Veteran actress Catherine Curtin and Sharon Lawrence star in the new Off-Broadway play “Pen Pals,” which is being performed at Theatre at St. Clement’s in New York City. “Pen Pals” is the story of two friends that are pen pals that unfolds over five decades.
It written by Michael Griffo with Gail Winar, and directed by SuzAnne Barabas. The show has a rotating cast of acclaimed actresses, so no two performances will ever be alike. In this show, Bernie (Catherine Curtain) and Mags (Sharon Lawrence) live in two different countries (the United States and England respectively), they’ve never met, and yet they are best friends, especially since they’ve been pen pals for over 50 years.
Since they were teenagers, they’ve shared every aspect of their lives with each other, including some of their innermost secrets such as first crushes, relationships, and the drama that came in their personal lives and even health. These two women (who started out as teens) have been through it all: the highest highs, the lowest lows (heartaches), and everything in between. They’ve confided in each other and spoke about things that they won’t dare tell other family members or even their parents.
While there is a physical distance between them (as they reside in different countries), they are still closer to each other than anyone else in the lives. Catherine Curtin’s superb acting work as Bernie is reminiscent of a young Renée Taylor meets Lorraine Bracco. Curtin is witty, clev.