‘Summer, 1976’ − Written by David Auburn; Directed by Paula Plum; Assistant directed by Ulrika Brand; Scenic Design by Kristin Leoffler; Lighting Design by Deb Sullivan; Costume Design by Sydney Hovasse; Prop Design by Lauren Corcuera; Sound Design by Aubrey Dube; Projection Design by Justin LaHue; Stage Managed by Charles Waite Clay. Presented by Central Square Theater (CST) at 450 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA, through November 30, 2025.
Julie-Anne Whitney
We’ve all had friendships that have petered out, some naturally and others painfully. Most of us have had moments of looking back, of longing for what was, of mourning what might have been.
In David Auburn’s Summer, 1976, two women, Diana (Lee Mikeska Gardner) and Alice (Laura Latreille), narrate their own – and each other’s – stories in a thoughtful retrospective about an unlikely friendship that fades over time. Auburn’s memory play traverses nearly 30 years of the women’s lives, from their time in Columbus when they were “forced” into friendship through their young daughters, to an unexpected meeting in Manhattan 27 years later. The play follows Diana and Alice as they recall the challenges, surprises, gifts, and pains of a friendship they both needed but failed to maintain.
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