Throughout American history, there have been few figures as discussed as the presidents. No matter what ends up happening, they’re the figures whose decisions help to shape the moment and the future. As nerve-racking as it sounds, there is something interesting to the idea of being the person next to them. The First Ladies have largely been seen as supporters who are less there for diplomacy and more to provide a cheery disposition. That is why the choice to explore them as more complicated figures is deserving of consideration. In the case of Tea for Three, Elaine Bromka performs a one woman show as Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, and Betty Ford. While they share the same role over a single decade, Bromka does an excellent job of showing the diversity that comes with being a dutiful wife as well as someone who wants to leave America a better place.
The premise is simple. As the lights go down, a soundtrack of Beatles music picks up to help center the audience in the past. With a minimalist stage, Bromka enters to a room often with a desk for writing, a table for the titular tea, and a lounge area. While each set change alters it slightly, the elements are small tools in helping to inform how these three women see the world. The idea is straightforward. Bromka’s interest in these women inspired her to co-write a script with Eric H. Weinberger where the audience is welcomed in for tea and a conversation that goes into a lofty deconstruction of each woman.
The story goes chronologically and focuses on each First Lady for roughly 20 minutes. There is discussion of their youth and early courting habits with the future presidents. There’s also a brief rundown of diplomacy highlights from a more personalized standpoint. For example, Bromka opens with Lady Bird who uses the John F. Kennedy assassination as a chance to discuss her personal fears as well as her relationship with her predecessor Jackie Kennedy. It’s a common story, but one that shows how each First Lady is as much singular as they are observing the previous ones and trying to understand how they fit in. Given that Johnson was also a rambunctious and ornery figure, Lady Bird’s segment leads to some amusing diplomacy tales that only show how complicated and diverse one’s personality can be.
Another detail that is very striking is how a telephone call is used throughout the three segments. Each are used to usher Bromka into a transition, but each done with different revelations about the women that’s almost subliminal. For Lady Bird, there’s an immediacy to her picking up the ringer, reflecting her dutiful nature. Meanwhile, Pat lets the dial run a few rotations as she looks in defeat to suggest her subtextual emotional statement. Meanwhile, the goofball Betty reluctantly picks up less because of dread and more her desire not to leave. Betty is also the type to discuss more “revealing” parts of her youth, which is a fun contrast to the cloistered nature of Pat.
Other things that are intriguing about the set up is the lounge area. The best example is Betty’s frustration with Pat’s desire to have certain architecture. She finds it uncomfortable and doesn’t compliment the room. In that clever way, it concludes the idea of each First Lady trying to understand their place in the role through retrospection. The writing finds other threads that connect their personal lives. Their relationships with the presidents is given some interesting beats that may require thought, but deliver some profundity on how similar these three women are.
As expected, credit should be given to Bromka for delivering a fantastic afternoon of theater. She brings something unique to each role, managing to convey the depth of these women in ways that are similar yet different enough to keep things interesting. At the La Mirada Theater stop, she also gave a Q&A afterwards that conveyed a lot of the admiration she had for these women and how they have impacted her life personally. Another surprising reveal is that because this is a touring show, the production assistants weren’t given directions until the day of. The results are flawless, which only speaks to the great staff of the venue.
Tea For Three is a charming and educational little play that captures the humanity of three women not often discussed. Even as they exist within textbooks, they’re something that’s not often considered about American history. Having Bromka give them a respectful tribute allows them to be something greater than figureheads. They were complicated women with their own stories worth telling. By having these three especially joined in one tale, she manages to show the ways that certain things inform personalities and trajectories. For those into history, it’s a great little chestnut worth digging into. If it’s in your city, why not stop by for a visit and have a cup or three?
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