The last play I saw this year was Gore Vidal’s the Best Man. It was political.  The Heiress isn’t.  I will give you little bits of the story here and there.  At Walter Kerr, on 219 W. 48th St, Jessica Chastain bows constantly as Catherine Sloper in her debut role as the heiress.  She plays shy in such a miserable way.  It’s sweet and makes you want to protect her, or laugh at her, but never to scream at her ‘to cat out of it!’  My friend argues that she wasn’t well casted, I say bah! I think she was perfect. Especially since she is debuting and all.

David Strathairn is Dr. Austin Sloper, father to shy Catherine.  Between Dr. Sloper and his daughter, is his dead wife. He polishes her on his imaginary pedestal constantly. Catherine isn’t her mother and that is one of things her father can’t forgive her for.

Dan Stevens is Morris Townsend, and you might also know him as Cousin Matthew in Downtown Abbey. He plays a hungry Gold Digger. I found him a good laugh. Especially when he becomes the mouse and Catherine the cat——all pun intended.

The cast is quite good! Please visit their website for the full list. The stage and costume design carries you to 19th century New York, effortlessly. It’s an awfully good play. I will see it again if I get the opportunity. Perhaps I am saying this because I have been starving to see a play for some time now. So all my thumbs are in the air for this play.