Indeed, she's so refined, that every rude and callous antic comes across as charming, and Gayley walks the line to perfection. The rest of the cast is similarly good. Jason Trost and Tracie Merrill play Judith's monstrously selfish offspring. These roles are delicate concoctions. Paul Todaro, Neal Moeller, Josephine Hogan, and Beth Gerardi are brilliant as the suffering houseguests of the maniacal Bliss crew.
Hogan slices into the part with delicious invective and lands some of the best mean laughs.
Dashing Neal Moeller continues to grow as an engaging and talented juvenile lead. Todaro is, as usual, a joy. Though she protests that she plays too many servants, Kathleen Betsko Yale is marvelously good at parts other actors cast away. She gets all the juice from Clara the maid, and though we may see her as Gertrude and Medea next season, one certainly hopes that she can be coaxed back to play one of her pragmatic menials again soon. This is a handsome production that builds up to its proper momentum.