SUMMER ISLAND

Forgiveness is never easy, and the complications in a mother-daughter relationship only increase the challenge. Years ago, Nora Bridge left her daughters and husband to save her own sanity. Now, a scandal brings the family together again, and they struggle toward the understanding and compassion they all crave. Joyce Bean offers her own compassionate reading, delicately shading the emotional passages with layers of truth. Her male characters, who are secondary to the plot, sound similar, but the female protagonists receive distinct person-alities in Bean’s performance. As Nora, Ruby, and Caroline Bridge learn to open up to one another, they acquire depth of character in text and performance, which blend perfectly in this production. R.P.L. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]