LIBERATION on Broadway

 

"Liberation", the beautiful new play by Bess Wohl that just opened on Broadway, is the kind of timely piece we need in the commercial theater. 

Framed right off the bat as a memory play, "Liberation" is an exploration by Wohl, through her onstage surrogate (played by the wonderful Susannah Flood) of the women's lib movement in America in the 1970's and, namely, why it not only never fully succeeded, but, just as importantly, how on earth we've come to find ourselves moving backwards forty years later. Her mother's generation fought for (and attained) Roe V. Wade. Her generation has watched it be taken away.

Wohl's mother, Lizzy, was the catalyst for Wohl writing the play. In the 1970's Lizzie, also primarily played by Wohl, a struggling journalist relegated to weddings and obituaries (she had to fight for obituaries) and desperate to write about politics, started a women's lib group in the basement of an Ohio rec center. There she made lifelong friends from all different backgrounds and walks of life, went on dangerous strikes, and broke the status quo fighting for women's rights. But then she met Wohl's dad...and she moved with him to NY (some of those in her group call it "following him to NY") where she became a wife, and mother, and occasional journalist, and Wohl grew up with a mother who seemed very different from the woman she apparently was back in Ohio. We learn that Wohl's mother recently passed away, leaving Wohl with all sorts of questions about who she was, why she made the choices she did, why things are still so awful for women and, deepest of all, whether her mother wouldn't have been happier never having her in the first place and, instead, giving her all to the fight. 

The crux of the story takes place at the Ohio rec center where we meet Lizzie and her cohorts, with Wohl occasionally adding commentary or breaking the scene to ask a group member a question. Apparently, after her mother died, Wohl tracked down the members of the Ohio group who were still alive and interviewed them - these interviews play a significant part in the narrative. 

The members of the group are a motley crew - each representing a very different "kind" of woman, with a different view of life and her place in it. Margie (Betsy Aidem) is a long time housewife with her grown children now out of the house. Her husband has never done anything to help her and she's reached a breaking point. Upon finally getting him to do ONE chore, and having a whole ten minutes to herself for the first time in decades, she finds she can't even read a book anymore...she's so uncomfortable doing something just for herself.

 Kristolyn Lloyd plays Celeste - an intelligent young woman who was living in NYC and was recently "forced" back to Ohio to take care of her ailing mother (being the only "responsible" on of her siblings.) A closeted lesbian (she ends up dating, and then being outed by another member of the group who recognizes her from an LGBTQ+ march back in NY), and the only woman of color in the group, Celeste is dealing with an intersectionality that the other members, simply, aren't. She is self-assured and a strong leader - the only member who has previously been a part of a women's lib group, she is instrumental in guiding the proceedings and setting up rules and boundaries. 

Adina Verson is Susan - as openly queer as you can get in a small town in Ohio in the '70's,  Susan is a free spirit. Her dream is to own a Harley that she can ride with her pet bird - a step up from living in her car. She is, in some ways, the most passionate member of the group - constantly pushing the others to stop talking and DO something. It is Susan who begings a relationship with Celeste. 

There are two Doras (denoted in the Playbill as "Dora" and "Isidora".) Dora (Audrey Corsa), the youngest member, stumbles on the group accidentally, thinking she's attending a knitting club. She is in her early 20's, has a secretarial job at a small company, which she really runs behind the scenes, and a less than satisfying relationship with her long term boyfriend. She's grateful that she convinced her parents to let her work at all, but is frustrated with how she's treated in her job. She's gorgeous, and blonde and, well, you can imagine the rest. She is passed over for promotions even though she's running the place and is pushed so far one day that she storms out - leaving her terrified that she's going to be fired and that she'll be forced to marry her boyfriend. Isidora (Irene Sofia Lucio) is a sexy, fiery Italian immigrant who is gay but married to a man for a green card. She must stay married for a certain amount of time or else she will lose her green card when she gets divorced (which she can't wait to do), and she's terrified of getting pregnant before the time is up. But just when she's on the verge of obtaining her freedom... Ohio gets rid of the "no fault" divorce option, leaving her trapped in her marriage. 

There are two other , not group member characters that weave in and out of the story. Bill (Charlie Thurston) is the hot guy who comes in to play basketball when the group's meetings finish, and ends up becoming Lizzie's future husband/Wohl's father. Bill is a great addition to the piece. The only man we see, he offers a more complex view of masculinity - one that stands in contrast to the black and white assholes the women encounter on a daily basis - and it is this complexity that throws perhaps the biggest wrench into the conversation about women's lib. It's pretty clear cut (at least morally) that women need to stand up for their rights against man child neanderthals... but the situation is more complicated when faced with a, well, a truly good man. Bill is kind, smart and incredibly supportive of women's rights. He wants Lizzie to do all the things she's dreamed of, and he imagines a partnership that is just that - a PARTNERSHIP - with both of them supporting and championing each other. He brings the issue of men's roles in women's lib to the table - saying that we need everyone fighting for it...it's not something that Lizzie can just do solo. He also, I think rightly, pushes back against Lizzie's single minded belief that marriage = an evil form of slavery for women. He wants commitment, he wants to stand by her side, and he doesn't want to feel like a piece of trash simply because he's a man. It speaks to the importance of his argument that, on the night I saw the show, there was an audible reaction to his exit line - During a blowup of an argument where Lizzie has basically made him feel like shit about proposing, and he's made a gallant speech about standing by her side, Lizzie all but refuses to listen to him. Devastated and hurt he starts to leave. Lizzie calls after him: "Wait! What about giving me ride to the party?" He responds: "You're a liberated woman. Get there yourself." Someone in the audience involuntarily said: "He's not wrong..."

Kayla Davion plays Joanne - a stay at home mom with young kids (they're always leaving their backpacks at school - hence why she's constantly walking in during meetings to find them.) Joanne would love to join... but it's not possible for her to attend 6pm meetings on weeknights, and she rightly points out that the group is excluding an entire demographic because of the their meeting time (which never changes). Don't moms of young children deserve women's lib too? Joanne also takes on the role of Lizzie for certain scenes (Wohl is, obviously, uncomfortable portraying her mom in romantic moments involving her dad...) and it allows Davion to steal the show. In a production where every cast member deserves serious accolades and nominations, Davion just might walk away with the crown. She is also the only other woman of color in the cast, and it allows for Joanne and Celeste to have some strong conversations about intersectionality, and issues the rest of the characters can't relate to - though they try. 

All of the actors are phenomenal - all stand outs. This is a brilliant example of a perfectly crafted ensemble.

"Liberation" is a brave piece. The conversations are deep and complex, and that's without including the "shocking" scene at the top of act two (minor spoilers ahead.) When you get to the theater you will be given a locked pouch for your phone - meaning you will not be able to access your phone until the pouch is unlocked at the end of the evening (something I applaud!) This is because at the top of act two there is an extended scene where the women have a meeting completely in the nude. And I mean COMPLETELY in the nude. It is beautiful, and breathtaking, and moving. Each woman shares one thing they like and hate about their body and it leads to some heartbreaking, revelatory conversations. Every woman onstage is beautiful. No one is sexualized. And watching that scene is something I think everyone needs to experience. 

The show culminates in Margie stepping into the role of Lizzie so that Wohl can have the conversation with her mother she never got to have. Let's just say, there was not a dry eye in the house. 

Whitney White has directed this piece with great care, empathy and intelligence. She navigates the changes in time and place, and the breaking of the fourth wall masterfully - we are always clear on where and when we are, and not negatively distracted by the transitions. 

The scenic design is deceptively simple... we stay in the gym of the rec center the whole time - complete with mismatched chairs and mats, signs from winning sports teams (all male, of course), backpacks and bleachers and the height of the space is used perfectly. Likewise the costume and wig design are fantastic, as well as the intelligent lighting changes.

I highly recommend seeing this show. Contrary to what many might assume from it's title and logline, it's for everyone, and everyone should go (with the exception of children under the age of 14 or so... certainly anyone too young to not be, potentially, confused or negatively affected by seeing people naked for an extended period of time, or too immature to not turn it into a joke.) This piece is a conversation starter in the best way, and I hope it reaches as many people as possible.

Beth Hartley

LIBERATION is currently playing at the James Earl Jones Theatre on Broadway