I’ve long been an admirer of playwright Wendy Wasserstein but had never seen her 1997 play An American Daughter. So I looked forward to the recent revival by LaFemme Theatre Productions. Although the play is somewhat dated, some basic themes remain current. Wasserstein attests that women have to work harder at almost everything, and whatever powerful women do is scrutinized through a sharper lens than that of their male counterparts.

The title character, who is actually referred to as an American daughter, is Lyssa Dent Hughes (played by Jean Lichty,) daughter of a US Senator (Dakin Matthews) and ancestor of President Ulysses S. Grant. A successful doctor and mother of two boys, she is married to Walter Abrahmson (played by Robert Sean Leonard) a college professor who, having written a popular sociology text five years earlier, sees his own career stalled. Hughes has just been nominated to become Surgeon General of the United States.

Hughes is the product of her time, a working mother, an over- achiever who takes care of everything while running a hospital and making homemade scones. During a brunch to which a reporter happened to attend, Hughes’ friend casually mentions that years before, Hughes failed to answer a jury summons. During that same interview, she recalls her mother making ice box cakes and the women of Indiana take offense and feel she is demeaning their roles. Her comments blow up the media..

In a followup interview designed for damage control, Hughes, looking more feminine, is wearing a headband and a suit. She realizes that to get the position to help people, she must play a part.

The play feels dated and didactic. Wasserstein attempted too much and each of her four women characters is somewhat of a trope. The revival is preachy with a mix of uneven performances.

Jean Lichty is poorly cast, with a weak hoarse voice. She isn’t commanding, even in her dramatic scene when she reacts to the criticism of her comments. As producer and Executive of LaFemme Theatre Production, she would have produced a better show with a stronger actress in the lead. There's little chemistry between her and Leonard and when she confronts her husband to ask if he has slept with his former student, Quincy Quince (irritating Carmen Zilles) Lichty barely reacts.

Quince is a young woman with modern attitudes toward sex and careers. In contrast is Charlotte “Chubby” Hughes, providing a bit of comic relief. Veteran Mary Beth Peil plays Hughes’ father’s fourth wife, a woman who is comfortable in her role as ‘arm candy.’

The most solid performance is that of Montego Glover as Judith B. Kaufman, as Lyssa’s best friend. She’s a Jewish-Black doctor, who is trying to get pregnant through artificial insemination. Glover is assertive, funny and entertaining. While Hughes "has it all”; husband, children and career, Kaufman is a single woman desperately trying to have a child.

Despite the talents of director Sarna Lapine, the pacing was off, jokes fell flat and the play was tiresome. The setting by Mikiko Suzuki Macadams was luxurious, indicative of the comfortable lifestyles Hughes and her husband had.

As I watched it, I recalled when Hillary Clinton, a skilled lawyer and politician, had to put on a show, demonstrating how to make chocolate chip cookies. The cookies became an issue in the 1992 presidential campaign. One might think that times have changed but a close examination of Kamala Harris in her bid to become president reveals that some of the same prejudices and biases remain.

I found the production of An American Daughter disappointing. Perhaps updating the script to compare it with today's political arena would have helped. The characters here are almost one dimensional, showing little emotion, even when there are life-changing events are revealed. In the meantime, I will wait for the revivals of other Wasserstein works. Looking forward to seeing Heidi Chronicles again.