The one-woman production is under the direction of Bev Newcomb-Madden, whose past work includes everything from the political farce Nixon Nixon to the nostalgic comedy While We Were Bowling. Alex Ryer will play Lederer as she tells her life story to the audience from her fancy Chicago apartment; Lederer talks directly to the audience throughout the show, sharing her columns as well as letters from readers.
“She sees life through very clear eyes. There’s nothing pretentious about her, and that’s part of her charm,” says Newcomb-Madden.
A portion of the play deals with Lederer’s complicated relationship with her twin sister, Pauline Phillips, the writer of competing advice column Dear Abby. “She, of course, loves her, but they’re very, very competitive when it comes to writing these articles,” says Newcomb-Madden. “She does make fun of her sister during the course of the play.”
The play opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Arvada Center’s Black Box Theater, 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, and runs through May 22. Tickets start at $35; for more information, call 720-898-7200 or visit www.arvadacenter.org.
Tuesdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 1 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: April 26. Continues through May 22, 2011
