Elisabeth Moss Says Her New Role in The Heidi Chronicles Is Mad Men's Peggy For the Next Generation

Going through Mad Men withdrawal? Yep, us too. While you patiently wait for the last seven episodes, see Elisabeth Moss in The Heidi Chronicles on Broadway, beginning performances February 23 at the Music Box Theatre. In Wendy Wasserstein’s female-centric drama, a young woman blossoms into a successful art historian as she observes the world around her. Elisabeth Moss told Broadway.com she’s bringing some of Peggy’s signature strength to her new role in The Heidi Chronicles, where she’ll age over 20 years in the course of an evening.

Who is Heidi? What’s this character like?
I’m very interested in playing her as a modern woman, which is something that I’ve always tried to do with Peggy on Mad Men. I know that the time period is an influence on who she is, but at the same time I think that she’s just like us and has the same issues and the same problems and the same questions. So for me, I’m interested in finding out who she is in any decade.

Both Peggy and Heidi are very strong women—is this almost like picking up where Peggy left off?
Heidi’s a lot stronger than Peggy, and smarter. She’s more of an observer and a commentator on the events surrounding her. Whereas Peggy was immersed in everything, Heidi is a writer at heart. Wendy [Wasserstein] always picked a field that was different from writing to represent her and in this particular play, she’s an art historian. But Heidi’s obviously the Wendy character in this play.

Wendy Wasserstein sadly passed away at 55. Do you wish she were here so you could ask her questions?
Absolutely. I really wish she was here so I could talk to her. But at the same time, she was such a huge part of so many people’s lives. She was so close to certain people that we do have here, that I do feel like she’s very present. I think we’re doing the play that she would’ve wanted us to do, and I don’t feel like she’s that far away.

This play premiered in 1989. Why do you think The Heidi Chronicles has a place on Broadway right now?
I feel like you could change a couple of the names and the events and it could easily be this year or last year. It could easily be the '90s through 2015 instead of ’65 through ’89. It’s so incredibly relevant. It’s so modern. The issues that she is dealing with as a woman haven’t changed.

Last time you were on Broadway, Mad Men had just started—this time, you’re a big TV star. How will it be different this time around?
I have a lot more to do in this play. It’s a much bigger role for me than I’ve ever done on Broadway and I have a lot more lines than I’ve ever had. I don’t worry about what happens off of the stage, but I think it’s going to be a bit different experience as far as my responsibility.

There’s so much girl power in this play. What is it like to represent this strong figure for other women and girls in the audience?
I think this story is applicable to girls in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties...I hope that her strength inspires younger girls, but I’m most interested in telling a truthful, honest story.

See Elisabeth Moss in The Heidi Chronicles beginning February 23 at the Music Box Theatre.