In Richard Greenberg's play The American Plan--currently being performed by the Artistic Home at Stage 773--heroine Lili Adler has the following exchange with her maid, Olivia.
LILI: Olivia, how old are you when it's too late to start being happy?
OLIVIA: Thirty-five.
LILI: Oh, I have time...
I bring it up because tomorrow is my 33rd birthday. While I'm not what you'd call unhappy by any means, I should probably get a move on if I ever want to join the ranks of the unreservedly joyful.
Maybe this will be my year. A few weeks ago I read about a survey in which respondents said 33 is the happiest age because by that point you've lost the naivete and restlessness of youth, but you're still young enough to have hope that a dream or two could come true. In other words, it's not too late for me to get my shit together.
I will keep you posted.
ELSEWHERE:
My review of Eclipse Theatre Company's Ah, Wilderness! is in this week's Time Out Chicago.
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