Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Women under fire over the years: Assessing the current revivals of THE GIN GAME, AN AMERICAN DAUGHTER, and THE WINTER’S TALE

• By drediman
• August 13, 2026
• No Comments

On the boards of Off-Broadway theaters this August, you’ll find a trio of revivals that depict, over the years and in various circumstances, women under fire by societal forces. Here are my thoughts on the current productions of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, Donald L. Coburn’s The Gin Game, and Wendy Wasserstein’s An American Daughter.

THE WINTER’S TALE
Free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater
Through August 23

Opening this week was Free Shakespeare in the Park’s production of the Bard’s late career romance The Winter’s Tale (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), which broadly depicts a royal family set asunder by a king’s accusatory jealous rage against his queen. Although there’s no getting away from the play’s strange plot machinations (that terrorizing bear!) and an overlong middle chapter (the lackadaisically pastoral episode in Bohemia), I applaud veteran director Daniel Sullivan for staying the course. Indeed, I’m happy to report that his tastefully traditional staging is beautifully grounded, eschewing the high concept and/or spectacle of recent Free Shakespeare in the Park fare (e.g., Twelfth Night last summer, Romeo and Juliet earlier this summer). In final analysis, the revival is unfussy and ultimately tremendously moving; rarely has Shakespeare written a more heartrending and satisfying conclusion, and it shimmers here. This is in large part to the superb performances. Particularly sensational as Queen Hermione of Sicilia is Lily Rabe, whose powerhouse portrayal of a woman wrongly accused of adultery rings with both immense tragedy and outraged injustice (Rabe was Tony-nominated in another Sullivan-directed Shakespeare production with origins at the Delacorte, the Al Pacino-led The Merchant of Venice). As her jealous husband King Leontes, Raúl Esparza is simply perfect — few actors can work themselves up into a frenzy quite like this fiery versatile actor can (Esparza will be seen on Broadway in the fall in the title role of the anticipated new musical Galileo). Also quite fine are Gilbert Owuor as Polixenes — the estranged king of Bohemia — as well as Teagle F. Bougere and Marsha Stephanie Blake, who play the crafty servants Camillo and Paulina, respectively.

THE GIN GAME
Go Dog Go Productions at Housing Works Bookstore
Through August 14

Then there’s Go Dog Go Productions’ intimate Off-Broadway revival of D.L. Coburn’s classic two-hander The Gin Game (RECOMMENDED). Starring the real life husband-and-wife pairing of Debra Winger and Arliss Howard, the production is also notable for its bespoke “pop-up” staging at Housing Works Bookstore in SoHo and its democratic blanket pricing of only $20 per ticket (given the starry cast and the low cost of admission, it’s no surprise that the production quickly sold out its inventory of tickets). In short, the 1976 play — which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama — chronicles the tug-of-war relationship between Weller (Howard) and Fonsia (Winger), an elderly couple at a retirement home who face-off over a series of increasingly aggressive and revealing gin games. Although Mr. Coburn’s play is slight in stature, it’s a wonderful vehicle for two more mature actors to show off their chops. Thankfully, Winger and Howard pull it off with thoughtfulness and ease. In a rare return to theater, Winger (once an “it” girl for her appearances in seminal films such as An Officer and a Gentleman and Terms of Endearment) does an admirable job of portraying a reserved woman of a certain age who is forced to fend for herself when she finds herself under attack by a volatile man. It’s a slow-burning performance, whose steely side took me by surprise. Just as effective is Howard, who gives an utterly believable performance as a man whose uncontrollable temper conjures behavior that can easily be misconstrued as physically and emotionally abusive. Just as important is the palpable and genuine chemistry between the two stars, which infuses the escalating hostility between Fonsia and Weller with the melancholic heartbreak of lost opportunity.

AN AMERICAN DAUGHTER
La Femme Theatre Productions at the Pershing Square Signature Center
Through September 20

Also opening this week was a rare revival of Wendy Wasserstein’s An American Daughter (RECOMMENDED). Boasting an accomplished cast, the production is also notable for featuring an unpublished, never-before-seen second act that faces Wasserstein’s concerns head on (no spoilers here). Indeed, nearly three decades onwards, the play sadly remains as relevant today as it was when it premiered in 1997. Although the work remains uneven — the play can be arguably perceived as being static and lumbering in its plot machinations — there is no doubting the play’s ambition, intelligence, and good intentions. Set in Washington D.C.’s exclusive Georgetown neighborhood during the late 1990s, An American Daughter analyzes the splintered notion of feminism in contemporary society, particularly as it relates to the excess scrutiny put upon smart, capable women pursuing high level careers in public life (the play concerns Dr. Lyssa Dent Hughes as she struggles through the unexpected public backlash triggered by receiving the presidential nomination for Surgeon General). Indeed, in many ways, the unabashedly political play uncannily anticipates the challenges faced by high powered women like Hillary Clinton during her presidential campaign. Although La Femme Theatre Productions’ handsomely appointed revival — directed cautiously by Sarna Lapine — won’t change the minds of the play’s critics, I found its heady ideas and philosophical arguments captivating. Unfortunately, Jean Lichty and Montego Glover are unconvincing in the central roles of Lyssa and Judith (Lyssa’s best friend and fellow doctor). Faring far better are stage stalwarts Robert Sean Leonard, Mary Beth Peil, and Dakin Matthews, whose performances authentically convey lives in politics, academia, and/or high society.