Emmy winner Dorothy Lyman ("All My Children," "Mama's Family") portrays food historian and author Betty Fussell in My Kitchen Wars — A Marriage Digested, ending its run Feb. 18 at L.A.'s 2nd Stage Theatre. Performances began Jan. 24 with an opening Jan. 27. Evelyn Purcell directs this adaptation of Fussell's memoir.

Writer Fussell has had great success in her profession. She won a Julia Child Cookbook Award for "The Story of Corn," her history of the New World's staple grain. She also penned the well-respected volumes of food history and cooking, "Masters of American Cookery," "Home Bistro" and "I Hear America Cooking."

But all was not well with her marriage and her home. Her book "My Kitchen Wars" chronicles the disintegration of her life with historian Paul Fussell. As she moves from 50's housewife trying out new and unappreciated meals for her husband to becoming a successful writer, their relationship becomes poisoned by professional jealousy and infidelity.

Lyman won her two Emmys as Opal Gardner on "All My Children." Other TV credits include playing Naomi on "Mama's Family" and directing many episodes of "The Nanny." Her theatrical directing credits include the Off Broadway and national tour of A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking, Last summer at Bluefish Cove, Vicious and her own Drama Logue-winning one-woman show, A Rage in Tenure.

Tickets are $20. 2nd Stage Theatre is located at 6500 Santa Monica Boulevard at the corner of Wilcox. For reservations, call (323) 661-9827. -- By Christine Ehren