CONNECTIONS OF THE HEART
Imagine my surprise–to quote Holly Near–when I found myself actually enjoying Paula Berg’s very funny all-women show. It certainly fit the usual Mountain Moving profile: well-intentioned, with loads of lesbian-affirming material. But it was also good. And considering Mountain Moving’s technical limitations–high ceilings, small, minimally equipped stage, no stage lighting–that is quite a triumph. Director Karen Gerbig deserves kudos for bringing off this very smooth, very polished production.
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Surprisingly, considering the musical-comedy origins of Berg’s script, the play doesn’t provide happy endings for most of the characters. Their lives go on, richer for the experiences they’ve shared but remaining curiously ordinary. Berg’s not out to prove, like some other lesbian feminist writers, that sisterhood is beautiful, just that it’s powerful. She pokes lots of fun at lesbian stereotypes and community obsessions.
