Dream of a Common Language

I think Heather McDonald's artistic play Dream of a Common Language is too involved in the words and the beauty of intellectual discussion to succeed as a drama. But it generates a lot of good discussion about the position of women in the 1873 art world. McDonald hits upon a lot of provocative anecdotes, even if the scenes themselves are often flatly acted, and although Karen Sommers' direction is often distracting (live music to underscore monologues), the show itself feels very smooth. There's not much to rant about--this is too intellectual for passion--but there are enough good moments to make this play worth talking about.

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