(Posted May 24, 2006)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Women's Theater Project shows it's a pro troupe to be reckoned with in its production of COLLECTED STORIES.

Artistic Director Maryanna Clarke has picked a strong piece by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies (DINNER WITH FRIENDS), cast it well and helmed it sure-handedly. This is only the group's second show (it debuted last summer with Jeanmarie Simpson's A SINGLE WOMAN), but the experience and talent behind TWTP make it seem like an longtime theatrical friend.

COLLECTED STORIES centers on the relationship between Lisa Morrison (RheAnn White Fuller), a talented but raw young writer who idolizes her teacher, veteran author Ruth Steiner (Terry Occhiogrosso). We see their relationship change over the years as Morrison grows in ability and confidence while Steiner's fears and personal traumas are revealed.

This two-hander is well-written, but it would still be a struggle to maintain an audience's interest if the two players involved weren't believable. Happily, they come completely to life through Fuller and Occhiogrosso's characterizations.

Fuller's Morrison goes from nervous to assured during the course of the story while Occhiogrosso's Steiner begins in a guarded mode but ends up showing her vulnerability. The transitions these actors make seem so organic it's easy to forget that Margulies' script dictates those changes.

Susan Jakoblew's costumes aid those changes too. It's not just that clothes change over the years - they reveal the personal changes of the characters as the story progresses. Morrison's wardrobe becomes more mature over time, while Steiner's becomes less formal.

Clarke has brought these elements together with Delores McCreery's atmospheric lighting, Lynn Bowden's unobtrusive sound and Kim Russell's informative set with detailed dressing by Robert Kiefer and props by Kiefer and Debi Shinners. Clarke's adroit pacing and staging keep us interested in the action while stimulating our minds and allowing the actors to touch our hearts.

COLLECTED STORIES is a sublime, moving drama. It's also a triumph for TWTP. How exciting it should be to see what they do next.

To See The Show...