Secrets
Secrecy is the main theme of this play. Lyman and Polly have guarded their secret of helping Henry to escape the country in order to not be jailed for his being implicated in a fire bombing that killed a man. They have kept this so close to their chest that not even their children know about what they have done. It leads to deep issues between Polly and Brooke. Also, Silda's harboring of the secret that she didn't help Henry when he called her, instead continuing to entertain her guests instead of rushing to him immediately leads to a massive betrayal of Brooke's trust.
Family Loyalty
This play is also about family loyalty. Lyman and Polly are seen as people who would prefer to protect the Republican party than their son. But, the truth is that they have been paying the price of saving their son's life for decades and have only kept up the appearance of being good ol' Republicans in order to ensure Henry is able to have a life and not have it taken away.
Betrayal
Silda most prominently represents this theme in that she was willing and able to help Brooke get her memoir written. Helping her to craft page after page and ensure she got facts right about Lyman and Polly in order that the "truth" come out about them. "They must pay" is her attitude towards her sister and brother in law, but the truth is that Silda is complicit in Henry's suicide. He called her for help when he was being sought by the police, and all she did was invite him to her little party in Laurel Canyon. She didn't go to him, she wasn't there for him and he never showed up. She betrays Brooke's trust by making her believe that Lyman and Polly were the sole reason Henry killed himself.
