Sibling rivalry thrives in off-Broadway’s ‘A Lifetime Burning’

Sibling rivalry thrives in ‘A Lifetime Burning’

NEW YORK — At what point does massaging the truth, or an omission of fact, cross over from acceptable embellishment to condemnable deceit?

It’s a question playwright Cusi Cram examines from several angles — from emotional to philosophical — in her dark and exhaustingly cerebral comedy “A Lifetime Burning,” which opened Tuesday at off-Broadway’s 59E59 Theaters.

Cram appears to distance herself from any clear-cut stance in this ethical debate that serves, at times tiresomely, as the core of her play. But in pitting her characters in shouting matches against one another, she methodically weaves a family drama with gratifying depth and truth.

The play revolves around Emma, a thirtysomething, struggling writer living in New York. Jennifer Westfeldt is engaging and believable as the charmingly manic Emma, who subsists on a dwindling inheritance and a volatile mix of prescription drugs and regular cocktails.

Emma’s frustrated existence appears to be on the verge of improving after she sells her memoir to a prominent publisher for a six-figure advance.

The only problem is that Emma’s lucrative book changes more than just the prospects for her future. The autobiography fraudulently recasts basic details about her life.

In the book, Emma purports to be of South American descent, raised in the ghetto by drug-addicted parents. In truth, she has Irish roots and is the daughter of well-to-do parents — a college literature professor and an interior designer.

If the premise sounds familiar, it’s because Cram based her play on the story of Margaret Seltzer, who made news last year when it was revealed that her critically acclaimed memoir “Love and Consequences” (written under the pseudonym Margaret B. Jones) was largely fabricated.

Shortly after Seltzer’s book was published, she was outed by her sister.

Similarly, it is Emma’s older sister, Tess, who acts as antagonist.

Tess, played by Christina Kirk, is a high-strung writer for a luxury home magazine. Her marriage is falling apart and her young children blame her for it.

Tess had issues with Emma long before she discovers her fictional memoir, which only provides more ammunition. For much of the play, which runs about 90 minutes with no intermission, the women drink heavily and argue in a way only two siblings can.

In the early scenes, the bickering floats between humorous and wearisome, but later gains poignancy as we discover more about Emma and what caused her to write the fake memoir. And when we discover certain unpalatable truths in Tess’ life, sanctimonious lecturing about integrity gives way to a more vulnerable posture.

This richly textured portrait of two sisters’ relationship makes this play compelling, despite the gloom of their predicament.

Isabel Keating provides lighthearted relief in the role of Lydia, the sweetly jaded publishing magnate who signed Emma. Her ridiculously highfalutin’ rants are the funniest thing about this somewhat glum comedy, which is directed by Pam MacKinnon.

“A Lifetime Burning,” which takes its title from T.S. Elliot’s poem “East Coker,” runs through Sept. 5.