BWW Reviews: THE SECOND MRS. WILSON in New Haven

Hands up! Who remembers Woodrow Wilson? Well, the name is somewhat familiar. Who remembers that his second wife, Edith, was the de facto POTUS while he was recovering from a stroke during his second term? Really?

That little known story about Wilson's presidency is the core of Joe DiPietro's play, which was workshopped last summer at the White Heron Theatre Company and is having its world premiere at the Long Wharf Theatre. This play has legs, but it will need some tweaking before it gets to New York. It's a fascinating story covering an immense range of time, space, power, ambition, and political finagling (much of which still holds true today).

The play opens early in the relationship between widower Woodrow Wilson (John Glover) and widow Edith Galt (Margaret Colin). Their relationship is the subject of gossip and concern among members of Wilson's cabinet and the Senate, particularly Colonel Edward House (Harry Groener), Secretary Jo Tumulty (Fred Applegate), Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (Nick Wyman), and even Vice President Marshall (Steve Routman), who is always kept in the dark. Initially, Edith agrees to wait until after the election to marry the president, but he convinces her otherwise. Washington was at that time, of course, an all-boys club. The new Mrs. Wilson had her own reservations about some of her husband's advisors and he trusted her completely. Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke during the time period he tried to get the Senate to sign the Treaty of Versailles and create the League of Nations. For the last 18 months of his second term, she protected Wilson by screening all visitors, correspondence and state matters, showing him only what she thought was important, and signing documents on his behalf. She arranged for two senators (played as attendants by Harvey Martin and Mark Heinisch) to visit the president, but only when he was visibly regaining strong and able to speak. President Wilson's own doctor, Cary Grayson (Stephen Barker Turner), accused her of participating in a deception, but her intention was to shield her husband at all costs.

Joe DiPietro's book is amazing in its scope and almost perfect. It needs to be more concise and precise in order to fill in any gaps in young theatre goers' knowledge of history and geography. Perhaps the part about the scandal regarding his first wife and extramarital relationship could have been eliminated because there's more important stuff in the show. The failure of the League of Nations, as envisioned by Wilson, led to adverse economic consequences for Germany, which helped beat the drum for World War II. This is huge. More emphasis on this could heighten the conflict in the play. They are all larger than life characters and rarely has such a group been seen on any stage together. Nevertheless, the rest of the production is first-rate, including Gordon Edelstein's skillful direction, Alexander Dodge's stunning set design, John Gromada's sound design, and Christopher Akerlind's lighting. They make full use of the Long Wharf's renovated and expanded stage to convey an exclusive men's club atmosphere and presidential office, campaign trail, bedroom, and more.

The acting is superb, with John Glover's portrayal of Wilson earning the lion's share of praise. The team at Long Wharf worked with a stroke specialist at Yale-New Haven Hospital to explain the medical protocol of the time as well as the physical states of stroke patients. Glover is thoroughly credible as someone who was recovering from a paralyzing stroke. The way he spoke, with the left side of his face numb, the way he fell when he tried to get up, deserves an award. Margaret Colin was first rate as the woman who won Wilson's heart and trust. Harry Groener, Fred Applegate and Nick Wyman are chillingly plausible as Washington insiders. Stephen Barker Turner has a strong presence as Wilson's personal physician, a role that can easily get lost among high-octane characters. He is believable as a man who walks a tightrope of loyalty and ethics. Steve Routman, a scene stealer in last year's offering, The Underpants, remains just as cunning as Vice President Marshall - someone seemingly uninterested in movin' on up, but not quite as easily duped as he seems to be. Mark Heinisch and Harvey Martin are extras, but they are sound in their multiple roles, which include senators. They need to earn their Actor's Equity cards stat because this entire production -- cast, director and crew included -- should be moved to New York within the year after it closes at the Long Wharf.

The Second Mrs. Wilson runs through May 31 at The Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven. Tickets $25-$75. For tickets, call 203-78704282 or visit www.longwharf.org.

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