The True

The True is playing Signature Theatre located at 480 West 42nd Street. It runs one hour and forty five minutes with no intermission. The play closes on October 21, 2018.

Derek McLane is the scenic designer. He was nominated for four Tony Awards for Anything Goes (2011), Ragtime (2010), 33 Variations (2009) and Pajama Game (2006).

Clint Ramos is the costume designer. He won a Tony Award in 2016 for Eclipsed.

Edie Falco is known her role as Carmela Soprano in the HBO series The Sopranos from 1999-2007. She was nominated for six Primetime Emmys for this roe, winning three. In the Showtime series Nurse Jackie from 2009-2015 she was nominated for six Primetime Emmys and won one. Edie was nominated for a Tony Award in 2011 for House of Blue Leaves.

Michael McLane is known his role as Lenny Kosnowski in Laverne & Shirley.

Peter Scolari is known for his role as Michael Harris in Newhart (1984-1990).

John Pankow played Ira Buchman in the seven seasons of Mad About You (1993-1999) on NBC.

The time is 1997, Albany New York.

Dorothea ”Polly” Noonan is on her sewing machine. She is talking to her husband Peter (Peter Scolari) and Erastus Corning ll (Michael McKane). She is telling Erastus who he should be talking to. It seems they have just returned from a funeral of the man in charge of the Democratic Party in Albany. Erastus is up for re-election for mayor of Albany. Polly has worked with him for thirty years. She has the mouth of a sailor. The three are close friends. Polly keeps telling him to go home to Betty.

Polly is driving around in a limo with Howard C. Nolan (Glenn Fitzgerald) because she doesn’t want any one see her talking to him. She asks him not to run against Erastus. Polly will make sure he gets a good job in the party, he refuses.

Polly gets Bill McCormick (Austin Cauldwell) a job as assembly man despite the fact he is 28 and has had no experience. Polly tells him the assembly man helps is constituents in return for their vote. He is young, naïve, and only wants the job for the summer.

When the campaign starts Howard is ahead in the poles. Erastus tells her she can’t work for him anymore but won’t tell her why.

Despite the fact she no longer works for the mayor she approaches Charlie Ryan (John Pankow) to discourage Howard from running for mayor. She promises him will be appointed head of the Democratic Party in Albany. He brings up the fact she was let go because there was something going on between her and the mayor. She denies it.

Polly is aggressive and curses. She said if I was a man no one would care.

This is an interesting political story of a woman ahead of her time in politics.

It is an enjoyable story worth seeing.

The cast did an outstanding performance. Tracy Shayne brief stroll back and forth on stage was awesome. Clint Ramos costumes were great. Edie Falco costume changes were cleverly done and appropriate.

Derek MaLane did a fantastic job on the scenic design.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.