Review: THE CITY OF CONVERSATION a Lively, Timely Political Tale

If Hester Ferris inhabited Washington D.C.'s inner circle today, it would not be as the behind-the-scenes Georgetown hostess we see in Northlight Theatre's timely season opener, THE CITY OF CONVERSATION, but rather she'd be front and center, a spitfire chief of staff, senator or, heck, even a presidential candidate.

Lia D. Mortensen brings the same vim and vigor to the role of D.C. doyenne Hester as she did to her tour-de-force Joanne in Writers' Theatre's recent "Company." Hester is a die-hard liberal whose belief system is tested when her beloved son, Colin, returns home with the woman he intends to marry -- the smart, pretty, ambitious young Anna, whose knee-high boots and conservative sensibilities have lured him to the other side of the aisle.

THE CITY OF CONVERSATION's timeliness cannot be understated, as it spotlights a couple of huge issues in present-day America: the racial divide and the importance of Supreme Court nominations. The first act opens with Jimmy Carter's voice urging federal judges to resign from whites-only country clubs, and the third act opens with President Obama's voice upon his inauguration. It's a reminder of how far we've come, and how movements such as Black Lives Matter are necessary to move the country forward. The second act centers around the Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork, with both sides furiously fighting for and against it, knowing it will tilt the court one way or the other. Sound familiar?

And Northlight couldn't have chosen a better time to launch this show, which benefits from the skillful direction of Marti Lyons. The current presidential race is perhaps the most polarizing in U.S. history, but playwright Anthony Giardina's drama, which begins in the late '70s, reminds us that the landscape was shifting long before The Donald promised to "make America great again." Anna uses almost the same words when defending her Reagan-era ideals, noting that people have a "desire to love their country again."

Upon their initial meeting, Hester is on to Anna (played with perfectly controlled precision by Mattie Hawkinson), whose free-flowing blond locks and polite political discourse get more tightly wound as the time passes and administrations change. Anna claims to want to learn the ins and outs of Washington life from Hester, a master of the bipartisan dinner party. "I've seen that movie before," Hester says to her (referring to "All About Eve").

Hester can't shake the feeling her son is making a big mistake -- and tells him so. Colin (Greg Matthew Anderson, who ably performs double-duty playing his own character's son in the third act) seems to be straddling the line between his liberal upbringing and his newfound conservative voice. But love is tricky and sometimes makes us draw lines in the sand. And by the end of the second act, the usually conciliatory Colin takes a bold stand, cutting ties with his mother, which in effect keeps his young son from further knowing his doting grandmother.

The family drama is just one side of this story; the other shows how dinner among political adversaries was foreplay to the deal-making done afterward over Cognac and cigars. Tim Monsion and Elaine Rivkin make the most of their stage time as charming southern Republican senator George Mallonee and his wife, Carolyn. Tim Decker is appropriately understated as Chandler Harris, a Democratic senator desperate to get Mallonee's support on advancing Ted Kennedy as a presidential nominee. (Bravo to Giardina for making the fact that he is also Hester's married lover a side note rather than a distracting conflict.)

Natalie West gets special mention as Jean, Hester's loyal sister and tireless worker-bee. Behind every fighter on the front lines is that one person who has your back and keeps the train running. West's impeccable performance alongside Mortensen parallels that of Jean/Hester relationship.

And finally, thankfully, in a play so concerned with equal rights, there is a person of color in the cast. Brian Keys' short but memorable turn as Donald brings the central themes full circle.

THE CITY OF CONVERSATION runs through Oct. 23 at Northlight Theatre, at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets are $30-$81. Call 847-673-6300; northlight.org.

Photo: Lia D. Mortensen (from left) Elaine Rivkin, Tim Decker, Mattie Hawkinson, Tim Monsion and Greg Matthew Anderson.

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