Seven women from history are featured in this one-woman show written and performed by Muriel Bach before an overwhelmingly female audience. The historic subjects are an odd assortment who have nothing in common, expect that they all have "nerve" as defined by Bach. They are Lydia Pinkham, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Rosa Parks, Gertrude Stein, Maria Montessori, Theda Bara, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Bach moves from one character to another, changing into and out of costumes on stage as she offers a summary for one and an introduction to the next. Perhaps the magic of theatre is lost on videotape, or perhaps it's Bach's putting words into Eleanor of Aquitaine's mouth, or maybe it is that her tone varies from shrill aggrievement to coy cutesyness, but the production comes across as a tiresome exercise in consciousness-raising. We are not being educated; we are being preached to. We are not witnessing drama; we are watching overacting. While the technical aspects of the production are solid, the tape is weak due to the scattershot, unfocused nature of the profiles (Theda Bara seems to be included mainly because Hollywood stereotyped her--as if other and better actresses weren't). This is an optional purchase for larger collections only. Aud: C, P. (R. Reagan)
Living Portraits of Historic Women: Of All the Nerve!
(1996) 65 min. $29.95. Paragon Media. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-57634-004-X. Vol. 11, Issue 6
Living Portraits of Historic Women: Of All the Nerve!
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