Have you ever seen a production that had a lot of potential, but just didn’t quite hit it out of the park in the way that it should? Yesterday I saw a fairly new play called Falling in Like. From what I gathered there have only been a couple of other productions of the show, written by Jerry Sipp and directed by Andrew N. Davis. When I’d first heard about the show, the title alone was enough to catch my attention. It sounds like a great romantic comedy.
The basis of the story is all rom-com. A production of a play loses its leading lady to an injury only weeks before opening. An unsuspecting intern ends up stepping into the role and makes it part of her mission in life to use her psychology degree to “shrink” the stand-offish leading man, who has no desire to share any part of his personal life with… anyone.
Surrounding them is a supporting cast of a producer, director/playwright, another cast member, and a stage manager to add to the laughs. Leading lady, intern/understudy Abbie was played by Chessilyn Angel, and her leading man Frank was played by Tony Craighead. Chessilyn did a wonderful job of portraying the innocence and exuberance of a recent college grad ready to make her way in the world. Tony played the standoffish leading actor well.
Stage manager Marge was played by Tracy J. Clark. She was hilarious and the character had some of the best one liners in the entire show. She had, perhaps, the most interesting character in the entire production. You knew, almost immediately, Marge had been doing her job for so long that she had become slightly jaded in her work, but that she still knew how to get things done.
Playwright Arnie was played by Travis Flatt. He was the slightly eccentric writer who was still re-writing parts of the play right to the very end. Travis had the “crazy” down, complete w/ scribbles on legal pads and cup after cup of coffee. Evil leading actress Victoria was played with self-absorbed perfection by Kimberly Frick-Welker. Adam Combs played the other actor in the play, Sonny, who was always getting lines cut from his role and trying his best to get some lines back. Constantly trying to make the peace with everyone was producer Jeffrey played by Lynn England. Lynn portrays such a clam persona as Jeffrey that it works well.
Staged as a “Backstage Production,” all the seats for the audience are on the stage. I’ve seen “Backstage” productions at CPAC before, but unlike other times, Falling in Like has the first row of both sides of seats reserved as part of the show. It works well and gave me a feeling of interaction with the cast a la Spring Awakening. There was very little in the way of props, but that fit the show well since it was all about the rehearsal stage of a play.
Overall, the show was good. It was fairly well acted, well-staged, and had its laughs. My reason for saying that it “wasn’t quite there” yet was simply that I didn’t feel a major connection with any of the characters (Marge, the stage director aside). The bones of the story are the bones of a great romantic comedy, but I think there needs to be some more character development in the writing. I wanted to know why Frank was so unwilling to share his personal life (I never felt like I got an answer). I wanted Abbie to be a little less annoying in her quest to “shrink” Frank. I wanted to know why Frank and Victoria had the strange relationship that they had (were they former lovers?).
Still, this show is more than worth going to see. It’s funny and an enjoyable way to spend an evening. You can still catch Falling in Like at Cookeville Performing Arts Center through September 3rd. You can call 931-28-1313 to buy tickets.
Over the weekend I finally got the chance to go see Oklahoma at the Cumberland County Playhouse. I had been putting it off because I’d planned to take my younger sister, but it never seemed to come about. Since the show closes on September 2nd, I thought I probably needed to go ahead and see it. Oklahoma is typical Cumberland County Playhouse. It’s wholesome, classic, and well done. Its Rodgers and Hammerstein for crying out loud. That being said, I loved this show. As much as I love a more modern show, there’s just something about a classic musical. And one that’s well done is that much better.
Originally, this show had cast Nathaniel Hackmann and Nicole Bégué Hackmann as Curly and Laurey, but they have both left the show and have been replaced by Daniel Black and Lindy Pendzick. I can’t compare them, because I didn’t see Nathaniel and Nicole, but I loved the chemistry between Lindy and Daniel. Lindy played the perfect not-so-girly, slightly stubborn young lady. Daniel was fantastic as a persistent cowboy who knows what (or better yet, who) he wants and won’t give up on it.
Carol Irving as Aunt Eller, was wonderful. Her friendly persona just fit as the lovable aunt that everyone loves. Playhouse funny man, Jason Ross was a no brainer for the roll of traveling peddler Ali Hakim. Oklahoma isn’t really a comedy, though there are plenty of funny moments in the show. But Jason’s Ali Hakim counted for the majority of my fits of laughter throughout the play.
Ado Annie is a character that has always cracked me up. As girl who just “cain’t say no,” Leila Nelson makes the character lovable and hilarious all in the same breath. She spends the whole show trying to decide between Ali Hakim and slightly gullible local, Will Parker, played by Greg Pendzick. These three make for some of the best comedy in the entire show.
Oklahoma has one of my favorite love songs in a musical ever. “People Will Think We’re In Love,” sung by Laurey and Curly, nearly had me in tears. I don’t know what it is about that song, but seeing Lindy and Daniel sing that song was one of the most beautiful moments of the show. After all, Laurey spends a majority of the show trying to fight her attraction for childhood friend Curly, while he chases her relentlessly. This song is the prefect representation of their relationship.
Aunt Eller and Laurey’s farm hand, Jud Fry, was played by Britt Hancock. I’ll admit to having seen Britt in several other productions at Cumberland County Playhouse. Even in his most serious roles, I’ve never seen him play “the bad guy.” I’m used to seeing him in more lighthearted roles. And I’m used to seeing a smile on his face. When Jud Fry walked on stage for the first time, I barely recognized Britt Hancock. And the character was so deliciously dark and dangerous that I was a little freaked out. Even from many rows back in the audience. In fact, I was actually glad to see him smile, for real, at the curtain call. In my opinion, he was the standout of the entire show.
As always, the ensemble cast was wonderful. Familiar faces abound, and it was wonderful to see a young ensemble member from my hometown (who is a classmate of my younger sister). I love that the Cumberland County Playhouse gives a chance for young people to act with such amazing professionals onstage.
This show only runs until September 2nd, but I highly advise that you try to catch it while you still can. It’s a great family show and a wonderful chance for you to enjoy a true classic musical. You can purchase tickets by going HERE.
A while back there was an uproar about publishers re-releasing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and taking out words like “negro” and “colored” from the writing. Some people felt that these words weren’t appropriate for literature today. Others, like me, felt it was taking away from a time period and a style of writing. Not to mention it is essentially changing the writing of an author with no permission.
I say those things to touch on a subject that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Censorship. Censorship is essentially changing something about a written work for some reason. Most of the time it seems to be the purpose to make it “less offensive” to the general public.
But how does this apply to theatre? Fact of the matter is that there is a lot of censorship that goes on in the theatre. In more conservative areas of the country (i.e. where I live) I believe I see it quite a bit. And I’ve heard stories of people becoming offended with a work. One person I know went to see a touring production of Avenue Q in Indiana. He told me that even though he loved it, that he saw people leave at intermission and never return.
I’ve seen similar things happen myself. Even in New York City. I was seeing American Idiot for the sixth (and final) time. An older lady (probably in her late 50s or early 60s) came in, dressed up way more than most of the younger people in the theatre (after all, it is a rock opera of Green Day music). During the opening, title number the lady left. And didn’t return.
Here are my questions: Why would you purchase tickets to see a show and not research what you are seeing? It seems to me that it could be a total waste of money. And with the prices of shows these days, is it worth it? And what’s the other option? That the show be so censored that it only vaguely resembles the original work? Sure, I may not use “the F word” in every other sentence myself. But some people do. And if a character is written that way by a writer, shouldn’t we assume it’s for a reason and respect the writer’s character as written?
This gets into such a can of worms that I almost don’t want to go there. But I feel like I must. Rent could be considered one of the best (or at least one of the most successful) modern musicals. So much so that a “school edition” was done (presumably with the assistance and permission of the Jonathan Larsen estate) so that it could be safely performed for a school audience. But is a show like that even appropriate for a school (even after editing?). I suppose that is up for debate too. But I like to think that Jonathan Larsen wrote the songs and the characters the way he did for a reason. Songs like “La Vie Boheme” are so inundated with cultural things of the time period that I would be afraid to change the words…yet some of them were changed for the school edition.
The famously “Sesame Street for adults” musical, Avenue Q even did a school edition. Um….with songs like “Loud as the Hell You Want” and “The Internet is for Porn” and a character called Lucy the Slut…let’s just say that I’ll be that one wasn’t an easy job. Again, I question the need to make a notably adult play “suitable” for children and young people. Why? The cast recording for Avenue Q is marked “explicit,” the show was obviously written for adults (it’s about life after college for crying out loud!). So what would make it important to tame it down for children? Why not just write another play?
I guess I just think that some shows are meant for adults. Some can be more “family” oriented. Why should someone try to force an “adult” show to be a “family” show? Is it fair to the author? Is it even fair to the audiences? I don’t think it’s fair to either. The author deserves to have their show performed as written. The audience deserves to see the show as it was intended to be seen. As an audience member, it’s your job to inform yourself about what you are seeing and to determine if you want to see it anyway.
I tried to find a place that I could get ahold of the scripts for the school versions of Avenue Q and Rent and was unable to find either of them. What I heard was changed for both shows was simply what I could find online (i.e. messages boards, etc). I did, however, find a video of “My Social Life is Online” from the school edition of Avenue Q. I’m going to post it, and the song that it replaced, “The Internet is for Porn” below. Simply because I want you to be able to see the difference.
But, I’d really like to know your thoughts on censorship. Do you agree with censorship? When is it important? When is it too much?
"My Social Life is Online" from the school edition of Avenue Q
"The Internet is for Porn" from Avenue Q (adult version)
This is a comment that ended up e-mailed to me instead of posted. I was granted permission to add it to this post. We'll call it a "guest commentary." I felt it was so much along the vein of what I was trying to say that I wanted to share it with all of you.
Great post, Cara! You raise a number of interesting questions. As you know, I'm an outspoken advocate of free speech (and have strong feelings about editing anything), so I'm delighted by the opportunity to join this discussion. While I'm aghast at the idea of editing something like "Huckleberry Finn," I must confess to understanding the impulse. When I played Willie Stark in Vinnette Carroll's brilliant multiracial production of "All The King's Men" in the early 90s, I was VERY uncomfortable with my character's use of a racial epithet in the second act. During a rehearsal, I asked if it could be cut or changed. Her response was, “DAH-ling, you MUST use that word. IT'S WHO HE IS.” She was right, of course. The line spoke to the time, the place and the person. With a brilliant economy of language, it spoke volumes about the soul-deep corruption of that larger-than-life character. I’d LIKE to think that I would have eventually reached the same conclusion on my own. Regardless, I must admit that my naïvely well-intentioned impulse was both misguided and, ultimately, wrong.
That being said, I’m generally of the opinion that censorship has no place in the arts. Any artist (of any stripe) needs the freedom to use all the tools at his or her disposal to create something that is vital, that is kinetic… art can illuminate, calm, alienate, seduce, offend, shock… that’s part of its nature and part of its appeal. The act of EXPERIENCING art has limitless potential for an audience (or viewer, or listener). Theater, specifically, can effect a profound change (and a remarkable connection) in the artist and the audience during a shared moment of exchange. Ages ago, an acting coach once told me that I was doing my job properly if the audience breathed with me. Every moment in a theater has the potential for that kind of shared electricity; that’s why theater has endured. That’s why it’s important. And that’s why we shouldn’t ever censor what a playwright has to say. Without the freedom to express the truth of a scene, character, or moment – with whatever language or action or movement is necessary to create that moment – a playwright is hobbled. Potential is diminished. We settle for a pallid echo of what could have been. And the audience is cheated without even realizing it. You’ve “heard stories of people becoming offended with a work” (God knows, so have I). And that’s their right. They also have the right to walk out, ask for a refund, write angry letters and complain to whomever will listen. (It seems silly, especially in the information age, that someone would choose to spend hard-earned dollars on something they hadn’t researched in the least, but it happens.) But that’s pretty much where their rights end. They don’t have the right to silence artists. Artists have a right to speak through their art. Artists have a RESPONSIBILITY to speak through their art. A play (symphony, opera, oratorio, ballet, painting, sculpture… the list goes on and on) that exists merely to entertain can’t truly be called “art,” can it? Something whose sole purpose is to placate, to pacify, to coddle, to allow people to feel safe and secure in their preconceptions and biases is the antithesis of art. Yet we see it on stages everywhere, all the time. I’ve endured more than a few productions like this as an actor. I desperately hope that I’ve never foisted something like this on an audience as a director. But let’s face it, there are scores of valleys for every “peak experience” in life.
Lastly, I want to address the odd phenomenon of “school versions,” “youth versions,” “JUNIOR versions,” etc., of existing plays. I only have experience (and that’s somewhat indirect) with one such project… the school version of “Les Miserables.” Interestingly, most of the changes to the original were NOT for language or subject matter. The school version is tighter (it’s almost an hour shorter than the original), keys have been changed and vocal arrangements adjusted so that younger singers might approach the piece with more ease. The same appears to be true of the school version of “Rent.” Aside from cutting the song "Contact" from the show, the language changes (from what my limited online research has shown) have been quite minor. And the subject matter is the subject matter. Some schools and other producing organizations have made further alterations (I encountered lots of online comments like, “We did the school version of ‘Rent!’ And once we cut out some of the language and stuff, it was great!”). I paraphrase, but you get the point. Was that the intent of the Larson estate? Perhaps not. But I do know that Music Theater International (the company that handles the performance rights for the play) is fairly lenient about such things if an official request is made. Why do these odd pieces exist? To give young people the chance to perform extraordinary pieces of theater, I’d guess. And to make even more money for the publishers, writers, etc., probably. Are these pieces appropriate for younger audiences? I guess that would depend upon the individual parent (and the individual child). I probably would have let my daughter see the national tour of “Rent” when she was 12 or so. Certainly, by the time she was 14 it wouldn’t even have been a question. (Though her mother might have had a different opinion.) I never questioned her seeing “Les Miz” (or “Miss Saigon”), even at 6 or 7.
But I have to say that the existence of a “school version” of “Avenue Q” is a complete and utter mystery to me. Really? REALLY? WTF??? It seems completely pointless. But I have NO doubt that it’s making money. :/
Again, kudos for a great, thought-provoking post, Cara!
Typically, I will only write about theatre on this blog. But occasionally, don't be surprised if I vary a little. Today is going to be one of those days. I love music. Talent, I have not. But that doesn't stop me from having a love of music of all kinds. I wake up every day with a song in my head (no lie!). I am nearly attached to my mp3 player (ask my co-workers and friends). Perhaps that's why I love musicals so much?
I have always felt that music is a language that every one can speak. A story can be told. A heart touched. A change made. All because of a song. Many times I connect a song with a time or a specific person. There are even a few songs I can tell you where I was when I first heard them. Strange, probably. But that's just part of me.
"Rolling in the Deep" covered by Little Big Town
Growing up in Tennessee has given me a great love for country music. It often bothers me to hear people say bad things about such a beautiful form of art. Sure, there are types of music that I don't particularly care for, but I don't write everything in that genre off just because that's what it's "labeled" under.
If you looked at my mp3 player you could find a strangely wide variety of music. You'll find your typical Broadway cast recordings right next to Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits. Kings of Leon is next to Nickelcreek. Adele is there along with Green Day. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts with Nirvana. You name it, I've probably got it. And that's how I like it. Music can be a soundtrack to a day or a mood or it can be a motivator.
One thing that I really love is to see a group cover a song totally unrelated to their genre. Look at Glee. That show has made untold amounts of money basically covering songs by other people. And covering them well. One of my favorite times at a concert is when the band picks a song to cover.
I saw Miranda Lambert cover "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was fitting, seeing as it was an outdoor concert and it rained for the entire six hours I was there. I've seen Chris Daughtry & Kelly Clarkson cover "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman and Chris cover "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. I saw Jason Aldean cover "Heaven" by Bryan Adams. I've seen Gretchen Wilson cover "Barracuda" by Heart. It's always fun to get a different spin on a song. It may not be better and it may not be worse. Sometimes it's just different.
"Sex on Fire" covered by Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland (Official Video)
A great album for cover songs is Sugarland's Live on the Inside. Most of the album is songs that they covered. It was actually through this album that I discovered, and fell in love with, Kings of Leon. Jennifer Nettles' version of "Sex on Fire" is almost unrecognizable as the same song that Kings of Leon did, but I discovered that it simply conveys a different feeling. The words are the same, but the feeling is totally different. On that same album, the group covered the B52's "Love Shack", Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" (which they later went on to perform on an awards show WITH Beyonce), & Pearl Jam's "Better Man", among others.
Now the band Little Big Town (who I've seen in concert twice) has started an online video series called "Scattered, Smothered, Covered" (an ode to Waffle House's hash browns) where they cover songs by different artists. Some of them are AMAZING! "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele? Yes, please. "Grenade" by Bruno Mars...awesome. Even a little Gaga in the form of "Born This Way."
Have you ever heard a cover that just blew you away? What was it? I'm always up for discovering new music and music in old ways.
One thing I love about the internet is the ability to meet people that you have a lot in common with. On my other blog, I have a connection to people through diabetes, but sometimes when you get to know people a little bit better you find other connections as well. Such is the case with my friend Rebecca Thomson. Rebecca lives in England (!) and is studying and working in the theatre. While we’ve never met face to face, I’ve found an amazing person and friend in Rebecca and someone who is truly passionate about performing arts.
Rebecca is a very busy woman right now. But, I’m going to let her tell us about what’s going on.
1.) First off, tell us about Mary’s Sofa? How did it start? What are you about?
Mary's Sofa started up as a new writing company, with the hope that those of us involved could create our own platform for getting our work, and the work of other writers, seen. After you pass certain age brackets, it’s really hard to get anything read by people in the industry, especially as unknown writers. So we felt that we needed to make our own opportunities, and pool our experiences and resources!
Black Shorts is really a diverse collection of short pieces, with a dark, or darkly comic tone. We sent out an invitation online for anyone who had a story they wanted to tell, to send us their short scripts, and we'd choose the best pieces, and form a show with them. We actually received so many submissions, that after we'd mixed in our own writing, we had enough material for two one hour shows. We've got some slice of life comedy, some absurdist pieces, life, death, and a talking monkey. In fact, name it, and there's a good chance it's there!
3.) For those of us who are in the U.S. and don’t know a lot about the theatre world in England, explain what Edinburgh Fringe Festival is and how you are involved.
The Edinburgh Fringe is one of, if not the largest theatre festivals in the world. It started out as an offshoot of the Edinburgh festival, and has now pretty much overshadowed it! It's all a bit of a madhouse, but it really is a one of a kind event. You get comedians, theatre companies, magicians, musicians. It's all there and more. We've come as a company to be part of the Laughing Horse Free Festival, which is part of the Edinburgh fringe as a whole, but the difference being that all the performances are free to watch. The cost of so many of the shows would probably be the main complaint of most people who come for the festival, I think.
4.) When and where will Black Shorts be performed and how would one go about getting tickets for the show?
Black Shorts is being performed at an Irish pub called Finnegan's Wake, on Victoria Street. Its right round the corner from The Royal Mile, which is the centre of most fringe activity. We've been performing since the 4th, and we're here till the 12th August, every day at 16:45. Regarding tickets, you don't need to worry about that. Being part of the free festival, you can just turn up and take a seat!
5.) What has been the hardest part about getting ready for Edinburgh Fringe Festival?
I think it would be the fact that none of us can devote all our time, even though we'd like too. We're all tied up with work, and postgraduate study, and sometimes both. Finding the time, energy, and resources has been a struggle at times. I believe it's been worth it though.
6.) Anything special you’d like to share with my readers about Mary’s Sofa, Black Shorts or Edinburgh Fringe Festival?
Probably that the whole project has been a real labour of love, right from the word go. I think it means a lot to a number of people, and not just us as performers. We're giving stage time to writers who might not otherwise get it, and we've had such support, in all manner of ways. From our friends and families, who built us collapsing life sized picture frames, to our amazing graphic designer, and even local shops who loaned us a taxidermied badger (we christened him Horace). It's brought a lot of people together in a really unusual way.
Mary's Sofa can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Below is a video preview of Black Shorts. And since I have no passport and no money to go see this show myself, go see it for me and then let me know what you think of it! :)
Produced at the Wesley Arena Theatre in Cookeville, and directed by Charles Long, Star Spangled Girl is a slap stick comedy about two roommates who live in San Francisco and run an anti-establishment magazine called Fallout. When a sweet, all-American Southern girl named Sophie moves in next door it creates problems for everyone.
Friends since college, Andy Hobart and Norman Cornell are nearly as different at night and day (and closely resembling the pairings of another Simon play, The Odd Couple). Norman, played by Josh Rapp, is the eccentric genius writer; essentially the brains behind the magazine. Andy, played by Stephen Harris, is the common sense of the operation, making sure the articles get written, and working very hard to be sure that Norman stays on track and focused.
When Sophie Rauschmeyer, a beautiful, former Olympic swimmer, moves in next door, Norman immediately falls for her, causing a ton of hilarity considering Sophie, played by the lovely Holley Hughes, is a true patriot who loves her country and is as American as apple pie.
Costumes were designed by Mark & Jennifer Creter. Sophie was always dressed in beautiful, period appropriate clothing. Each of her costumes was amazing. I’ll be honest, there was one dress that I wish I lived in the sixties simply so I could go find and wear it. The men weren’t dressed as period appropriate, in my opinion, but they were in neutral enough clothing that you really didn’t pay all that much attention to it. Both men had facial hair reminiscent of the sixties, which really gave the audience the feel for the time period.
The set was the work of Charles Long and Colin Forsyth, and I thought it was brilliantly done, considering the small amount of space that the Wesley Arena Theatre offers for staging. There were some issues of visibility if you sat on the sides of the theatre, but it wasn’t horrible. My only problem was my height. The person in front of me blocked a lot of the view for one highly used area of the stage.
The best part of the entire show was the interaction between the lead actors. Their physical comedy was fantastic. Rapp had his portrayal of eccentric Norman down to a T. From his constant “smoothing” of his hair, to his innocent facial expressions when the character did something totally inappropriate (almost drowning Sophie’s cat in the toilet… yeah). When interacting with each other, Harris and Rapp had near perfect comedic timing. Some of the best scenes were the fight scenes between the two roommates.
Holley Harris played Sophie. Her classic beauty was perfect for the all-American girl role. Her Southern belle accent, I’m sure only slightly stronger than her own accent (hey, we’re all from the South, right??), was fantastic. The perfect mix between classic housewife in training, and modern woman living alone in a city far from home, Harris walked the line well and really helped to point out the changing times that were the sixties.
Occasionally I am surprised by how history repeats itself. Perhaps it’s my age, but the only thing I’ve very seen repeated are styles (some of which shouldn’t have even had their first chance). Last night I was reminded how much our current world mirrors the 1960s, the time frame in which Star Spangled Girl by Neil Simon, was both written and set. The sixties were a time of change, rebellion, anti-establishment thinking, and a time when people rarely agreed on anything. Sound familiar?
Overall, Star Spangled Girl is probably not the best story ever written, but it makes for some great laughs and has a cute story line, much like a really long episode of the I Love Lucy Show. I’m sad to say I caught the show on its closing night, but it was well worth the time. The Wesley Arena Theatre did a great job on the production.
As a final note, I have to say the show had one of the best pre-show announcements that I have ever seen in my life. Director Charles Long came out and did the announcements in 1960s public service announcement style, complete with recording and Charles Long miming the actions to the audience. I truly wish I’d recorded it because it was AMAZING!
So I'm posting...about a guest post I did. :) I have a second online life that allowed me to meet some great people over the years. Several of those people live in and around the New York City area. This makes for great trips to the city and even greater trips to the theatre since I can almost always convince my good friend Allison to go see a show with me.
Allison blogs at Lemonade Life. Her blog started out as a blog about diabetes, but has transformed into a blog about life. Diabetes is part of it, but also her recent wedding, what it's like living in New York, fun memes, and posts about other things that interest her are also present.
Several weeks ago Allison asked me to guest post on her blog. And she didn't want me to write about diabetes (GASP!)...she wanted me to write about New York City. I, of course, said yes and wrote a post about New York from a tourist's point of view. Cause even though I may not like the title, I'm still a tourist. Sigh.
The post was amazingly fun to write for me, so if you wanna check out what I think about New York, go check out my post on Allison's blog!
Surrounding them is a supporting cast of a producer, director/playwright, another cast member, and a stage manager to add to the laughs. Leading lady, intern/understudy Abbie was played by Chessilyn Angel, and her leading man Frank was played by Tony Craighead. Chessilyn did a wonderful job of portraying the innocence and exuberance of a recent college grad ready to make her way in the world. Tony played the standoffish leading actor well. 
