"His What Hurts?"

A fascinating and frank pair of interviews with stars of the critically slagged Hedda Gabler: Michael Cerveris, who rallies to his company's defense, despite confessing that initially "it just wasn’t a play that spoke to me" and that "it probably doesn’t hurt that our Hedda sells weed on television"; and Mary Louise Parker herself, who tells Broadway.com that she caved in and read Brantley and, amazingly, that she "went and talked to" Post bottom-feeder Michael Riedel, who gleefully printed the worst gossip he could find about Parker's state of mind ("Not All Right in the 'Hedda' " was the charming banner for his column). I haven't seen this Hedda--life is short--but I am impressed by the candor and good sportsmanship of these interviews, which don't seem to me to have the smell of self-justifying spin.

I'm less sure about Broadway.com's interviewer duly transcribing Parker's cell phone chat with her son's nanny, and then with the little man himself--though not so unsure that I think it unworthy of a complete excerpt:

His what hurts? Ohhh. [speaking to her son] Hey buddy! How are you doin’? Not so good? Hey, you know that sticker you put on me before I left? I still have them on. They look pretty funny. What bunny? It’s OK, we’re going to make it better. And I’m gonna bring you home a little piece of candy, okay? I love you, I’ll be home soon.

(h/t Linda)