'Sisters' to open Oakland season

The play is Linda J. Tessier's first as a director.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- "The Sisters Rosensweig," a critically acclaimed play by Wendy Wasserstein, will open the fall season at The Oakland Center for the Arts.
The play, directed by Linda J. Tessier, tells the story of three successful Jewish sisters, their inner struggles and their great love for one another. The central event is a party where family and friends are gathered to celebrate the 54th birthday of the oldest sister, Sara Goode.
The play takes place in London, where the sisters, originally from Brooklyn, are reunited after a long separation.
"A big part of the play is about Jewish identity -- what it means to be a successful middle-aged Jewish woman in the early '90s -- and to contemplate where you want to make changes," said Tessier. "All three of the women are at turning points in their lives."
First as a director
The production is Tessier's first as a director.
"I was unfamiliar with the play, so I read it, and loved it," she said. "It intrigued me because it invites the audience to get involved with the characters. And I admired Wasserstein for her 'Heidi Chronicles.'"
Tessier said Wasserstein has described "Sisters" as "neither comedic or dramatic, but hopefully both."
"This play will make people laugh, but it is also moving," said Tessier. "We come to care about these people and hope they can work things out. It is also about the relationship of sisterhood."
Linda Metz, who plays the part of Sara, said she hasn't been onstage since high school. The play is a challenge, she said, because it is so "wordy," but also because of the complexities of the character. "I love the play," said Metz. "I like the fact that Sara is so aloof, so hidden from her true self.
Metz describes her character: "She has been married twice, and is now a wealthy British banker. She is threatened by the presence of a man who comes into her life. He is getting to her vulnerability, but she wants to stay in control and doesn't want to be bothered with him. She is angry, yet likes him. There is one scene where she goes through a multitude of emotions. She is finally so rude and mean to him that he leaves."
Relationships
Even though the focus of the play is on Sara and her birthday party, the essence is more about the relationships of the three sisters. "It is a sweet story," said Metz. "All three sisters have something to hide, and they all play-act with each other, as if they were kids again. At the end, they let down their guard and be themselves, and they love each other very much."
The middle sister's name is Gorgeous. She is a radio talk-show personality whom Metz describes as a thorn in the side of the others. "She thinks life is 'funsie' and a barrel of laughs and that everything is wonderful," Metz said. "And we know life is not like that. She has been alienated from the others.
The third sister, Pfeni, is the youngest. She is a traveling journalist, who is trying to run away.
The play is complex, Tessier said, but the Oakland has risen to the occasion.
"Here we have a director who has never directed, a leading lady who hasn't been on stage since high school, and a couple others who have never been on stage before at all, doing this very complicated play," she said.
But everyone has stepped up to the challenge, she said, adding, "the people at The Oakland are not afraid to take risks."