Gloria: A Life Reviews

Washington Post- Recommended

"..."Sharing our stories with each other is how we gain wisdom," an ebullient-looking Gloria Steinem said Monday, addressing the audience gathered for "Gloria: A Life" at Theater J. The octogenarian women's rights champion was at the opening night of the show, an homage to her life and to the feminist movement she has been part of, written by Emily Mann, who has updated the script for this production."

MetroWeekly- Recommended

"...But drama takes a backseat to laying down uplifting lessons on landmarks in the women's movement, and pioneers like Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Wilma Mankiller, and Bella Abzug. Mann's script doesn't plot arcs of adversity, perseverance, and triumph so much as it catalogs obstacles Steinem faced, then shows through what act of courage or ingenuity she and/or her comrades overcame said obstacles."

BroadwayWorld- Recommended

"...Gloria: A Life dramatizes dozens of pivotal moments in this life and career. Director Holly Twyford (herself a triple threat: director, acting teacher, 4-time Helen Hayes Award winner in acting) paces the vignettes perfectly--seven performers can seem like 700 at a demonstration for women's rights; and then sometimes Twyford calls for one of Colin K. Bills' specials to single out Steinem so that she can tell a more intimate story about her mother or her husband in quieter surroundings. Like solo moments in chamber music or jazz, Twyford knows how to conduct what Mann calls for the six-woman ensemble to do: stand out, step back, blend, speed up, calm down, team up, move on. The production resembles a sports event that also has thinking, language, and caring."

DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended

"...Gloria: A Life takes theatrical biography into a compelling realm, carrying forth for new generations a story that must be heard and reflected on. But as playwright Emily Mann noted at the top of the show, perhaps one of Steinem’s most admirable traits, and one reflected in this production, is the continuing quest for social justice. Steinem has said it succinctly: “I’m a hopeaholic.”"

MD Theatre Guide- Highly Recommended

"...So authentic was her performance that, throughout the evening, I had to remind myself that Susan Lynskey is not in fact Gloria Steinem-an even more impressive feat because the opening night performance included a surprise appearance by The Gloria Steinem, much to the delight of the packed theatre. Feminist luminary, Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, also attended the production, and shared how much Steinem's activism has inspired her and other women political leaders."