The Film "A Woman, A Part" Stars Maggie Stiff as a Self-Absorbed TV Sitcom Star

Dir/writer Elisabeth Surbirns film "A Woman, A Part" mirrors the filmmaker's life with a trio of Brooklyn/Bronx born actors starting out together.  The simple joys of youth in the theater give way to real life drama of maintaining relationships, rent payment and one's sanity.  Anna (Maggie Stiff "Mad Men" & "Billions") is a successful TV sitcom star who is both vain & self-destructive.  Anna is a drama queen on & off the set.  Her bought with fame & a health crisis leave her wadding in a pool of scripts  & self-pity.  Meanwhile, Isaac (John Ortiz, actor & co-founder of the Labyrinth Theater) and Kate (British actress Cara Seymour) have idled in the Bronx. The renovation taking place in the Bronx is a ubiquitous metaphor for change.  Anna has a minor meltdown, replete with prescribed anti-depressants and illicitly gotten amphetamines.  This comes at a hiatus in her work schedule allowing her time for herself; if only she knew what to do with herself.  The break coincides with Cara's birthday celebration which Isaac has invited Anna, unbeknowst to Cara.  The awkward & unexpected reunion is not without its underpinnings of shared histories.  While Anna is adrift, Isaac is scrambling to save his marriage and get his new play produced.  Cara is struggling with for sobriety.  All three actors give convincing performances of dissatisfaction & resilience.  This smart & convincing film questions whether having achieved one's aspirations, does one find contentment.  A lovely ingenue saddles up to Anna at the party to ask her advice on becoming an actress.  Anna's neediness cracks through her veneer of confidence.  "A Woman, A Part" is an engaging film about negotiating & reinventing ourselves.