It would be difficult to think of Three Tall Women with a cast that’s anything less than stellar. How privileged we are to be able to behold Glenda Jackson, the force of nature, as A, whom we understand to be patterned after author Edward Albee’s mother. This is her first return to Broadway in 30 years, and it was well worth the wait. At 79, now through with a career in politics, Jackson has all the sass and vitality needed to power this demanding vehicle. Ably supporting her are two fine actors, Laurie Metcalf as B and Alison Pill as C. Metcalf is best known to audiences as “Jackie” on the newly resurgent TV sitcom Roseanne. She’s a bright light in every project, most recently in her Academy Award nominated role in the movie “Lady Bird.” Nobody beats Metcalf when it comes to comedy timing, as proved by her recurring role as Mary Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory.” But always, there’s a tinge of sadness in all her portrayals, which works particularly well here. Rounding out the cast is Alison Pill as C. Youngest of the trio at 32, Pill more than holds her own, and her luminescent quality adds freshness to this 1994 Pulitzer Prize winning play. Three women are alone in an elegant bed-sitting chamber. A, the 92-year-old grand dame with her arm in a sling, reminisces about her flaming youth, complains about her ailments, makes inflammatory remarks, and bullies her caretake, B. C is frustrated by the financial mess A has created by her lack of trust and neglect; she’s here to try to take control and work things out monetarily. And, as is made clear in the second act, she does her best to distance herself from becoming like A and B. Because what we find out is that these three women are actually one woman at different stages of her life. Dress in orchid/mauve complementary outfits, they represent different ages and attitudes of the same person. We have to look past some rather glaring conundrums. Not only do Jackson, Metcalf, and Pill look nothing alike, but A speaks with a prominently English accent; B and C are pure American. But with a cast like this, in a brilliantly constructed play which is staged to perfection, any minor gripes must be cast aside. These truly impressive Three Tall Women will long be fondly remembered by theater aficionados.
