Pieces of the past

The past, shrouded in mystery and ambiguity, is most commonly glimpsed through shreds of evidence -- a memory, a diary, a story handed down across generations.

The audience of "Three Days of Rain," a two-act drama, first sees the past this way, through the eyes of grown children sifting through their deceased parents' belongings.

The drama opens at 8 p.m. Friday on Village Theatre Guild's stage, Butterfield Road and Park Boulevard, Glen Ellyn.

The second act brings a deeper understanding of days gone by when the action flashes back 35 years to two of the children's parents, accompanied by a third person, meeting in the same Manhattan loft.

"We see what the truth really was," said director Charles Bernstein. "The younger generation, in trying to understand their parents, they totally misunderstand."

The play, nominated for a Pulitzer prize, is written by Richard Greenberg, a Tony Award-winning playwright.

"It's a beautifully written piece," said Bernstein, a Wheaton resident who has experience with Eclipse Theatre and Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, and Northlight Theatre in Skokie.

"It is so well done. It is funny and very witty and very poignant and really true."

Two of the characters in the second act, set in 1960, were partners in a highly acclaimed architectural firm.

"One of the questions was, who was the driving force, who was the creative genius behind it," Bernstein said.

The multi-dimensional story also delves into matters of the heart.

"There's a beautiful love story built into it," he said.

Angie Fritz of Naperville, who recently appeared in Village Theatre Guild's production of "The Dining Room," plays Nan in the first act, set in 1995. In the second act, she plays Lina, Nan's mother.

"I love the challenge of playing two different roles. The characters, even though they are mother and daughter, are completely different," Fritz said.

"The daughter is grounded and determined to overcome anything. She's very practical, she's been through a lot of pain in her life. She was the one who held the family together."

Lina, she added, is in her 30s when the audience meets her, a charmer from the South.

"You can see signs that she's not very stable," Fritz said. "She's needy."

The father, Ned, and his son, Walker, are parts played by actor Robert Richardson. Actor Chris Richardson also plays two parts: a family friend named Theo in act one and a character named Pip in the second act.

Fritz said she appreciates the clever intricacies of the script.

"It's kind of like a puzzle. You realize there's so much in it," she said. "Now I want to go out and read some of (Greenberg's) other work."

The Broadway production of "Three Days of Rain," staged in 2006, drew some negative critical response for the show's female star, Julia Roberts.

"Julia Roberts got nailed by the critics," Bernstein said.

That may be in part due, he said, to the size of the venue. In Bernstein's view, the script is much better suited to a small, intimate theater such as the Village Theatre Guild's 60-seat house.

"It's a fascinating story," Bernstein said. "You'll feel things, you'll get drawn in. It's a very compelling story."

For details, visit www.villagetheatreguild.org or call (630) 469-8230.

If you go

What: "Three Days of Rain"

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Jan. 25, 26, Feb. 1, 2, 8 and 9; 4 p.m. Jan. 26 and Feb. 2.

Where: Village Theatre Guild, Park Boulevard and Butterfield Road, Glen Ellyn

Tickets: $18

Call: (630) 469-8230

Visit: www.villagetheatreguild.org