ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

Men aren't pigs, they're bulls. And they're always looking for new cows, rejecting the old, used-up cows, who endure varying periods of anguish at their dismissal. So goes the theory of one confirmed old cow. Laura Hicks must have lived the familiar tale of woe herself, so convincing is her performance of a woman loved, then scorned. Her light, sure voice and delivery evoke laughter and anger, often in the same sentence. While she doesn't vocalize the characters of best girlfriend, best gay guy friend, new cow, smooth bull, or lothario roommate, she captures the essence of their personalities, while at the same time communicating the subtext of the author's opinions. In the end, the old cow turns back into a woman, and the listener wipes away tears of laughter. R.P.L. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 01]