Danny Groner

What stands out, though, is how different we deal with mental illness (and the perception of it) today versus less than a century ago. That's surely one of the main topics that Lyndsey Turner hopes we draw from this production: the mistreatment and ignorance displayed by medical professionals and others is disturbing by today's standards. However, it also sets a good framing for Rebeccca Hall's wonderful performance in the lead role as Ruth Snyder...Hall perfectly captures her character's restraint.

Those drawn to 'The Snow Geese' for the star at the center of it, Mary-Louise Parker, might be disappointed to discover a vulnerable, careless woman whose demons have been exposed after the untimely death of her husband. It won't come as a surprise, though, for those who saw playwright Sharr White's other Broadway play earlier this year, 'The Other Place.' A common thread runs between those two plays about the mania that follows the loss of a loved one...As Elizabeth dreams of her husband's reemergence, Parker shows off her acting chops. It's a scene that sits tangential to the drama taking place around it, but it lends incredible insight into Elizabeth's troubled mind and heartbroken soul. To some degree, the play could use more of those moments, where Elizabeth appears to be alone, but is much more alive in those moments than at any other point in the play. They also give the audience a chance to marvel at what talent Parker brings when the stage clears and makes way for her.

The best parts of the show come at the beginning and the end when Taylor is back at the front of the stage, comfortable at the podium, making eyes with the crowd. That's where Richards became most prominent and established herself as a political force. Sure, she needed time to campaign behind the scenes to get voters behind her. But that's the part of politics that's left unseen. We prefer to see our politicians in the spotlight. Otherwise, they look just like the rest of us.