"There are some things you don't touch," Ruth Steiner (Bobbie Steinbach) tells her protegee, Lisa Morrison (Liz Hayes), after recounting to her one of the most formative and secretive tales of her life. Lisa waits, but then does exactly that with Ruth's own story.
"Collected Stories" prompts theatergoers to question many things, including how much they ultimately own their memories and stories. The answer is surprisingly opaque. "Collected Stories" cleverly dredges up a wide spectrum of rarely considered issues, such as intellectual property and the uncertainty of where one's voice ends and another's begins.
The play only crystallizes within its last two or three scenes, but when it does, it is certainly worth the long buildup. Developing slowly and deliberately throughout the majority of the play, "Collected Stories" gains its power through carefully constructed dialogue and subtle acting.
Lisa and Ruth first meet when Lisa joins Ruth's graduate writing class. Seeking guidance from her teacher, the two first speak one?on?one in Ruth's own house ?? and on Ruth's own territory. Over the course of the next six years, Lisa grows to be more than Ruth's student: She becomes her assistant, her protegee and the daughter she never had.
In Ruth, Lisa finds a mentor and the familial support she lacked at home. The women's relationship builds and crescendos within the bounds of the play's sole set, Ruth's lushly furnished apartment. It is, therefore, fitting that Lisa's eventual crisis with Ruth is symbolized by the only setting change of the play, when she is presenting her soon?to?be published first novel at a YMCA reading.
The plot of "Collected Stories" is simple enough, but the small milestones in Ruth and Lisa's friendship keep the plot engaging. For example, it is rewarding ?? but rather unexpected ?? to see Ruth's genuine pride when Lisa's first story is published. "Your life will never be the same," Ruth tells her somewhat ominously, and indeed, it won't be. Ruth's humor and Lisa's developing confidence effectively keep the audience interested, and their snarky, witty exchanges muffle the blow of the play's darker moments.
Ruth enters the story as an old pro who casually spouts off literary wisdom while sardonically exposing Lisa's abysmal lack of self?confidence. At this point, Lisa is but a starry?eyed fan girl, who frets and dotes and hangs onto the slightest traces of praise from her idol. It is rather revolting.
However, while Ruth's character becomes more believable as the story proceeds and cracks in her armor reveal the vulnerable person underneath, Lisa's character never fully gains the audience's sympathy. Hayes does fine as Lisa, but her character's motives and thoughts are never transparent enough for the audience ever to be fully interested in her; she seems, instead, grating and somewhat artificial. Were she a more likeable or understandable character throughout the story's progression, her ultimate betrayal of Ruth would be more affecting; it would at least make logical sense. Instead, Lisa leaves the story as a murkily thieving colleague, and the audience has an unnecessarily difficult time understanding both sides of the argument. The two female leads play equally important roles in the story, but Steinbach doubtlessly steals the spotlight.
To be fair, it is difficult to identify whether the play's weaknesses stem from its acting, script or direction. Arguments sometimes drag on for too long. Lisa starts to seem like a bundle of stereotypical angst and poor circumstances. Ruth's short story, as discussed by Lisa, foreshadows the play's upcoming scenes with almost painful tidiness. Though these faults do not distract from the play as a whole, they are noticeable enough to temporarily remove the audience from under the play's spell.
All in all, "Collected Stories" has its faults, but it's certainly worth checking out. If nothing else, the play will transform the way you view the creative process.
