Review: THE OLDEST PROFESSION at Hanover Little Theatre

The Oldest Profession premiered off-Broadway in 2004. This play, written by Paula Vogel, is set in New York City in the 1980s, and features five aging practitioners of the oldest profession as they struggle with financial hardships, decreasing clientele, increasing competition, and their own aging. Often billed as a comedy, this play certainly contains a wealth of witty dialogue, but is, at its heart, a poignant exploration of the resilience of these women and their relationships with one another. Hanover Little Theatre presents its final performance of The Oldest Profession on June 14th under the direction of Courtney McDougall (who directed this play at HLT 10 years ago) with assistant director Art Rathell and stage manager Nancy Wege.

The set (by Courtney McDougall, Trista Morgan, Art Rathell, and Chad Zepp), costumes, and props are effective, visually evoking 1980s NYC. The lighting design is one of this reviewer’s favorite technical elements of this production. Designed by Bob McCleary and operated by Courtney McDougall and Art Rathell, the lighting sets the mood of the scene, and the lighting changes that happen as each character has their farewell moment are a lovely way to set those moments apart.

The cast stars Jamie Gerhardt as Lillian, Linda Fink as Mae, Ashley Gerhardt as Ursula, Baily Howard Leonard as Edna, and Vanessa Baker as Vera. Jaime Gerhardt is delightful as the theatre-loving Lillian. Her Stage Presence is captivating, and Lillian’s farewell song highlights her lovely voice. Linda Fink’s performance as Mae emphasizes the character’s compassion and caring for the other women. The scene where Mae expresses her fear about her memory issues to Vera is beautifully performed and simply heartbreaking. Ashley Gerhardt’s Ursula is bold, outspoken, and ambitious. Her accent is flawless, as is her comedic timing, and her rendition of “Let Me Entertain You” shows off her powerhouse vocals. Baily Howard Leonard takes on the role of Edna—perhaps one of the most complex characters in the play. Her performance is wonderfully nuanced, showing off Edna’s witty, fun-loving personality one minute and her kind, thoughtful disposition the next. Her final scene with Vanessa Baker’s Vera is breathtaking. Vanessa Baker is adorable as Vera. Her facial expressions and reactions to the other women illuminate Vera’s sweet, optimistic, caring nature.

The team at Hanover Little Theatre have created a touching, beautiful production of The Oldest Profession. While this production closes with today’s matinee, stay tuned for Hanover Little Theatre’s full season announcement to come at the end of June. Auditions for their first show of the 2026-2027 season, Once Upon a Mattress, directed by Ashley Gerhardt, are coming up this week on June 16th and 17th at 7pm. Visit Hanover Little Theatre’s facebook page or website for more information. www.hanoverlittletheatre.com.

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