PROMISES

Margaret, teacher and mother of three, finds her marriage to Adam destroyed by his affair with a long-lost love. Nina, Margaret's niece, must cope with the discovery that the love of her life is a married man with two children. Joanna Kerns does a fine job telling this story, which begins with Margaret's marriage and then jumps to the beginning of Adam's affair while relating Nina's troubled love life. Oddly, Margaret's story is brought to a conclusion, but there's no hint of whether Nina finds happiness or a better relationship. Although she employs only slight variations in tone, Kerns' ability to express the heights (and depths) of emotion experienced by the characters is remarkable in a performance notable for its warmth and vitality. M.A.M. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JAN 97]