Six Degrees of Separation

The timing and expression of talented stage actors bring this play's subtle allegory home for better or worse, and usually better. Alan Alda plays Flanders Kittredge without self-consciousness. He is familiar with the phrasing necessary for this dramatic work whose essence relies on what the characters hear. Hunter-Gault makes a spoken metamorphosis from punk to prodigy, and his role is a difficult one that requires fooling other players and the listener. A full cast rounds out the production, and the live audience leads the way as we follow their amusement and their silences. The short play makes for a brief encounter, but the cast captures its charm and gravity for as long as it lasts. M.L.L. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine