PicksInSix Review: THE ADULT IN THE ROOM Victory Gardens
In the room where it matters.
Well along in the world premiere of Bill McMahon’s new play “The Adult in the Room,” now playing in a limited run in the Richard Christiansen Theater at Victory Gardens, online technology does what online technology often does: It fails. This time, however, it happens to Orlagh Cassidy, who channels Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi in the confines of her Senate office, while in the middle of an Instagram Live session. What she does next is remarkable, even for Nancy Pelosi.
More to come on that in a moment.
Up to this point, a rich backstory is underway, one that only about half of the voting public—and anyone from Maryland or California—might know, so the retelling turns out to be enlightening. McMahon chooses a linear path to tell his story, framed in 21st-century technology with two large, faux cell phone panels that engage you in the text conversation that drives the dialogue.
Dressed impeccably in white—a stunning all-business look that is both urban and elegant—Cassidy moves methodically through Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro’s early days in Baltimore as the only daughter of a former congressman and Baltimore mayor, meeting and marrying Paul Pelosi, raising a family of four, moving to San Francisco and, somewhat reluctantly, moving into a political life only after the kids were raised.
The story imparts all-important lessons along the way, conveyed often with a wink, nod or a button demonstrating Cassidy’s skill at homing in on the essence of her character without crossing the line into caricature. Pelosi speaks fondly of the guidance she received from her father Thomas and mother Annunciata, as well as Sala Burton, who urged Pelosi to run for her seat in the House in 1987. There are several interruptions—a call here, a tweet there—that invoke her coping mechanisms: long deep breaths and chocolate.
The message in Pelosi’s story is clear. No matter what side of the aisle you are on, the Speaker’s “iron fist in a velvet glove” approach has changed the course of political history for her party, the nation and for all women, particularly the women in her party, challenging them to pick up the mantle of someone who has seen and heard it all. Even in the moment when technology seemingly lets her down, Pelosi takes it in stride, quietly patient, planning what comes next, and then taking a breath and picking up where she left off.
PHOTOS|Michael Brosilow
Broadway Factor NYC
presents
THE ADULT IN THE ROOM
Victory Gardens Theater
Richard Christiansen Theater
2433 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago
through February 15, 2020
WEBSITE | TICKETS
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago