UP ISLAND

C.J. Critt's authoritative intonation commands attention. Here again we enjoy Siddons's favorite plot line: A Southern woman in a shaky marriage drags herself into the twentieth century by leaving the deep South and finding inner strength. Critt's crisp delivery is syrupy. She refrains from reading the entire production in a Southern accent, although she does employ it artfully in certain characterizations. A highlight of the audio is Critt's compassionate portrayal of protagonist Molly Redwine's father, Tim Bell. Subtle softening and lowering of voice, delicate layering of Atlanta dialect, and a slight slowing of pace portray Bell as the loving, though hurting, father he is. R.P.L. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB 98]