Theatre Review by Manning Harris - "Smart
Cookie"
Cookie"
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Atlanta INtown - IN The Loop
When portions of Truman Capote's “Answered Prayers” appeared in
“Esquire” in 1975, his rich and famous friends, on whom the book was
based, dropped him like a hot rock, and many of them never spoke to him
again. “You'd think I'd killed the Lindbergh baby,” he was quoted as
saying. One hopes that Julia Brownell will not meet a similar fate, for she
bases “Smart Cookie,” her new play, on the very rich Upper East Side
folks for whom she babysat and observed while a student at NYU. (She's
probably safe; Capote was already famous and at the peak of his career
when The Beautiful People turned against him.) “Smart Cookie” is a
satiric comedy now playing at the Alliance Theatre's Hertz Stage through
February 22.
Ms. Brownell's play, now in its world premiere engagement, won the
Alliance's 2008 Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition. She's only
25, and to have a prominent regional (and Tony-winning!) theatre with
actors of this caliber perform her play is quite a coup; we offer our
congratulations. The title role is played with charm, sincerity, and verve
by Courtenay Collins; this talented woman can do no wrong these days. If
you're a fan, I must tell you she doesn't sing here, but she soars in this
role. Cookie savors her fast-paced Upper East Side life, but her world
suddenly shifts when her 16-year-old son, Spencer (Blake Lowell),
returns from his exclusive prep school with his lovely, pregnant girlfriend
Anna (Rebecca Blumhagen) with him. She is an exchange student from
Spain, and her religion forbids abortion, which to Cookie and her best pal
Bitsy (Nancy Lemenager) is the only sensible solution to this little
“mistake.” Spencer's dad (Larry Larson) maintains his cool quite well; he
seems not to comprehend the “crisis.” Dori Garziano completes the cast.
This “East Side Story” zips along at a very brisk pace, with lots of one-
liners and zingy, amusing twists and turns. Each of the teenagers is mildly
annoying; each is spoiled, with a sense of entitlement, and Anna's
sanctimoniousness is not endearing; but they're young and youth must
be served, as they say, and forgiven. Ms. Lemenager's Bitsy (superbly
acted) is really a caricature of the vacuous, self-indulgent rich, and to tell
the truth, seems a bit mean-spirited on the part of the playwright. It's so
easy to make fun of the rich—a bit too easy here, as it happens. As long
as you go along for the ride and don't take anything too seriously (and
that's easy to do with “Smart Cookie”), you'll have a great time.
Ultimately, it's the talent of the actors that carry this gifted, fledgling
playwright on their wings, particularly the humanizing transformation of
Ms. Collins. And this is a slick, sleek production directed by Jeremy B.
Cohen, most ably assisted by Lee Savage's fluid set design. The music
(Lindsay Jones)--in fact the whole production—has a “Devil Wears Prada”
feel to it—most bracing indeed. The show runs through February 22.
“Esquire” in 1975, his rich and famous friends, on whom the book was
based, dropped him like a hot rock, and many of them never spoke to him
again. “You'd think I'd killed the Lindbergh baby,” he was quoted as
saying. One hopes that Julia Brownell will not meet a similar fate, for she
bases “Smart Cookie,” her new play, on the very rich Upper East Side
folks for whom she babysat and observed while a student at NYU. (She's
probably safe; Capote was already famous and at the peak of his career
when The Beautiful People turned against him.) “Smart Cookie” is a
satiric comedy now playing at the Alliance Theatre's Hertz Stage through
February 22.
Ms. Brownell's play, now in its world premiere engagement, won the
Alliance's 2008 Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition. She's only
25, and to have a prominent regional (and Tony-winning!) theatre with
actors of this caliber perform her play is quite a coup; we offer our
congratulations. The title role is played with charm, sincerity, and verve
by Courtenay Collins; this talented woman can do no wrong these days. If
you're a fan, I must tell you she doesn't sing here, but she soars in this
role. Cookie savors her fast-paced Upper East Side life, but her world
suddenly shifts when her 16-year-old son, Spencer (Blake Lowell),
returns from his exclusive prep school with his lovely, pregnant girlfriend
Anna (Rebecca Blumhagen) with him. She is an exchange student from
Spain, and her religion forbids abortion, which to Cookie and her best pal
Bitsy (Nancy Lemenager) is the only sensible solution to this little
“mistake.” Spencer's dad (Larry Larson) maintains his cool quite well; he
seems not to comprehend the “crisis.” Dori Garziano completes the cast.
This “East Side Story” zips along at a very brisk pace, with lots of one-
liners and zingy, amusing twists and turns. Each of the teenagers is mildly
annoying; each is spoiled, with a sense of entitlement, and Anna's
sanctimoniousness is not endearing; but they're young and youth must
be served, as they say, and forgiven. Ms. Lemenager's Bitsy (superbly
acted) is really a caricature of the vacuous, self-indulgent rich, and to tell
the truth, seems a bit mean-spirited on the part of the playwright. It's so
easy to make fun of the rich—a bit too easy here, as it happens. As long
as you go along for the ride and don't take anything too seriously (and
that's easy to do with “Smart Cookie”), you'll have a great time.
Ultimately, it's the talent of the actors that carry this gifted, fledgling
playwright on their wings, particularly the humanizing transformation of
Ms. Collins. And this is a slick, sleek production directed by Jeremy B.
Cohen, most ably assisted by Lee Savage's fluid set design. The music
(Lindsay Jones)--in fact the whole production—has a “Devil Wears Prada”
feel to it—most bracing indeed. The show runs through February 22.
