Here's what a conversation with Meryl Streep would look like with the sound off: Talking. Distracted head shake from Sophie's Choice. More talking. Sideways glance into the middle distance from Kramer vs. Kramer. Another, longer set of words. Wearied blink--The French Lieutenant's Woman. Pause. Statement. Huge wicked giggle. It's as if an International Fragile Female Parade collided with a clown car at an intersection. Listen to Streep long enough, and you can see every character she has ever played. But none of them are her.
We are at the open-air Delacorte Theater in New York City's Central Park. It's a beautiful...