Kickstart your Season Early with " Summer 1976!" New REAL Reactions by Rayshaun Powered by REALEMN P

A Lifechanging Summer!

The Summer of 1976 flipped the script on an unlikely pair of women who at first only enter each other’s lives because of playdates and a budding friendship between their two young daughters. While the two women’s daughters appear to get along swimmingly, Diane, (played by Emmy Award Winner, Laura Linney) and Alice’s, (played by Tony Award Nominee, Jessica Hecht) rapport quickly fizzles when they realize they have very little in common! After a shared summer of fun in the sun, however, and for the sake of their kids, these two begin to learn from their differences and become the oddest, yet best of friends.

Written by Pulitzer Prize winner, David Auburn, Summer, 1976 is a comedic and relatable play. It opens its audience to conversations on parenthood, marriage, being a woman, (especially in the summer of 1976!), and of course, the dynamics and unpredictability of an unexpected friendship. “Opposites attract” as the saying goes, and we get a first-hand view of this in action in this new play whose opposing characters could be reminiscent of famous acts like Thelma and Louise or most recently, Grace and Frankie!

Wittingly directed by Tony Award winner, Daniel Sullivan, the production with very minimal set changes or fanfare, is smart, appropriate, and intentional. Laura Linney and Jessica Hecht are hilarious class acts. Individually both befitting their roles and together they encompass that dynamic duo type of chemistry. Jessica Hecht’s humor shines through as Alice and her Tony nomination for this role validate her work.

Costumes by Linda Cho aided the contrast of the two characters, while the scenic design by John Lee Beatty was again, simple yet fitting of this dynamic story between these two oddball friends!

It was REALEMN team’s pleasure to check out these two formidable actresses at work and back on the Broad Way! Especially in a piece that is witty, touching, sincere yet lighthearted. We’d recommend Summer, 1976 and would go back again! Go check it out, y’all!