read another review by Robert Zaller, click here.