An American Daughter
By Wendy Wasserstein

January 14 - February 5, 2005
Directed by Rhonda Clark

Dr. Lyssa Dent Hughes seems to have it all, a loving husband, smart kids, a lovely home, a politically prominent father, a highly successful career and now a nomination to become U.S. Surgeon General. However, in Wendy Wasserstein’s play AN AMERICAN DAUGHTER, Lyssa suddenly becomes the center of a national controversy.

Carpenter Square Theatre presents the comedy-drama January 14 – February 5 at Stage Center, located at 400 W. Sheridan in downtown Oklahoma City.

While playwright Wendy Wasserstein’s inspiration for her play came from real-life scandals that surrounded Clinton nominees for Attorney General, Zoë Baird and Kimba Wood, it becomes about much more than politics. With her usual wit, Wasserstein explores friendship, betrayal, a woman’s struggle to balance career and family, and making choices. Wasserstein (the Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning creator of THE HEIDI CHRONICLES, THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG, and UNCOMMON WOMEN AND OTHERS) has consistently crafted resilient female characters who struggle over career ambition and personal fulfillment.

In AN AMERICAN DAUGHTER, she presents Lyssa, a leading advocate for women’s health care issues who usually disagrees with her father, a conservative senator. She juggles being a mother, a wife, a doctor and a political campaigner. She and her best friend, Dr. Judith Kaufman, hold onto the belief that working hard and playing by the rules will bring about change. Abiding by that philosophy seems to have paid off when she is nominated for Surgeon General.

During the filming of a television piece about Lyssa, her husband and a friend share some observations about her busy, over-committed lifestyle. When they reveal an indiscretion from her past, the media seize on the story and it spirals into a major scandal overnight. Meanwhile her support system of friends and family are buckling under various pressures. Soon, Lyssa must decide if the position she wants is worth compromising her views and personal life.

Rhonda Clark directs the cast which stars Lilli Bassett as the "American Daughter," a descendent of Ulysses S. Grant. Terry Masters makes his Carpenter Square debut as her professor husband who is in the midst of a mid-life crisis, while Jan Williams is her sassy best friend who desperately wants a child. Lyssa’s conservative gay friend Morrow is played by Rodney Brazil, and Bob Cross is her father, Senator Hughes. Also, making her Carpenter Square Theatre debut is Amanda Mimms as a neo-feminist writer and political commentator. The supporting cast includes Jayme Howell, Corey Whaley, Steven Gillmore, Tom Gibson and Christi Newbury who doubles as stage manager. Steven Gillmore’s work also extends behind the scenes as lighting designer and sound engineer. Corey Martin is the production set and costume designer.

For information and reservations, phone the Carpenter Square Theatre box office at 405-232-6500 or visit online at www.carpentersquare.com.Carpenter Square Theatre is the recipient of a project assistance grant from the Oklahoma Arts Council for this production. Carpenter Square is an Allied Arts member agency and this production is an Allied Arts Star Card event.