Edie Falco stars as Dorothea “Polly” Noonan, the blunt, profane, decades-long defender of Albany’s Democratic Party machine in Sharr White’s fiery return to The New Group. When it comes to Polly, politics is only personal, especially now that her hero, “mayor for life” Erastus Corning II (Michael McKean), is battling for party control while at the same time fighting the fiercest primary challenge of his life. The True is an intimate portrait of the bounds of love, loyalty, and female power in the male-dominated world of 1977 patronage politics.

Polly is brash and unstoppable. More significantly, she is totally loyal and true, both to the Democratic Party and to her candidate, long-term mayor Erastus Corning II.  And as portrayed by the incomparable Edie Falco, she becomes a true force to be reckoned with. Set in 1977 in Albany, The True is a new play by Sharr White directed by Scott Elliott.  It depicts the story of Dorothea “Polly” Noonan, as she defends and supports the mayor, her former boss.  For Polly, once you become part of the Democratic Party, you are in it for life; she is incredulous when she sponsors a young 28-year old for a committee position only to have him announce that he views it as a temporary position. The plays begins in the home of Noonan, with Polly, her husband Peter (a surprisingly good Peter Scolari) and the mayor (Michael McKean) mourning the death of the party boss. Polly tells Corning that the party won’t support him anymore and even bets him that Charlie Ryan (John Pankow) will back someone else in the primary. Inexplicably, the grieving mayor turns to the loyal Polly and announces that they need to sever their relationship. Despite feeling bewildered and betrayed, she continues to work for …Read more