Bonnie’s Gift

Calling an actor “courageous” for taking on a challenging role is usually the height of hyperbole. But it rings absolutely true for Linda Purl, who will star in the Ensemble Theatre Company’s one-woman show The Year of Magical Thinking.

The play, based on the best-selling memoir by author Joan Didion, is about living life in the face of death — in her case, the sudden death of Didion’s husband, and the slow death of their daughter. Its themes are universal, but they’re particularly personal for Purl.

First, her mother was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. And second, she agreed to step into the role when her good friend Bonnie Franklin, who was scheduled to perform, was forced to drop out due to illness. Franklin, the beloved star of the television sitcom One Day at a Time, died March 1.