'The Heidi Chronicles' is an Eye-Opening Play about Feminism, Politics and Women's Rights
By Nora Dominick ‘17/ Emertainment Monthly Assistant Stage Editor
The Heidi Chronicles tells the story of Heidi Holland (Elisabeth Moss) as she navigates through her adolescence and adulthood in an ever changing society. This coming of age story exhibits 19 characters through 13 scenes in 3 decades and 4 cities but the constant factor is Heidi and her diverse group of friends. Through these twenty years she meets several important female characters that help her discover the meaning of feminism and her role as a woman in the ever changing society. The two important male characters in the play are Peter Patrone (Bryce Pinkham), a gay pediatrician who is Heidi’s best friend and struggles with his place in the society, and Scoop Rosenbaum (Jason Biggs), a hot-shot magazine editor who is married but can’t seem to stay faithful. Heidi journeys from high school to her career as a art historian as she deals with feminism and her role as a woman.
One of the incredible aspects of this show is the ensemble. The play consists of nineteen characters however, there are only five ensemble members. Just by the numbers, that’s pretty impressive. And even with the five ensemble members, one of them never switches characters. That would be Ali Ahn who continuously plays Heidi’s high school friend, Susan, throughout the years. This leaves four incredibly talented ensemble members to play close to fifteen characters. The shining star of this ensemble is Tracee Chimo. Chimo is known for her work in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Harvey starring Jim Parsons and Irena’s Vow. Chimo seamlessly transforms into four, very pivotal characters. She goes from Fran, a lesbian feminist who befriends Heidi in the 1970s, into Molly, Susan’s date to Scoop’s wedding, into Betsy, a very pregnant woman who works with Scoop at his magazine and finally into April, the stereotypical ditzy talk show host. All her characters are vastly different in characteristics but they all have one common factor: Chimo’s incredible sense of humor and physical comedy. She astounds in these roles along with the rest of the ensemble.
The other star player in The Heidi Chronicles is Bryce Pinkham’s portrayal of Peter. Pinkham is no stranger to Broadway and has become a household name in the theatre community. Last season, he gave an effortless performance in the Tony Award winning musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love a Murder. His work as Monty Navarro earned him a 2014 Tony Award nomination. Pinkham now plays Peter, Heidi’s gay best friend and the stable rock in her life. Peter tends to be the comic relief throughout The Heidi Chronicles. Pinkham uses his physical comedy and dry sense of humor to create some the best scenes in the play. What is really impressive is his ability to go from moments of pure comedy to shear heartbreak. He has two pivotal scenes that show his exquisite acting range.
The next standout scene from Pinkham comes at the end of Act two when Heidi arrives at his pediatric office ready to donate her old books, records and clothes. When Heidi announces she is leaving town and doesn’t know when she will see Peter again, Pinkham launches into one of the best speeches of the night as he tries desperately to get his friend to stay and see that there are bigger problems in the world than her unhappiness. This scene takes place during the height of the AIDS epidemic and Peter has begun to lose friends and past boyfriends to the disease. Without explicitly saying this, Pinkham does an amazing and moving job at showing Peter’s pain. If there was someone who could win a Tony Award from this production it would be Pinkham.
The Heidi Chronicles may seem outdated for some younger audience members however, the themes are still relevant. Feminism, women’s rights, politics and motherhood are still applicable themes young women struggle with today. Heidi is a character that can span generations of women and help showcase a constant battle of the sexes. Although The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Eugene McCarthy and Ronald Reagan are some of the pop culture references in the play, Heidi still represents every girls dream of trying to have it all: a dream job and a family.
The Heidi Chronicles is currently playing at The Music Box Theatre in NYC until August 9, 2015. For more info and tickets visit: http://www.theheidichroniclesonbroadway.com/