Meryl Streep - A Kennedy Center Honoree?

Some time after Labor Day The Kennedy Center Honors will be announced, catching most of us by surprise and it is hoped here that the list will finally include American film, stage, and television actress extraordinaire Meryl Streep. It seems like every year that the talented actress is up for an Academy Award nomination - 16 so far - and every year the eventual winner is thanking Ms. Streep from the podium for an Oscar she doesn't deserve. In many instances, this is true. (The same might be said about the Kennedy Center honors.) Perhaps success came too soon for Ms. Streep, who garnered the awards for best supporting actress (Kramer vs. Kramer) and best actress (Sophie's Choice), early in her career. Or, more likely, we grew accustomed to her great acting - took it for granted - and wanted something else.

Whatever the reason, her exceptional skills cannot be denied. Whether performing in straight dramatic roles or assorted comedies - nuanced or over-the-top - she far surpasses the competition - female or male. And her skills as a singer first demonstrated in Postcards from the Edge and now paired with her remarkable abilities as a dancer in Mama Mia, show a remarkable range.

I remember the first moment I saw her, in the PBS version of Wendy Wasserstein's Uncommon Women and Others (1978). I couldn't take my eyes off her then and still can't with last year's Julie & Julia and It's Complicated. I was lucky to get to see her in 2002 at Lisner Auditorium when she was interviewed by Michael Kahn. What I chiefly remember about that event were her humor and wit and a seemingly offbeat response to Mr. Kahn's question as to what she looks for from a director. We (Mr. Kahn, I think, as well) all took this to mean what ability or skill the director needs to supply for a limitation on the actor's part. But Ms. Streep had something more tangible in mind: she's looking for confidence - the person knows what he or she is doing!

Let's hope that the Kennedy Center knows what they're doing by now and has Meryl join Paul, The Two Jacks, Julie, and Lauren on the big board. She's earned it!