ROE
By Lisa Loomer
Asolo Repertory Theatre
The lawyer: a young, courageous woman arguing her case before the Supreme Court. The plaintiff (Weagant): a hard-living, single woman hoping for a quick end to an unwanted pregnancy. The aftermath: a place in American judicial history and a lifetime of inescapable notoriety. Lisa Loomer cuts through the headlines to deliver a clever, comic and poignant portrayal of the two women at the center of one of the most infamous court cases of all time. Taking place from the 1970s to the present with characters on both sides of the issue spanning from decidedly pro-choice to decidedly pro-life, Roe reflects the polarization in America today while illuminating the heart and passion each person has for their cause.
"Playing McCorvey, and giving an absolutely bravura performance, is Terri Weagant. She is able to come across as a crass, coarse, chain-smoking, cocaine-sniffing, speaks-her-mind-loudly woman, and we can't take our eyes off her. She gives the performance here that Meryl Streep wanted to give as Karen Silkwood in Silkwood. Yes, Streep is the finest actor in our life time, but she was too precise, too cautious and not spontaneous enough in this instance, that we never believed her as the rough-and-tumble Silkwood. But we sure believe Weagant as the tough-as-nails McCorvey, frighteningly so at times. It's a startling performance, and she's so electric and in the moment, that we sit on the edges of our seats, unable to know what she will do next."
- Broadway World
"As Norma, Terri Weagant is engaging, charming, obnoxious, grating and full of confused thoughts. She claims, “I’m so poor, I can’t even pay attention.” She was raised by a mother who seems to despise her (well played by Tracy Michelle Arnold) and is awkward in many social situations. She’s a wild woman at first, drinking and smoking through her pregnancy, and becomes a counselor at an abortion clinic before she changes heart."
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune
