THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES

L.A. Theatre Works’ presentation of Guare's Obie Award-winning comedy is first-rate. It takes place in the early 1960s in New York City on the day the pope is coming to town. The characters and the action run the gamut from desperate nuns, a political bombing, a GI headed for Vietnam, and a woman who strikes a bargain between sex and great cooking to a zookeeper who dreams of making it big as a songwriter and his schizophrenic wife, who is destined for an institution. Sharon Gless, Jessica Walter, and Ron Leibman deliver strong portraits of flawed characters—some funny, some despondent, some frustrated, and some hopeful. Their vocal characterizations—full of vitality—provide bittersweet glimpses into the lives of these unfulfilled characters. M.R.E. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2009]