Lydia’s Party

Hawkins (A Year of Cats and Dogs) sets a sumptuous table for a last supper like no other: a repast that’s alternately uncomfortable and soothing, weepy and jubilant, evocative and realistic. Party host and art teacher Lydia is having her annual dinner for her women friends—Elaine, Celia, Maura, Jayne, Betsy. This year she’s also invited Norris, a former teaching colleague who’s become a successful artist. But a howling Chicago blizzard will turn their boozy dinner into a raucous slumber party, where Lydia confesses she’s dying of cancer and reveals her secret fears and nagging regrets. “My life is a heap of remnants,” she laments. Norris is with Lydia in her final moments, and he also witnesses the death of her dog, Maxine, who dies an hour after her adored mistress. With Lydia’s passing, egotistical Norris, best friend Celia, and old friend and spurned lover Ted face their fears and regrets. And in a quirky, impossibly magical and sweetly charming twist, Lydia helps guide them all to forgiveness. (Jan.)