At its most basic, Gina Gionfriddo’s \u201cRapture, Blister, Burn\u201d is a heady, often humorous examination of feminism from various points of view.<\/p>\n
Opening Aurora Theatre Company’s 23rd season, it initially focuses on two 42-year-old women who were friends and roommates in grad school.<\/p>\n
One, Catherine (Marilee Talkington), has become a popular author and lecturer who links pornography with violent events like 9\/11. The other, Gwen (Rebecca Schweitzer), dropped out, married Catherine’s boyfriend, Don (Gabriel Marin), and has become a housewife and mother to their two sons.<\/p>\n
When Catherine returns to their hometown after her mother suffered a heart attack, she and Gwen find themselves envious of one another. Gwen regrets that she didn’t pursue a career, while Catherine wishes she had a real home and family.<\/p>\n
Both come to realize that the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence.<\/p>\n
Helping them reach that conclusion are 21-year-old student Avery (Nicole Javier) the babysitter for Don and Gwen’s younger son, and Catherine’s mother, Alice (Lillian Bogovich), who is in her 70s.<\/p>\n
Another contributor is Don, an unambitious, low-level dean at the local college. He, Gwen and Catherine did a lot of heavy-duty drinking and partying in their grad school days. Gwen has since quit drinking and joined AA, but the other two still indulge. Moreover, Don smokes a lot of pot and is addicted to Internet porn.<\/p>\n
Much of the discussion of feminism comes during the seminar taught by Catherine in her mother’s home to the only two students who signed up: Gwen and Avery. After each session, Alice serves martinis (Shirley Temples for Gwen) and joins the discussion, adding her generation’s view to those of the middle-aged and younger generations. It’s interesting that the oldest and youngest women seem to be the most realistic about their lives.<\/p>\n
As directed by Desdemona Chiang inAurora’s intimate space (set by Kate Boyd), the actions and ideas sizzle.<\/p>\n
Talkington’s Catherine comes across as erudite in her academic persona yet fearful, impulsive and uncertain in her personal life. Schweitzer makes Gwen a shrill, bubbly yet uptight woman who’s barely holding herself together.<\/p>\n
Marin as Don, Javier as Avery and Bogovich asAliceall create believable characters.<\/p>\n
A Pulitzer Prize finalist, the play offers ample food for thought as many women still struggle for a balance between home and career and for equality with men.<\/p>\n