The fiery, spirited, independent and charming Katharine Hepburn comes to life once more in Tea At Five. The Milwaukee production of Matthew Lombardo's one-woman play was such a hit when it played here in 2009 that the theater decided to offer it again this year as a "summer bonus show." Both productions featured Angela Iannone. For those who missed the 2009 production (like this reviewer), the show is as welcome on a warm summer's night as an ice cream cone.
Tea At Five opened at Hartford Stage in 2003 and then moved to Off-Broadway's Promenade Theater later that year. Actor Kate Mulgrew (who appeared in both productions) won several awards for her portrayal of this American legend.
One can just imagine Milwaukee-based actress Angela Iannone "chomping at the bit" to get her hands on this part. She scored so brilliantly in past productions such as Coco Chanel in Full Gallop and Maria Callas in Master Class (which wasn't a one-person show but may well have been), that Tea At Five is a natural fit for her talents.
The play is set in the same location at two very different times in Hepburn's life. In Act I, it's 1938 and Hepburn, 31, is licking her wounds at her family's rustic seaside estate. She has just turned out a string of box office flops. The stinging criticism hurts, though she is loathe to admit it. She is also waiting for her agent to call and tell her that she has been asked to star in "Gone With the Wind" (of course, the audience knows how that turned out). As the audience waits for Hepburn to receive the bad news, she reminisces about her family, friends, lovers and a scorned suitor, billionaire Howard Hughes.
Iannone is vibrant as she whisks around the main room of her family estate. She delivers a Hepburn that is endlessly interesting to watch. She also does a great job of capturing Hepburn's well-known humor, which is a necessary counterpart to the darker parts of Hepburn's life story. Almost as tall and certainly as lithe as the real Hepburn, Iannone invokes the spirit of the character without trying to do an imitation of her.
Although Act I contains more biographical information, Act II is in many ways more satisfying. It is 1983, and the beloved family home has been rebuilt after a 1938 hurricane. Hepburn, now in her 80s, is limping around with a walking leg cast. She is continually shaking from the onset of Parkinson's disease, and Iannone adds this physical element to her portrayal of an increasingly fragile actress. At this point in her life, Hepburn muses, "I always work with the same people because it's difficult to explain my eccentricity to strangers."
Despite her physical limitations, there is still fire in Hepburn's belly. For instance, she still hasn't forgiven Vivian Leigh for snagging the lead in "Gone with the Wind." As Hepburn, Iannone tells a long, sad story about her adored big brother, Tom. The tale does an excellent job of illustrating her family dynamics.
The only drawback to Tea At Five is that there is relatively little material relating to actor Spencer Tracy, with whom Hepburn had a 27-year relationship. She reveals a few stories about the fabled couple, including her notion of why Tracy stayed married to his wife until his death. Hepburn makes it clear that "Spence" was the love of her life, married or not.
Lombardo's well-crafted script reveals the highs and lows of Hepburn's life in a way that is always engaging. Director Chris Flieller allows Iannone to play to her strengths, which are many. The comfortable-looking set and period costumes and wigs enhance the overall effect of this charming show.
