Wishful Drinking at Huntington Theatre Co.
Carrie Fisher's Star Shines in Spite of Her Life
By: Mark Favermann - Oct 31, 2008
Wishful Drinking
Created and Performed by Carrie Fisher
Directed by Tony Taccone
Set, lights and projection design by Alexander V. Nichols
Presented by Huntington Theatre Company, Jonathan Reinis and Berkeley Repertory Theatre
At the Boston University Theatre at the Huntington Theatre Company
Approximate Running Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes including one intermission
Playing October 10 thru 26, 2008
617-266-0800 or www.huntingtontheatre.org
Carrie Fisher begins by singing, "Happy Days Are Here Again" while projections of newspaper tabloid headlines chronicling memorable and scandalous events in her own and her family's history. Here the newspapers depict the breakup of her famous parents, her hospitalizations, her own breakups and even her bad reviews. The last headline refers to the starting point of her monologue: the death next to her in her own bed of her close friend, a gay Republican consultant. And that is where the story takes off. "He not only died in his sleep, but he died in mine." This is a personal narrative of ups and downs, but mostly downs done with wit and wisdom, cleverness and cheer, regret and humor. Throughout, there is hope here rather than cruelty.
Born to the Brad, Jennifer and Angelina triangle of its time, Carrie Fisher's mother Debby Reynolds (Singin' In The Rain and Tammy) was the Jennifer Aniston of the early 1960's, Elizabeth Taylor was Angelina Jolie and her father, Eddie Fisher was a crooner version of Brad Pitt. Eddie left Debbie to marry Elizabeth when Carrie was two years old. Elizabeth Taylor became her temporary violet-eyed stepmother. Debby went from one bad male partner to another, and Carrie Fisher's life seemed to spiral downhill ever after.
By the time she was 12, Carrie was appearing with her mom on stage in Las Vegas. Her school was show business and dysfunctional family life. Growing up a child performer added to her severe broken family syndrome. Laughing about it was sometimes her only way out.
Early on, after studied acting in England, she appeared with Warren Beatty in Shampo and then starred as the sexy Princess Leia in the first three episodes of Star Wars. Her acting career seemed to be rocketing, but it didn't. She states that producer/director George Lucas greatly added to her angst and makes jokes about his personality and directorial technique throughout the show. She also makes fun of her commercial viability as an action hero including having a PEZ dispenser created in her image.
However, certain things got in the way of success like various addictions, manic depression, bipolarity and bad love affairs including 12 off and on years with musical icon Paul Simon and marriage to the father of her 16 year old daughter who left her for another man. Today, a bit more happily, Carrie Fisher is known for her high profile career as a novelist and screenwriter.
A major part of her performance is a presentation of a diagram of the various marriages of her parents and their various spouses and their extended relationships. The point was to see if her daughter was related to the grandson of Mike Todd who had been the previous husband of Elizabeth Taylor who her father had left her mother for. The answer was "No," but getting there was hilarious.
Wishful Drinking's elegant slightly twisted living room set by Alexander V. Nichols is both contemporary while being a bit slanted. This reflects Carrie Fisher's perspective on her life. Windows are screens for clever illustrative projections adding an edgy and humorous animation and dynamism to the monologue. The furnishings and lighting, also by Nichols, underscore Fisher's own exaggerated personality and presence. With sparkly eye shadow and sparkles on her face and clothing, she is clearly middle age underscored by her over the top dress and physical stature. A surprise was that her appearance was rather lumpy, a huge contrast to the rather svelte Princess Leia of Star Wars memory. Even so, her voice is commanding, and her personality was extremely appealing.
Carrie Fisher has become one of Hollywood's top script doctors and novelists. She is a creative artist who has used her personal baggage—family problems, drinking, drugs and mental breakdowns to give depth and meaning to her work. Her life connection to Star Wars is very apparent through the show. Strikingly, she donned the Princess Leia hairy earmuffed stylistically-challenged wig and somehow looks much like she did almost 30 years ago in a galaxy far, far away. By using audience members as foils, Fisher somehow tells stories and sets out morals and explanations. This cozy audience participation is bit stand-up comic rather than theatrical performance, but it works. Done with good cheer and humor, no one is embarrassed.
Fisher is an ultimate survivor. She is not tragic like Judy Garland or a caricature like Liza Minelli, but someone who has transcended her personal difficulties with wry wit and insightful statements. She uses coarse language for emphasis not to be profane but to be profound. With Carrie Fisher, humor is healing. May The Force be with her.