By Tracy Hawkins
I firmly believe the mark of a good play or film about historical figures is when it interests you enough to want to read more on the subject after you leave. Such is the case with “Tea for Three” by Eric H. Weinberger and Elaine Bromka, being produced beautifully on the Act II stage in Ambler. At the conclusion of the matinee, I wanted to check out biographies on each of the historical figures portrayed on stage.
“Tea For Three” at Act II Playhouse features actress Sabrina Profitt. Photo by Mark Garvin.
Director Mary Martello struck gold in the form of leading lady(ies) Sabrina Profitt, who brings Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, and Betty Ford to life for a cuppa and an insider look into the life of a First Lady (each of whom was wife to a Vice President first). Ms. Profitt’s transformation includes wigs, costumes and accents, but it doesn’t end there.
She portrays Lady Bird’s gentility and determination, her dedication to her husband and her love of beauty. How many people remember her “Keep American Beautiful” campaign? Pat Nixon’s struggles with her role are eye-opening, and Ms. Profitt portrays her with a brittleness that is heart-rending. Betty Ford’s colorful nature bring the play to its conclusion, and while Mrs. Ford’s nature brings many laughs, you sense the underlying sadness in her substance abuse issues. One can’t help but admire her understanding of her status as a role model for other women facing breast cancer, and later, for those dealing with addictions.
Meghan Jones’ set is exactly what I suspect a White House sitting room in the 60’s and 70’s looked like: elegant, tasteful, understated, and, in some ways, as fragile as the ladies who lived there. James Leitner’s lighting design blends nicely with ambiance of the room and its inhabitants, and Mary Folino’s costumes are letter-perfect for the period and these historical figures.
Adam Danoff’s sound design is very good, and the music chosen to accompany the Johnson and Nixon portions of the show were terrific. Having a very good memory myself of the period, I did have to ask myself if we didn’t have better music choices in the mid-70’s, but I suspect that we did not. And given Betty Ford’s history, ‘silly love songs’ probably were the best choice.
If you go: the play runs 90 minutes without intermission. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, as the performance encompasses the whole of the stage. The show runs through Feb. 18, and tickets are available at www.act2.org.