Director's Note

Lyssa Dent Hughes is an eminently successful physician about to become the highest medical professional in the country, the U.S. Surgeon General. She is married to an amiable professor of sociology, has two children, a father who is a U.S. Senator - who loves and supports her despite their political differences, is well-connected, and non-controversial. What could possibly go wrong? As it happens, a great deal. Enter television journalist Timber Tucker. As he and Lyssa prepare for a live interview, husband Walter Abrahmson inadvertently lets slip a secret, long-forgotten and seemingly inconsequential, from Lyssa's past. The revelation takes on a life of its own in survival-conscious Washington, even earning that status reserved for only the most hallowed of scandals: a "gate" designation. The media blitz that follows animates the plays action and highlights the tenuous position of women in politics, even in these enlightened times.

An American Daughter is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited.

Setting: The play opened off-Broadway in June 1996. The events depicted in the play take place in the present day, that is, in the second half of the Clinton Administration. The setting is the living room of the Georgetown house of Lyssa Dent Hughes and Walter Abrahmson. All scenes take place in this room.

Cast of Characters: