North Texas actor-singer Liz Mikel is no stranger to New York stages, having performed on and off-Broadway in the musical ‘Lysistrata Jones.’  But this week, she appears in the New York City premiere of Eve Ensler’s new two-person play, ‘The Fruit Trilogy’ presented by the Abingdon Theatre Company in a limited run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (it closes this weekend). Although Mikel was hailed by reviewer Laura Collins-Hughes in ‘The New York Times’ (“warm and funny and absolutely owns that stage”), Ensler’s writing feels flat, Collins-Hughes says, because her political messaging leaves the female characters more social issues than people.

Ensler, the famous feminist activist and Tony Award-winning author of ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ premiered ‘The Fruit Trilogy’ in England at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. The three plays basically revolve around the female body in the world – feeling commodified, assaulted or at ease. Mikel closes the play on a sensual note with a final monologue set in a spa. “Enjoy me enjoying me,” as she says – something North Texas audiences have certainly experienced. You can see Mikel recite the monologue at BroadwayBox [adult language].

Theater Pizzazz review.

Broadway World review.

Photo above from Maria Baranova