American Century's 'Serenading Louie' a raw look at love, marriage

In 1970 Lanford Wilson wrote a powerful play about the devastating ease with which human beings can destroy themselves and one another. The American Century Theater is doing a notable production of that play, “Serenading Louie,” emphasizing its insight into the frailty of marriage and the futility of living in the past.

Against a backdrop of a country that was exploding with new cultural and sexual freedoms, Wilson’s play is set in a Chicago suburb in the 1970s. The characters include two couples in their 30s: Carl (Hans Dettmar) and Mary (Vanessa Bradchulis); Alex (Theodore M. Snead) and Gabby (Robin Covington).