The Great Nebula in Orion
The Great Nebula in Orion centers on the accidental reunion of two mature women who went to college together. Louise (Stephanie Gordon) is a successful New York fashion designer who lives in an apartment overlooking the Hayden Planetarium. She has run into Carrie (Tanya Berezin) in Bergdorf's on a shopping trip from her home in Boston. Carry has married into the upper 2 percent, firmly entrenched in a life of social perquisites; but the site of the planetarium takes her back to an almost forgotten romance with a young dreamer who introduced her to the majestic mysteries of the constellations in the night sky. As these two catch up on the intervening years, secrets are revealed that shake the complacency of the present, with tumultuous passions buried in the past.

Ludlow Fair
In a turn of comedic mastery, Ludlow Fair treats us to the tribulations of two mismatched young women sharing an apartment. Rachel (Trish Hawkins) has turned in her recent boyfriend, Joe, for making off with her savings and now wonders if she's done the right thing. Her contrasting roommate is cynical Agnes (Conchata Ferrell), who reminds Rachel of the dizzying history of young men the pretty girl has run through before falling prey to a hunk who's ripped her off. While Rachel stews over her moral dilemma, Agnes is preparing for bed, fighting off a cold, and hoping for a threadbare romantic lunch with her boss' skinny son. All Rachel wants is to be assured things will be better tomorrow, but Agnes shoots that down: It will be exactly the same tomorrow. The bittersweet contrast between these young ladies is heartbreakingly funny.

The Moonshot Tape
The Moonshot Tape lets us listen to Diane (Judith Ivey), a famous short-story writer, revisiting her Midwestern hometown. She is being interviewed by a local girl writing for the high school paper. Diane is staying in a motel near a hospital where her mother is waiting to transfer to a nursing home. The young journalist's questions, although naïve, pierce Diane's sophisticated style and, with the aid of a little vodka, unleash memories that are at the foundations of her identity. She decides to answer the girl's questions as honestly as possible. The result is a reliving of experiences that shock and devastate the listener as we journey into a tormented past.

Together these three one-acts demonstrate the power and skill of a writer who understands the complex issues faced by women and has used his talent to create these unforgettable portraits. The actors are the original cast members who premiered these plays at the Circle Repertory Company, and this recording captures their electrifying performances.

"You'll always remember these women as intimate revelations of the human spirit." (Marshall W. Mason, founding artistic director of Circle Rep)