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Audra McDonald: "Gypsy"

 I'm always drawn to crime stories; a crime demands a "double life," and we're all (to varying degrees) playacting, involved in double lives. A crime is just a heightened variation on everyday tension and suspense.


One recent, sterling example of crime plotting was "Kimberly Akimbo." This show introduces the mesmerizing character of Aunt Debra, who poses as a friend to children while silently devising a scheme for theft. Debra works hard to conceal the fact that she doesn't really care about the kids whose services she has enlisted--but the truth seeps out. At the same time, we're given little hints about Debra's past, clues that start to suggest a reason for the desperation that we're witnessing in the present tense. When the actual backstory emerges, crawls into the light, you can hear a pin drop. It's such a surprising scene.

The "criminal" in "Gypsy" is a young woman named June. She has a facade: cooperative, enthusiastic actress. Under that facade, she is making calculations. She has no illusions about her mother or her colleagues. She just doesn't argue--because she has decided that a better choice is to reserve her energy for a great escape.

Amazingly, June gets only one big scene. In a quiet moment, she encourages her sister, Louise, to be less of an idiot. "Get smart." Louise can't digest the message; Louise just wants domestic happiness with her mother. By contrast, June understands that "mother" and "happiness" can never occupy one sentence together.

If Momma was married...
I'd jump in the air...
And give all my toe shoes to you.
I'd get all these hair ribbons out of my hair--
And, once and for all, I'd get Momma out, too.

June seems concerned about her sister--which makes the ensuing betrayal even more arresting. It's clear that Louise has developed feelings for an ambitious colleague named Tulsa. But--without a word--June identifies Tulsa as a useful prop, ensnares him, and deserts the family. Without a word! This is one last lesson for Louise: Take what you need, ignore the consequences, worry about yourself. Though June never appears in Act Two, her spirit seems to haunt the second and third hours of the show.

No one ever wins a Tony Award for playing June--but the character's story is compelling. One jewel among many in a massive crown.

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