"Stretch: a fantasia" is the title of Susan Bernfield has given her new play. Her inspiration was this iconic 1974 photograph of Rose Mary Woods as she demonstrated to a grand jury how she accidentally erased a section of the "Nixon tapes." In 2005, Susan read that Woods had died in an Ohio nursing home and began to write the play.
Though it only had a four-day run last week at the Ice Factory at the Ohio Theatre in Soho, I'm sure someone will be smart enough to bring it back for a full run. The play zips along in 80 minutes and was a tour de force for Kristin Griffith, the lead actress. At first Rose Mary drowses in a wheel chair, then wakes periodically to reveal the tough and shrewd "executive assistant" she became.
Of course, she is unknown to the clueless 20-something orderly who watches over her. Though I missed some of the drug references he made when relaxing over substances with his stoned buddy, the two were characterized perfectly for all who believe that little of the curriculum reaches many in today's high schools. A view of the classroom from the other side arrives in the person of a very serious former social studies teacher who wheels his chair next to Rose Mary. He tells her of his efforts to bring the truth to his students--though he's sad he disagreed with his son about the Vietnam war. Always the educator, he hopes she will come to a meeting of nursing home residents as a guest speaker. She resists. Protective always of her old boss, she will only agree to talk about Eisenhower.
I've been to other memorable plays at the Ohio Theatre. A difference this time was that I'd seen Stretch in an earlier form as it was being developed. It has come a long way over the past two years. Susan, a child in the Nixon impeachment era, has created a sensitive play that puts together politics, aging, and the role of women helpers to "great men." Original music plus the sounds of an IBM Selectric were part of the mix--and humor.
Susan Bernfield, in addition to being a playwright, is artistic director of New Georges, a non-profit theatrical company providing resources to "...push venturesome artists (who are women) and their work into the world." (Disclaimer: I know about Susan's work because her mother, Audrey, is a friend.)
Click on the Ice Factory link above for titles and times for other new work at the Ohio Theater in July and August.