Wendy Wasserstein's drama, An American Daughter, closes at Salt Lake City's Pioneer Theatre Company Jan. 23, 1999. The play began performances Jan. 6.

An American Daughter concerns a doctor nominated for U.S. Surgeon General, but when a minor infraction involving jury duty snowballs into a media circus, her political life is shattered. The situation somewhat resembles the story of real-life Attorney General nominee Zoe Baird.

Daughter ran for a short time on Broadway in 1997 with a cast that featured Kate Nelligan, Hal Holbrook, Peter Riegert and Lynne Thigpen.

PTC Artistic Director Charles Morley directs. Joyce Cohen (PTC's A Streetcar Named Desire, Arcadia) stars as Dr. Lyssa Dent Hughes. Also in the cast are Geoffrey Wade (Bway's Translations, An American Daughter) as Lyssa's husband Walter, Angela Bullock (Guthrie's The Cherry Orchard) as Dr. Judith Kaufman, Chris Mixon (PTC's Hunchback of Notre Dame) as Morrow McCarthy, Robert Peterson as Senator Alan Hughes, Annie Murray as Charlotte "Chubby" Hughes, Ron Nummi as reporter Timber Tucker and Demetra Tseckares as Quincy Quince.

The design team includes George Maxwell (set), Carol Wells-Day (costumes), Peter L. Willardson (lighting), James C. Swonger (sound) and Cynthia L. McCourt (hair and makeup). Tickets ($33-$15) are available by calling the box office at (801) 581 6961. The Elizabeth E. Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre is located at 300 South and 1400 East.

-- By Christine Ehren and Robert Viagas