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General's Daughter: A Rebel!

Lesbianism, breast cancer and the glass ceiling are just a few of the topics covered in a new play about the struggles of a family of four generations of women.

And as CBS News Correspondent Russ Mitchell reports for This Morning, it stars a member of the second generation of a real-life four-star general.



Jar the Floor is the story of a daughter, a mother, and a grandmother all coming together to celebrate the 90th birthday of feeble great-grandmother MaDear.

But as the birthday celebration unfolds, there's less partying and more fighting, as they try to bridge a very wide generation gap.

According to actress Linda Powell, who plays lesbian daughter Vinnie, this role is quite a stretch for her, especially since her dad is General Colin Powell.

"I play the free-spirited, bohemian, rebellious daughter, whose goal in life is to be anything except her mother," says Powell.

And even though she says she never really went through that period in her own life, she adds, "I kind of thought about doing things but was too chicken and so this gave me a chance to go back and freak out a little bit."

Adding to the family turmoil is the constant battle between the great-grandmother and grandmother. Irma P. Hall plays the very senile great-grandmother MaDear, and Tony-winner Lynne Thigpen is her feisty middle-age daughter Lola.

"She appears that she's very angry with her daughter, but when the chips are down, that's who she turns to," explains Hall about her character.

And as for Lola, Thigpen says she lives large. "She grabs it all and shakes as much life as she can out of it. I think everybody has a Lola in their family, and if they're lucky, they have more than one Lola in their family."

Jar the Floor also stars Regina Taylor and Welker White. The play is currently running off Broadway in New York City at the Second Stage Theater.

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