The Unsinkable Carrie Fisher performs "Wishful Drinking" at the HSC

HARTFORD - "Born to simple folk," Carrie Fisher jokes about life in her one-woman show "Wishful Drinking" at the Hartford Stage Company.

Any way you look at it, Carrie Fisher has had quite a life. She is the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and film icon Debbie Reynolds.

Her mother may have starred in the movie "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," among many other films, but that title just as aptly sums up Carrie Fisher’s life and her will to not only survive, but thrive with her sense of humor intact.

Her show is a walk down memory lane - her recollections as a celebrity child, singing in the chorus in one of her mother’s shows on Broadway (Isn’t that what all children do? she asks), to her own iconic performance as Princess Leia in “Star Wars," all while tossing out clever, witty one-liners at light-saber speed.

The set, by Alexander V. Nichols, who also is the lighting and production designer, is a cozy living room, with an asymmetrical backdrop that neatly serves as a projection screen, with images of her famous parents and many other well-known visages, including the woman her Eddie left Debbie for Elizabeth Taylor, who subsequently left Eddie Fisher for Richard Burton, and on and on.

Think of the love-triangle as Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, and Anjelina Jolie of the 1960s, she says.

When her father started having an affair with Taylor, Fisher understates: "It made marriage to my mother awkward."

Carrie Fisher has had some extreme experiences, like when a gay pal of hers, R. Gregory Stevens, died in bed next to her in 2005 - a traumatic experience she goes into great detail about.

She speaks also of her relationship with the singer and songwriter Paul Simon, with whom she felt "the secret handshake of shared sensibility." They were together for years, but eventually parted. The director Mike Nichols said she and Simon "were two flowers without a garden."

She talks a lot about her struggle with substance abuse, as well as the bipolar diagnosis that she carries with her like an extra appendage. Being bipolar and manic she says makes her feel that "instant gratification takes too long."

While Carl Marx may have believed that "religion is the opiate of the masses," Fisher says, she took "masses of opiates religiously."

But for a couple of memory lapses, due she says to her recently receiving electroshock therapy, her light banter and quick, sardonic wit is best showcased when the house lights go up and she engages the audience in a question-and-answer repartee. She gently teases, cajoles, and wins the hearts of the audience members with her charm, grace, and desire to please.

Her insider experiences starring in "Star Wars" are funny. She says these days she is tracked "by a small band of stalkers," and has seen her "Princess Leia" likeness with that kooky ear muff wig, in the form of shampoo bottles where her head twists off, soap, a doll, and even a Pez candy dispenser.

She revealed that the "Star Wars" creator and director, George Lucas, told her she couldn’t wear a bra in the films. When she asked why, Lucas said: "Because there are no bras in space."

Fisher says her life makes a good anecdote, but a bad reality. Lucky for the audience, they get to reap the reward of her many trials and travails. Hopefully she gets some joy out of sharing her life too - She sure deserves it.

WISHFUL DRINKING
3 1/2 Stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford, Conn.
Production: Written and performed by Carrie Fisher. Directed by Tony Taccone. Scenic design, lighting design, and production design by Alexander V. Nichols.
Running time: 2 hours, plus one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. through August 17. There will be no Sunday evening performance.
Tickets: $26 to $55. For further information call their box office at 860-527-5151, or visit their website a www.hartfordstage.org.

ACTOR...CHARACTER
Carrie Fisher...Herself