THEATER REVIEW:Actors breathe life into play

In moving to a new location in Burbank, the Alliance Repertory Company has obviously taken its high level of talent with them as evidenced by their current production of "Sister Cities."

Director Lisa Cole and her all-female cast use playwright Colette Freedman's smart, sassy script to spin theatrical gold. A quartet of half-sisters meet up at the home of their recently, as in only hours before, deceased mother. In fact, mom, who had been suffering the ravages of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease), is still lying in the bathtub, having committed suicide.

To playwright Freedman's credit, each of her characters, named for the location of their births, offers a distinctly crafted glimpse into the human condition. And the actresses portraying them are marvelous as they employ Cole's witty, rapid-fire dialogue.

In descending order of birth there is Carolina, a rigidly straight-laced, highly successful, Seattle-based attorney played by Royana Black. She captures perfectly Carolina's frustration at not being able to assert control over what has transpired.

Bettina Adger is next as Austin, a lesbian author. This particular character trait isn't highlighted much during the play, so it feels a bit concocted as if to make Austin "different." No matter, though, because Adger is remarkable. She gives Austin an edgy defensiveness, the result of having been the child who stayed at home with Mom during her physical decline.

Dallas, the third child, played by Darcy Martin, is a married, though childless, private-school teacher whose composure relies on outward perfection. And yet, everyone has a skeleton in their closet and Dallas is no different. Martin provides the show with a necessary subtlety as she slowly reveals her character's inner fears and needs.

Finally, there's college student Baltimore, played with unabashed gusto by Jen Eldridge. Her idealism will save the world, or so she thinks. In Eldridge's hands, we see youthful exuberance evolve into young adulthood with the realization that at some point everyone must grow up.

A second act flashback scene also introduces us to matriarch Mary, who, despite her rather unconventional lifestyle, reared these girls the best way she could.

In relaying Mary's dreams and aspirations, Bibi Tinsley gives us a poignantly portrayed view into the slowly decaying effects of ALS.

Though witnessing this physical struggle may be uncomfortable, without playwright Freedman's bold choice to include it in her script, the importance of Mary's ultimate decision would have been diminished.

The uncredited set is a quaint, pistachio-colored living room. It's an excellent offset to the secrets that eventually come out in the play.

Ten percent of the production's proceeds go to ALS Los Angeles.

Don't miss this great evening of theater serving a worthy cause.