NEW YORK—Playwright Wendy Weiner has wittily conceived of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s life against the backdrop of ancient Greece, with two opposing goddesses, Athena, goddess of wisdom, and Aphrodite, goddess of love, vying for control of the talented young politician.
Hillary (Mia Barron) comes onto the scene as a somber yet brilliant and ambitious Wellesley student. The queen of studies and debating, there is no doubt about her future success. Life magazine even publishes an article about her. But later, at Yale Law School, when she meets the handsome and charismatic Bill Clinton (Darren Pettie), her emotions go into a tailspin.
The aforementioned goddesses, the stern, imposing Athena (Heidi Armbruster), replete with breastplate, and the lusciously sexual Aphrodite (Victoire Charles), in semi-revealing diaphanous gown, each try to influence the yet unformed Hillary to follow their unique paths.
At first Aphrodite appears to win out. Madly in love with Bill, Hillary marries him and they move to Arkansas, where he ultimately serves as governor of the state—for 18 years! During this time Hillary must, of course, take a back seat to Bill.
When there begin to be hints of Bill’s intense sexual appetites, Hillary is blind to the obvious. She declares it’s a Republican plot when Gennifer Flowers claims to have had an affair with Bill.
When Bill gets the opportunity to run for president, Hillary, a sharp lawyer, is there for him, strategizing, campaigning, and helping bring him to the White House. The public will get “two for one,” she exclaims with conviction.
But the hints about Bill’s infidelity are finally beginning to sink into Hillary’s consciousness. Then Athena suggests that she can help Hillary tolerate Bill’s behavior by removing half of Hillary’s heart, so she won’t feel the pain. In place of pain will be anger, which, Athena claims, “all heroes have felt.”
But, Athena continues, there is a price to pay: Hillary will lose the classic female social graces, the strengths that “Ladybird and Jackie were so good at.” Hillary will become a true warrior.
During the Monica Lewinsky period, some hilarious scenes between Bill and investigator Kenneth Starr (Jorge Cordova) help to hang him.
The play ends with Hillary’s being elected senator for New York, with remaining misgivings about Bill’s behavior. But it appears that she has come to accept him for what he is, and that the two share possibly a deep love, and certainly a partnership that nothing can break apart.
Some later episodes, dealing with Hillary’s visit to Hades to try to solve her problems, are a bit muddled. However, a meeting with the late Eleanor Roosevelt serves to explain and convince Hillary that there is more than one kind of a positive relationship with one’s mate.
Four chorus members, Jorge Cordova, Charlie Hudson III, Jenny Mercein and Josie Whittlesey, play various small roles throughout.
There was something lost, in my estimation, that Hillary was written and portrayed on one note, as a woman who is “square” and clueless in regard to her husband and even to life. As the actual Hillary Clinton is noted for her sense of humor, it is a pity that some complexities were not brought out.
Mia Barron’s Hillary was skillfully played but, as noted, on one note. One unfortunate element, having to do with her appearance, is that in the early scenes, when Hillary was a brunette and wore dark-rimmed glasses, she looked remarkably like—of all people, Sarah Palin.
Darren Pettie’s Bill was well performed, as were the goddesses of Heidi Armbruster and Victoire Charles. Director Julie Kramer effectively coordinated all the elements, including the terrific costumes by Amelia Dombrowski, the spare but effective set by Lauren Helpern, and lighting by Graham Kindred.
Hillary: A Modern Greek Tragedy With a (Somewhat) Happy Ending
The Living Theater
21 Clinton Street
Tickets: (212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
Closes: Dec. 20
Diana Barth writes about theater and film for various publications, including the arts newsletter, “New Millennium.” For information: [email protected]
Hillary (Mia Barron) comes onto the scene as a somber yet brilliant and ambitious Wellesley student. The queen of studies and debating, there is no doubt about her future success. Life magazine even publishes an article about her. But later, at Yale Law School, when she meets the handsome and charismatic Bill Clinton (Darren Pettie), her emotions go into a tailspin.
The aforementioned goddesses, the stern, imposing Athena (Heidi Armbruster), replete with breastplate, and the lusciously sexual Aphrodite (Victoire Charles), in semi-revealing diaphanous gown, each try to influence the yet unformed Hillary to follow their unique paths.
At first Aphrodite appears to win out. Madly in love with Bill, Hillary marries him and they move to Arkansas, where he ultimately serves as governor of the state—for 18 years! During this time Hillary must, of course, take a back seat to Bill.
When there begin to be hints of Bill’s intense sexual appetites, Hillary is blind to the obvious. She declares it’s a Republican plot when Gennifer Flowers claims to have had an affair with Bill.
When Bill gets the opportunity to run for president, Hillary, a sharp lawyer, is there for him, strategizing, campaigning, and helping bring him to the White House. The public will get “two for one,” she exclaims with conviction.
But the hints about Bill’s infidelity are finally beginning to sink into Hillary’s consciousness. Then Athena suggests that she can help Hillary tolerate Bill’s behavior by removing half of Hillary’s heart, so she won’t feel the pain. In place of pain will be anger, which, Athena claims, “all heroes have felt.”
But, Athena continues, there is a price to pay: Hillary will lose the classic female social graces, the strengths that “Ladybird and Jackie were so good at.” Hillary will become a true warrior.
During the Monica Lewinsky period, some hilarious scenes between Bill and investigator Kenneth Starr (Jorge Cordova) help to hang him.
The play ends with Hillary’s being elected senator for New York, with remaining misgivings about Bill’s behavior. But it appears that she has come to accept him for what he is, and that the two share possibly a deep love, and certainly a partnership that nothing can break apart.
Some later episodes, dealing with Hillary’s visit to Hades to try to solve her problems, are a bit muddled. However, a meeting with the late Eleanor Roosevelt serves to explain and convince Hillary that there is more than one kind of a positive relationship with one’s mate.
Four chorus members, Jorge Cordova, Charlie Hudson III, Jenny Mercein and Josie Whittlesey, play various small roles throughout.
There was something lost, in my estimation, that Hillary was written and portrayed on one note, as a woman who is “square” and clueless in regard to her husband and even to life. As the actual Hillary Clinton is noted for her sense of humor, it is a pity that some complexities were not brought out.
Mia Barron’s Hillary was skillfully played but, as noted, on one note. One unfortunate element, having to do with her appearance, is that in the early scenes, when Hillary was a brunette and wore dark-rimmed glasses, she looked remarkably like—of all people, Sarah Palin.
Darren Pettie’s Bill was well performed, as were the goddesses of Heidi Armbruster and Victoire Charles. Director Julie Kramer effectively coordinated all the elements, including the terrific costumes by Amelia Dombrowski, the spare but effective set by Lauren Helpern, and lighting by Graham Kindred.
Hillary: A Modern Greek Tragedy With a (Somewhat) Happy Ending
The Living Theater
21 Clinton Street
Tickets: (212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
Closes: Dec. 20
Diana Barth writes about theater and film for various publications, including the arts newsletter, “New Millennium.” For information: [email protected]
