In Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes, the lives of Southern women don’t look too shabby, but they most certainly have their limits. Regina Giddens (Cynthia Nixon in a recent matinee) and her sister-in-law Birdie Hubbard (Laura Linney—the stars alternate) define the parameters in the superb MTC production at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater, the first being all grins and fangs, the latter, tipsy and gently nuts. Neither one is quite who she seems, however. I am still not over the effect of Laura Linney’s dimpled smile as she instructs Regina’s daughter Alexandra (Francesca Carpanini) in the family’s history, cautioning her to stay clear of her own son Leo (Michael Benz). Cynthia Nixon broadcasts bad faith with the smallest twitch of her mouth, her eyes fixed on a far horizon.

Regina is married to Horace (Richard Thomas), sick with heart disease (literal and metaphoric) and away in hospital. Birdie is wed to Oscar (Darren Goldstein, who kills animals for sport and beats his wife. Ben (Michael McKean), brother to Regina and Oscar, leads the family in greed and exploitation. Under the fine direction of Daniel Sullivan, this cast, including David Alford as a visiting businessman, and as the servants who witness all, Carolyn Stefanie Clay and Charles Turner, is the cream of Broadway theater actors. Evoking Southern style to great elegance, Scott Pask’s scenic design and Jane Greenwood’s costumes, theater does not get better than this production.

A question arises: does Lillian Hellman belong in the canon, along with Eugene O’Neill, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Edward Albee? The Little Foxes, performed in an old-school three acts, may encourage this debate. In the meantime, the run has been extended. You may gain new sympathy for Scarlett O’Hara’s hold on Tara.

Regina Weinreich

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