There are many reasons why the Nibroc trilogy is the most popular and critically acclaimed project the Rubicon Theatre has presented in recent years. But perhaps the biggest is playwright Arlene Hutton's complex, surprising, relatable characters — all but one of whom are female. As one Boston critic wrote: “When, outside of an Almodóvar movie, had I recently seen so many plum roles for women?"
At the center of all three plays, including the finale, Gulf View Drive, which opens Saturday, January 28, is actress Lily Nicksay. She just won an Ovation Award — Southern California's answer to the Tonys — for her role in the second installment, last year's See Rock City.
Like the previous plays, Gulf View Drive focuses on Nicksay's character of May (an educator); her husband, Raleigh (a novelist); and their extended families. But the setting has shifted from World War II–era Kentucky to Florida's Gulf Coast, circa 1952.