3.5 out of 5 stars

Bess Wohl’s “Liberation” is a work of unbridled ambition. It explores the women’s rights movement of the ‘70s – what it accomplished and what it didn’t – through the lives of several women meeting weekly in a rec-center basement. But it’s also a deeply personal story, centering on a daughter – presumably a stand-in for the playwright – trying to understand the choices her mother made at that time. The problem? Wohl employs so many devices – breaking the fourth wall repeatedly, having actresses play two characters – that things start to feel unwieldy. A talented ensemble gives the production some needed shots of adrenaline, however. — Charles Passy

At the James Earl Jones Theatre, through Jan. 11, 2026; liberationbway.com. (Review date: Oct. 31, 2025)