'String of Pearls' has Strong Characters

by Holly Johnson

The idea of a single precious object being passed from one person to another on a quixotic journey follows a plot device as old as fairy tales. In "A String of Pearls," currently at Artists Repertory Theatre, playwright Michele Lowe uses a highly feminine item, a pearl necklace, to trace the lives of women of different ages and socio-economic backgrounds.

They all share a passion for the necklace for various reasons, as the chain of events unfold, and the pearls connect their lives. Vana O'Brien, Amaya Villazan, Sarah Lucht and Elizabeth Huffman sketch 27 different characters over 35 years, and do a crystal clear job of delineation, as the pearls follow a circular route, predictably but satisfyingly ending up with the original owner.

Part fantasy, part straight drama, the contemplative 90-minute play serves primarily as a paean to women, whether they're getting married, battling cancer, chasing careers or looking for love. And in deference to the pearl and its oyster, water imagery fills the play. Women meet to swim together at a Midwestern lake or at a New York swimming pool. The moon, a symbol of the pearl and of feminine power, gleams over the water in Jeff Seats' inviting, multi-purpose set.

Read entire article here.