Judith Light of 'The Assembled Parties' talks 'Dallas,' summer plans

The Manhattan Theatre Club production, which opened in April, has just been extended through June 16.

The play, set in 1980 and 2000, tracks two branches of a Jewish family -- one from the Upper West Side, the other (Faye's) from Roslyn. The script is peppered with local references -- from parking hassles at Roosevelt Field to schlepping on "the L-I-R-R." And Faye is fighting for breath like so many women the playwright must've known growing up in East Meadow.

An affair, a ruby necklace and a death rock this family, but don't make assumptions. We may think we know the whole story, but we don't. (Not until Act 2.)

Light, 64, who won a Tony Award last year for "Other Desert Cities," is best known for TV's "Who's the Boss?" and recently appeared on TNT's "Dallas."

She sat down with Newsday days before her latest Tony nomination -- for actress in a featured role in a play -- was announced.

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So nervous! People say, "Ohhh," and I say, "What, you think I've done this so long that I wouldn't be?"

Then I'm in good company.

How . . . lovely . . . for you to notice. The idea is that there are several scenes going on at once.

Our scene is already in progress. And I'm saying, "I'm so sorry, I've always tried not to be the woman at the party having the nervous breakdown in the kitchen." During rehearsal, we improvised what would've led up to that moment.

It's like . . . crocheting lace. You cannot make too much of it.

You have to be careful not to go overboard. I go from about 53 to 73. If you look at 73-year-olds, they're not hobbling around. They're . . . a little slower. I also have a wig that totally changes everything. And costumes -- the pants are fuller. And padded. The bra is higher in Act 1, lower in Act 2.

Rich [Greenberg] comes from there. He understands this place. And these women. Who are remarkable. But often . . . caricaturized.

Exactly. They've been discounted in a way that doesn't do service to who they actually are. Faye says . . . , "What, I should be like those dames in Great Neck? Awll of a sudden they've developed needs just so their husbands won't be able to fulfill them? What would that get me?" All these things happen to her -- but she tries to be victorious. So we root for her. It's about a Jewish family -- but it transcends that. It's human.

Oh, I . . . I . . . I . . . just had to do it. It's such a different character for me -- grizzly . . . uptight . . . mildly insane.

I got to be with Larry just a bit. Patrick Duffy, he's so dear, and Linda Gray, they both called -- they said, "We don't want you to hear this any other way." Everyone pulled together and made me feel like I was part of the family. It was beautiful.

My manager, Herb Hamsher, always says everything in life happens by divine choreography. I agree. Larry started this journey, and while he was having treatments, he was there on set. Resilient. But I think he knew he could let it go. It was in good hands now.

Actually . . . I'm not very good at that. I love to work. Just walking over to the theater tonight . . . it thrills me. I never expected this would've happened for me at this point in my life. And that's why I think this play is so important. It reminds us we have to do everything as if our life depended on it. And it does.