Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The stage adaptation of MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON starring the quietly authoritative Laura Linney stays true to its novelistic roots

• By drediman
• January 21, 2020
• No Comments

Laura Linney in Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of “My Name Is Lucy Barton”, adapted for the stage by Rona Munro from Elizabeth Strout’s novel, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

Last night at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, I attended a performance of My Name Is Lucy Barton, Rona Munro’s stage adaptation of the bestselling 2016 novel of the same name by Pulitzer Prize-winning Elizabeth Strout. The production, which was previously seen in London’s West End, is most notable for marking the return to Broadway of veteran stage and screen actress Laura Linney (the much-loved actress was last seen on the Great White Way in Manhattan Theatre Club’s revival of Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes, in which Ms. Linney shared the role of Regina with Cynthia Nixon).

Ms. Munro’s solo adaptation stays true to the piece’s novelistic roots and does an effective job of painting for the stage a portrait of the titular Lucy Barton, a sensitive but determined woman who struggles to reconcile the disparate aspects of her life. In essence, the stage version of My Name Is Lucy Barton is a memory play, in which Lucy recounts a nine-week stay at a Manhattan hospital, during which she battles with an unnamed life-threatening illness. Coming to her aid is her emotionally stilted mother, who has flown to New York from her longtime home in rural Illinois. The experience further triggers Lucy to recount and assess her abusive, poverty-stricken childhood and her ongoing tenuous relationship with the rest of her family. In summary, Ms. Muro’s adaptation is skillfully crafted, beautifully translating the novel’s disarming honesty to the stage.

The MTC mounting has been tastefully staged by renowned British director Richard Eyre with a simple elegance that befits the work. Of particular note is the contribution of projection designer Luke Halls, who has given the production a dreamy look, which gives the impression of viewing the play as if through the hazy gauze of memory. Also befitting Ms. Strout’s novel is Ms. Linney’s gentle, open performance. It’s a real treat to have Ms. Linney, an important actress of undeniable caliber and quiet authority, let us peer into Lucy’s mind and soul with such unadorned transparency. The wonderful actress also slips between characters with natural ease, making for an experience that goes down like a fine glass of wine.

RECOMMENDED

MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON
Broadway, Theater
Manhattan Theatre Club / Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through February 29