Because Someone Has to Be

The Adult in the Room – Victory Gardens Theatre

Shining a respectful spotlight on Nancy Pelosi, this solo performance by Orlagh Cassidy is a reverent look at a woman about whom everyone has his own opinion, but few actually know or understand. In Bill McMahon’s fascinating one-act play, he imagines the current Speaker of the House engaging in an interactive internet conversation with a group of young women who are considering entering politics. Ms. Pelosi has some very good advice for her audience. Her shared wisdom comes with an interesting peek into her background and what brought Nancy Pelosi to become the highest-ranking elected female official in history, the second in line to the presidential succession and the first female Speaker of the House. 

Elected to Congress in 1987, Ms. Pelosi recalls many of the details from her early life. She was born in Baltimore, the youngest of seven children. Nancy particularly acknowledges how Annunciata, her Italian mother, was such an important influence in molding who she would become. Her mother was active in politics and her father became the Democratic Mayor of Baltimore, as did her brother. Nancy helped her dad with campaign events and even met John F. Kennedy when he was sworn in as President in 1961.
Then Ms. Pelosi moved to San Francisco and there began her journey with the Democratic Party in earnest. She was elected a member of the Democratic National Committee from California, soon to become the Party Chair, and eventually was elected to represent San Francisco as a US Representative. In 2001 she was elected the House minority whip, and five years later Nancy Pelosi become the Speaker of the House.

As the play progresses, Madame Speaker is continually interrupted by her offstage assistant, calling to give her updates and reminders of upcoming meetings. Each time the President tweets something that’s embarrassing or an opinion that’s inane, Ms. Pelosi abruptly reacts and her attitude suddenly changes for the worse. But, to her credit, she rallies and regains her composure and professional persona, returning to her conversation with the young women with whom she’s offering advice. However, in the final moments of the play, Nancy Pelosi receives word of the incident that would trigger the Impeachment of Donald John Trump. 

Co-directed by Heather Arnson and Conor Bagley, this one-act is an informative, inspiring look at the woman who Paul Kane called “the most powerful House Speaker in twenty-five years.” The strong, assured performance delivered by Orlagh Cassidy is as if Nancy Pelosi was there in front of us. As she puts it, in our current political climate, with Trump’s careless words and inappropriate actions that are below the dignity of the presidency, she has had to be the adult in the room…because someone has to be.

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas 

Presented January 26-February 15 by Broadway Factor NYC at the Victory Gardens Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 773-871-3000 or by going to www.victorygardens.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.