« "Woman Before a Glass" is very good theater »

Rating: 3 out of Fordyce

The current offering at the Performance Network Theater in Ann Arbor is a one-woman show called Woman Before a Glass. It is the true story of heiress Peggy Guggenheim, who collected modern art … and modern artists. The script allows us to hear her story.

From the death of her father on the Titanic, to saving art from the Nazi invasion of Paris, we are also privy to her history, including her famous love life. She talks about husband Max Ernst and lovers Miro, Dali, and Picasso. Malcolm Tulip directs Naz Edwards in the starring (and only) role in this show. Ms. Edwards is marvelous. She goes from funny to serious without missing a beat and is totally believable as this brash woman who was ahead of her time.

The set by Monika Essen deserves special mention. It is a great representation of the story. It welcomes the audience, features the artwork Peggy is telling us about, and curves like the famous New York museum that bears the Guggenheim name.

The show moves along well, taking only 80 minutes without intermission. There were a few confusing spots in the script that could have been explained better. For example, if you don’t know the date the Titanic went down, you might miss the cause of her father’s death, but this show still gets a very good 3 out of Fordyce and should not be missed.