PicksInSix Review: ROE Goodman Theatre
SUPREME COURT LOOMS IN ROE’S SHADOW
In the case of Roe versus Wade, still hotly debated on all sides in the even-more-polarized world that we live in, the law of the land still stands after nearly 50 years. How we got here, from where, and the journey taken by two of the central people involved make up the gritty stuff of Lisa Loomer’s remarkably complex and intriguing “ROE,” now playing in the Albert Theatre at Goodman. As directed by Vanessa Stalling, the play is of-the- moment and could certainly change should the Supreme Court take the case and overrule the decision that upheld women’s right to choose an abortion.
That said, the backstory unfolds in the imposing shadow of the Supreme Court, retelling the inter-connected lives of the real “Jane Roe,” Norma McCorvey (Kate Middleton) and attorney Sarah Weddington (Christina Hall), who tried the case in Texas and before the Supreme Court. The relatively small-in-number ensemble covers four-dozen roles that frame the study of American opinion on the topic from the late 1960s to last week.
If you lived through this period, or you are an attorney or political scholar, it’s pretty easy to follow. If you are not, “ROE” could be a flash point for or against your particular point of view, regardless of how objectively presented all the information seems to be.
That could well be the point. “ROE” is thought-provoking theater with amazing performances by Middleton and Hall, who inhabit small sections of the Albert’s immense footprint, made larger by Collette Pollard’s wide-open scenic design, framed in massive federal columns. Projections with actual voice recording from the proceedings tell us what happens to everyone in the room along the way.
McCorvey’s troubled life story could have easily spiraled into a sorrow-filled tale if not in the very capable hands of Stalling, who moves things along briskly, zeroing in on the paradoxical humor and drawing from Middleton a touching and heartfelt performance of a woman walking a fine line between hopeless addict and unwavering optimist. In Weddington, who agrees to litigate the pregnant McCovey’s case after a meeting in a pizza parlor, Loomer points to a higher calling to serve all women. Hall’s portrayal is thoughtful, decisive and particularly balanced when the Texas and Supreme Court decisions are rendered and did little to improve McCorvey’s condition.
What happens then demonstrates how a point of view can shift depending upon who is in the room, and how perilously susceptible we are by the minute to public sentiment and opinion.
PHOTOS|Liz Lauren
GOODMAN THEATER
presents
CHICAGO PREMIERE
ROE
ALBERT THEATRE
170 North Dearborn
through February 23, 2020
WEBSITE
TICKETS
(312) 443-3800
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