Vortex's 'Hillary and Clinton' examines the politics of marriage, gender roles

A former First Lady sits in a New Hampshire hotel room in a desperate bid to save her troubled presidential campaign.

Her husband, Bill, sees things one way. Her campaign manager Mark sees them from another angle.

Call it codependence and camaraderie.

"Hillary and Clinton" opens at the Vortex Theatre on Friday, April 12.

Lucas Hnath's play examines the politics of marriage, gender roles and the limitations of experience in this timely look at an American political system in crisis.

These Clintons aren't the real ones, but characters with the same names in an alternative universe.

The play opens in the shattering aftermath of Hillary's loss to someone named Barack in the 2008 Iowa caucus.

"Hillary's campaign is in shreds," director Susan Erickson said. "The minute she lost the caucus, people stopped giving her money."

It's days before the New Hampshire primary and Mark tries to steer her back on track.

Then Bill shows up.

He's dragging a duffel bag and craving a return to the political front lines.

"All hell breaks loose," Erickson said. "Bill has been banned from the campaign and her life." But Hillary can't deny his political instincts.

They fight over how much vulnerability Hillary must show to win over the voters.

She’s lagging behind Obama in the polls and playing with the notion that maybe, in some alternate reality, she will beat this upstart who has jumped the line of accession, prevailing against him in New Hampshire.

She needs money, she needs poll numbers, she needs encouragement, she needs sleep.

"How Barack affects the outcome of this entire battle is amazing," Erickson said.

The playwright's directions warn actors not to turn the play into a "Saturday Night Live" skit - no impersonations allowed.

"He wants them to get into what's driving the characters emotionally," Erickson said.

"The absurdity at which they go at it is like a sporting event. Hillary's whole life has been spent getting ready for this moment.

"We can all relate to this - the manipulation, the barbs, the attempts to protect the ones we love."

"Hillary and Clinton" stars Bridget S. Dunne, Mark Hisler, Ed Chavez and Marcus Ivey.