Old Acquaintance (Thursday, 7.12.07)
American Airlines Theatre, New York, NY
By: John van Druten (playwright), Michael Wilson (direction), Alexander Dodge (set design), David C. Woolard (costume design), Rui Rita (lighting design)
Starring: Margaret Colin (Katherine Markham), Corey Stoll (Rudd Kendall), Diane Davis (Deirdre Drake), Gordana Rashovich (Karina), Harriet Harris (Mildred Watson Drake), Cynthia Darlow (Susan), Stephen Bogardus (Preston Drake)
Two old female friends and rivals get together and the drama plays out between them. One could almost imagine such a play between two male rivals, although surely it would not be so caddy.
As much as I admire older shows, sitting through this production, I had a difficult time coming up with a compelling reason to revive this particular show. As a play, it is rather staid and uninteresting. The premise is flat, and development of the plot is predictable, and the characters are, even when developed, rather uninteresting. What the play does seem to provide, I will admit, is an opportunity for two actors to have lots of stage time, often with showy speeches and exchanges. It would appear to be a vehicle to showcase some good acting, which I suppose is part of the Roundabout formula for revivals. The real purpose here is to provide Margaret Colin and Harriet Harris with that opportunity to showcase their talents, via the plethora of comic moments and some emotionally showy exchanges.
Harris gets the better of the play in this regard, although this is at least in part because she has the showier part. She is a comic genius, really, and she does not disappoint, whether it is in her total breakdowns or in her playful banter. Margaret Colin is also good, but she has a more difficult task because her character is the “straight” one – although she has led an interesting life to be sure.
Even as a vehicle for stars, however, the piece tends to fall flat. Even though Katherine and Mildred seem to have time to go at it, in fact, the results of their banter are of little interest to anyone. I don't believe this is the fault of the actors, I believe it is the defect in the work itself.
From a design standpoint, this production also provides a tremendous opportunity for set design. It's rare, particularly in a play, that the scenery gets its own applause, but such is the case at the opening of the second act, when the curtain lifts to reveal a colorful, playful, and over-the-top home of the colorful and over-the-top Mildred. It is a spectacular set, to be sure, though part of me wonders whether the applause was simply a symptom of a desperate audience trying to find something to be happy about while watching this play.
Showing posts with label play. Show all posts
Showing posts with label play. Show all posts
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Review-Sampaguita (6.20.07)
Sampaguita (Wednesday, 6.20.07, 8 p.m.)
45th Street Theatre, New York, NY
By: Marisa Marquez, Will Warren (direction)
Starring: Robb Hurst, Marisa Marquez
Sampaguita was written by Marisa Marquez, and tells the story of a woman suffering from Lupus. While many of us have heard of Lupus, most of us probably do not understand how debilitating the disease can be, and its incidence is rare enough that most of us also don’t know what it is like to suffer from the disease. The disease apparently also disproportionately affects Asian-Americans, which is why this play is part of the Asian-American Festival.
This two-person play is simple in premise, but a surprising amount happens during the course of the play, which switches between flashbacks to the past and telling the current story. Although the play only has two actors, the two play multiple characters. There is much about the dialogue and storyingtelling that is grounded in this being a story about an Asian-American. Some of this dialogue is humorous, some of it a little strained. Taken as a whole, the story is compelling mostly because of its premise, although I found that some of the storytelling devices employed a bit unbelievable and contrived. The sudden appearance of a family relative who looks exactly like her cousin, for example, may be a storytelling device, but it just comes across as being a little too convenient.
On the more grand scale, though, the show works on an emotional level, because at its heart the show is simply about a husband dealing with the death of his wife. The appearance of her cousin, who closely resembles his dead wife (and who in fact uses his dead wife's passport to enter the country illegally), is rather contrived, but it does provide the opportunity for him to seamlessly revisit those critical moments in his relationship. He also gets the opportunity to think about where he is in his life, and about how he can help this woman, who has been thrust into this circumstance by his mother-in-law's scheme to give him a new wife.
It doesn’t hurt that playright and actress Marquez shows a good deal of facility in switching back and forth between the characters, and her performances are anchored by Robb Hurst, who is terrific. With these solid performances, the play works. The piece is also well-directed, and manages to wring the most from the material and move along with at an easy pace.
The overall design is simple – a few pieces of furniture and some trash – and is appropriate to the material. The lighting design also assists in switching time of day and even between characters. But as with many small plays, this is about the piece and acting. In the end, this show works, notwithstanding its faults.
45th Street Theatre, New York, NY
By: Marisa Marquez, Will Warren (direction)
Starring: Robb Hurst, Marisa Marquez
Sampaguita was written by Marisa Marquez, and tells the story of a woman suffering from Lupus. While many of us have heard of Lupus, most of us probably do not understand how debilitating the disease can be, and its incidence is rare enough that most of us also don’t know what it is like to suffer from the disease. The disease apparently also disproportionately affects Asian-Americans, which is why this play is part of the Asian-American Festival.
This two-person play is simple in premise, but a surprising amount happens during the course of the play, which switches between flashbacks to the past and telling the current story. Although the play only has two actors, the two play multiple characters. There is much about the dialogue and storyingtelling that is grounded in this being a story about an Asian-American. Some of this dialogue is humorous, some of it a little strained. Taken as a whole, the story is compelling mostly because of its premise, although I found that some of the storytelling devices employed a bit unbelievable and contrived. The sudden appearance of a family relative who looks exactly like her cousin, for example, may be a storytelling device, but it just comes across as being a little too convenient.
On the more grand scale, though, the show works on an emotional level, because at its heart the show is simply about a husband dealing with the death of his wife. The appearance of her cousin, who closely resembles his dead wife (and who in fact uses his dead wife's passport to enter the country illegally), is rather contrived, but it does provide the opportunity for him to seamlessly revisit those critical moments in his relationship. He also gets the opportunity to think about where he is in his life, and about how he can help this woman, who has been thrust into this circumstance by his mother-in-law's scheme to give him a new wife.
It doesn’t hurt that playright and actress Marquez shows a good deal of facility in switching back and forth between the characters, and her performances are anchored by Robb Hurst, who is terrific. With these solid performances, the play works. The piece is also well-directed, and manages to wring the most from the material and move along with at an easy pace.
The overall design is simple – a few pieces of furniture and some trash – and is appropriate to the material. The lighting design also assists in switching time of day and even between characters. But as with many small plays, this is about the piece and acting. In the end, this show works, notwithstanding its faults.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Review-Journey's End (6.8.07)
Journey's End (Friday, 6.8.07)
Belasco Theatre, New York, NY
By: R.C. Sherriff (playwright), David Grindley (direction), Jonathan Fensom (scenery/costumes), Jason Taylor (lighting), Gregory Clarke (sound)
Starring: Boyd Gaines (Osborne), Jefferson Mays (Mason), Stark Sands (Raleigh), Hugh Dancy (Stanhope), John Ahlin (Trotter), Justin Blanchard (Hibbert)
At the conclusion of the “Journey’s End,” the revival of the 1928 play about World War I, there is a good minute of the sound of bombing – no talking, no lights on stage – just the sounds that would have filled the air in 1918 when this play takes place. It is a powerful moment, one which doesn’t give you much time to really think – it just invokes an immediate gut reaction.
The effect sets a perfect tone for the conclusion of the play. The feeling is not necessarily one that is different from that achieved at other times during the play – but the difference is that at the conclusion, the audience reaction is more visceral.
What is just so wonderful and moving about Journey End, though, is that the piece largely avoids relying on pyrotechnics or cliche scenes in order to achieve its emotional effect. Rather, the piece relies on building character, through conversation. There is never a dull moment, even though the action all takes place in a relatively dimly lit officer’s lodge in a trench. The “action” is only referred to – we never actually see any of it on stage. But what we do see on stage are the interactions which tell us far more about the characters on stage than any action scene could ever tell us.
The cast is uniformly excellent. Boyd Gaines is excellent as the elder statesman of the group, reliable and good-hearted and loyal to his men. Hugh Dancy is especially compelling as the young and charismatic, but equally troubled, commander, and Dancy has some unexpected moments in the second and third acts. Jefferson Mays and John Ahlin have some wonderful comic moments, with Mays in particular approaching the role with droll humor. And Stark Sands delivers a lovely performance as Raleigh, and gets to show the transformation that war can make on a man.
The lighting and scenic design are appropriate to the setting, although I would have preferred just a little more light to better see the fine acting going on before me. The direction is seamless, and given that the entire play takes place in one room, it is especially fluid.
Journey’s End is an actor’s delight. The roles are not necessarily easy to play – indeed, there is a great deal of nuance to be had – but the roles are meaty, with lots of opportunity to build character. The show is a perfect demonstration of why Broadway needs more straight plays – to give actors an opportunity to shine as they do here.
Belasco Theatre, New York, NY
By: R.C. Sherriff (playwright), David Grindley (direction), Jonathan Fensom (scenery/costumes), Jason Taylor (lighting), Gregory Clarke (sound)
Starring: Boyd Gaines (Osborne), Jefferson Mays (Mason), Stark Sands (Raleigh), Hugh Dancy (Stanhope), John Ahlin (Trotter), Justin Blanchard (Hibbert)
At the conclusion of the “Journey’s End,” the revival of the 1928 play about World War I, there is a good minute of the sound of bombing – no talking, no lights on stage – just the sounds that would have filled the air in 1918 when this play takes place. It is a powerful moment, one which doesn’t give you much time to really think – it just invokes an immediate gut reaction.
The effect sets a perfect tone for the conclusion of the play. The feeling is not necessarily one that is different from that achieved at other times during the play – but the difference is that at the conclusion, the audience reaction is more visceral.
What is just so wonderful and moving about Journey End, though, is that the piece largely avoids relying on pyrotechnics or cliche scenes in order to achieve its emotional effect. Rather, the piece relies on building character, through conversation. There is never a dull moment, even though the action all takes place in a relatively dimly lit officer’s lodge in a trench. The “action” is only referred to – we never actually see any of it on stage. But what we do see on stage are the interactions which tell us far more about the characters on stage than any action scene could ever tell us.
The cast is uniformly excellent. Boyd Gaines is excellent as the elder statesman of the group, reliable and good-hearted and loyal to his men. Hugh Dancy is especially compelling as the young and charismatic, but equally troubled, commander, and Dancy has some unexpected moments in the second and third acts. Jefferson Mays and John Ahlin have some wonderful comic moments, with Mays in particular approaching the role with droll humor. And Stark Sands delivers a lovely performance as Raleigh, and gets to show the transformation that war can make on a man.
The lighting and scenic design are appropriate to the setting, although I would have preferred just a little more light to better see the fine acting going on before me. The direction is seamless, and given that the entire play takes place in one room, it is especially fluid.
Journey’s End is an actor’s delight. The roles are not necessarily easy to play – indeed, there is a great deal of nuance to be had – but the roles are meaty, with lots of opportunity to build character. The show is a perfect demonstration of why Broadway needs more straight plays – to give actors an opportunity to shine as they do here.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Review-Faith Healer (4.22.06)
Faith Healer (Saturday, 4.22.06)
Booth Theatre, New York, NY
By: Brian Friel
Starring: Ralph Fiennes (Frank Hardy), Cherry Jones (Grace Hardy), Ian McDiarmid (Teddy)
Set up as a series of monologues, “Faith Healer” tells the story of Frank Hardy (Fiennes), a faith healer scraping out a living traveling through Scotland and Wales, giving hope to the desperate. A shyster, a showman, whatever he was, you have to take whatever he says with a grain of salt.
As Hardy tells his story, one can see why he was a “success” as a faith healer, if that’s what you can call it. Hardy is captivating and charismatic, even if he is also sleazy and unbelievable. But what is fascinating is his storytelling – not so much his story, but the way he tells it.
The story begins to fill in a bit in the second scene, when Grace, Hardy’s lover, begins to tell her story. Grace’s story overlaps with Hardy’s, but with a different set of details. The story fills in even more when Teddy (McDiarmid), Hardy’s manager, tells his story. The play comes full circle when Hardy’s delivers his final monologue.
Friel is his usual poetic self, employing the same beautiful language and method of storytelling that makes him one of the twentieth century’s great playwrights. What’s interesting about this play is that, for all the beautiful storytelling, the story itself is not all that interesting. What’s fascinating is watching how the stories intertwine; how four separate monologues weave a single cohesive story.
“Faith Healer” also gives an opportunity to watch great actors give great speeches. Leading this terrific acting excursion is Ralph Fiennes, who is simply captivating as Hardy. Fiennes inhabits the character. Fiennes’ charisma allows him to fill the huge stage with his presence. He plays with the language. It is a terrific performance.
Also excellent is Ian McDiarmid as Teddy, Hardy’s manager. McDiarmid finds the most humor in his portrayal. McDiarmid sheds all recollection of his most famous role – the Emperor in Star Wars – and delivers a tour de force performance.
The weak link, if it can be believed, is Cherry Jones, who for all her wonderful talents is simply miscast as Grace. Jones seems out of place, and really not very believable either as an Irish woman or as Hardy’s lover. She doesn’t even bother to put on an Irish (or English) accent, which is jarring juxtaposed as she is between the performances of her British cohorts. In any event, although her performance hits its stride about halfway through and she even reaches an emotional crescendo, Jones seems so out of place that her story – setting aside the story itself – almost seems unrelated to that of either Hardy or Teddy. Perhaps she would have been better off trying to be understated instead of putting it all out there.
In the end, this production of Faith Healer is beautiful in many ways, and a great vehicle for some excellent monologues. As a cohesive piece, though, in this production, it falls just a little short. The four separate pieces don’t really go together, and one almost yearns to get the actors all on the stage at the same time to give it a cohesiveness that it lacks. That said, it is still wonderful to see such terrific actors spitting forth Friel’s dialogue. While it doesn’t live up to its hype, any day when you get Fiennes, Jones and McDiarmid on the same stage (even in succession instead of at the same time) is a day to celebrate.
Booth Theatre, New York, NY
By: Brian Friel
Starring: Ralph Fiennes (Frank Hardy), Cherry Jones (Grace Hardy), Ian McDiarmid (Teddy)
Set up as a series of monologues, “Faith Healer” tells the story of Frank Hardy (Fiennes), a faith healer scraping out a living traveling through Scotland and Wales, giving hope to the desperate. A shyster, a showman, whatever he was, you have to take whatever he says with a grain of salt.
As Hardy tells his story, one can see why he was a “success” as a faith healer, if that’s what you can call it. Hardy is captivating and charismatic, even if he is also sleazy and unbelievable. But what is fascinating is his storytelling – not so much his story, but the way he tells it.
The story begins to fill in a bit in the second scene, when Grace, Hardy’s lover, begins to tell her story. Grace’s story overlaps with Hardy’s, but with a different set of details. The story fills in even more when Teddy (McDiarmid), Hardy’s manager, tells his story. The play comes full circle when Hardy’s delivers his final monologue.
Friel is his usual poetic self, employing the same beautiful language and method of storytelling that makes him one of the twentieth century’s great playwrights. What’s interesting about this play is that, for all the beautiful storytelling, the story itself is not all that interesting. What’s fascinating is watching how the stories intertwine; how four separate monologues weave a single cohesive story.
“Faith Healer” also gives an opportunity to watch great actors give great speeches. Leading this terrific acting excursion is Ralph Fiennes, who is simply captivating as Hardy. Fiennes inhabits the character. Fiennes’ charisma allows him to fill the huge stage with his presence. He plays with the language. It is a terrific performance.
Also excellent is Ian McDiarmid as Teddy, Hardy’s manager. McDiarmid finds the most humor in his portrayal. McDiarmid sheds all recollection of his most famous role – the Emperor in Star Wars – and delivers a tour de force performance.
The weak link, if it can be believed, is Cherry Jones, who for all her wonderful talents is simply miscast as Grace. Jones seems out of place, and really not very believable either as an Irish woman or as Hardy’s lover. She doesn’t even bother to put on an Irish (or English) accent, which is jarring juxtaposed as she is between the performances of her British cohorts. In any event, although her performance hits its stride about halfway through and she even reaches an emotional crescendo, Jones seems so out of place that her story – setting aside the story itself – almost seems unrelated to that of either Hardy or Teddy. Perhaps she would have been better off trying to be understated instead of putting it all out there.
In the end, this production of Faith Healer is beautiful in many ways, and a great vehicle for some excellent monologues. As a cohesive piece, though, in this production, it falls just a little short. The four separate pieces don’t really go together, and one almost yearns to get the actors all on the stage at the same time to give it a cohesiveness that it lacks. That said, it is still wonderful to see such terrific actors spitting forth Friel’s dialogue. While it doesn’t live up to its hype, any day when you get Fiennes, Jones and McDiarmid on the same stage (even in succession instead of at the same time) is a day to celebrate.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Review-The History Boys (4.21.06)
The History Boys (Friday, 4.21.06)
Broadhurst Theatre, New York, NY
By: Alan Bennett
Starring: Sacha Dhawan (Akthar), Rudi Dharmalingam (Crowther, u/s), Dominic Cooper (Dakin), Andrew Knott (Lockwood), Samuel Barnett (Posner), Russell Tovey (Rudge), Jamie Parker (Scripps), James Corden (Timms), Clive Merrison (Headmaster), Frances de la Tour (Mrs. Lintott), Richard Griffiths (Hector), Stephen Campbell Moore (Irwin)
A classroom full of bright and articulate English schoolboys studying for their college placement exams. The play threatens to be just an ordinary exercise, filled with cliché. But instead, this History Boys is a lively and entertaining romp, one that is neither too English nor too pedantic to inhabit the Broadway stage.
Nicholas Hytner, who directed this piece to great success at the National Theatre in London, presents the show in highly stylized fashion, covering on-stage set changes by projecting images on a large screen set to 80s music. The images are of the cast themselves, simulating walking through halls or even riding on a motorcycle. The projections are at first jarring, but since they are connected to the action in the play, they work within that framework.
The show centers around the class led by Hector (Richard Griffiths), a beloved teacher who relishes in knowledge for the sake of knowledge. He is unconcerned with the task of actually preparing the students for their exams. The principal, however, is more concerned with getting his students into Oxford and Cambridge. He brings in Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore) and young and bright teacher whose philosophy approximates style over substance. Irwin teaches the students that the truth doesn’t matter, and the students take it to heart.
This play works principally because of Bennett’s wonderful use of language. Everyone, from the teachers to the quietest students, communicates beautifully and appropriately (even if not beautifully, it is appropriate). The dialogue is fast-paced and provoking, and so it sparkles as delivered by the cast.
It doesn’t hurt that the dialogue is so beautifully rendered by the superb cast, largely intact from London. Richard Griffiths persona is as large as his girth. He is a tremendous presence, and a sad one where appropriate. He manages never to be hateful, even as the revelation of his molestation of his students comes to light. Also excellent are Stephen Campbell Moore as the sexy new teacher who captivates his students’ attention, and each of the students is fantastic, particularly Samuel Barnett as the sensitive Posner and Dominic Cooper as the magnetic Dakin.
In the end, the main flaw with The History Boys is that its hard to discern if the play has anything to say. Sure, it’s fun to watch and listen to the playful language, but the impact is blunted by the absence of any discernible message. We are never really sure who wins -- Irwin’s style over substance, or Hector’s knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Or perhaps that’s the point. In any event, as an eye into a particular view of life, the History Boys is really tremendous, and the highly stylized presentation is extremely entertaining and even moving.
Broadhurst Theatre, New York, NY
By: Alan Bennett
Starring: Sacha Dhawan (Akthar), Rudi Dharmalingam (Crowther, u/s), Dominic Cooper (Dakin), Andrew Knott (Lockwood), Samuel Barnett (Posner), Russell Tovey (Rudge), Jamie Parker (Scripps), James Corden (Timms), Clive Merrison (Headmaster), Frances de la Tour (Mrs. Lintott), Richard Griffiths (Hector), Stephen Campbell Moore (Irwin)
A classroom full of bright and articulate English schoolboys studying for their college placement exams. The play threatens to be just an ordinary exercise, filled with cliché. But instead, this History Boys is a lively and entertaining romp, one that is neither too English nor too pedantic to inhabit the Broadway stage.
Nicholas Hytner, who directed this piece to great success at the National Theatre in London, presents the show in highly stylized fashion, covering on-stage set changes by projecting images on a large screen set to 80s music. The images are of the cast themselves, simulating walking through halls or even riding on a motorcycle. The projections are at first jarring, but since they are connected to the action in the play, they work within that framework.
The show centers around the class led by Hector (Richard Griffiths), a beloved teacher who relishes in knowledge for the sake of knowledge. He is unconcerned with the task of actually preparing the students for their exams. The principal, however, is more concerned with getting his students into Oxford and Cambridge. He brings in Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore) and young and bright teacher whose philosophy approximates style over substance. Irwin teaches the students that the truth doesn’t matter, and the students take it to heart.
This play works principally because of Bennett’s wonderful use of language. Everyone, from the teachers to the quietest students, communicates beautifully and appropriately (even if not beautifully, it is appropriate). The dialogue is fast-paced and provoking, and so it sparkles as delivered by the cast.
It doesn’t hurt that the dialogue is so beautifully rendered by the superb cast, largely intact from London. Richard Griffiths persona is as large as his girth. He is a tremendous presence, and a sad one where appropriate. He manages never to be hateful, even as the revelation of his molestation of his students comes to light. Also excellent are Stephen Campbell Moore as the sexy new teacher who captivates his students’ attention, and each of the students is fantastic, particularly Samuel Barnett as the sensitive Posner and Dominic Cooper as the magnetic Dakin.
In the end, the main flaw with The History Boys is that its hard to discern if the play has anything to say. Sure, it’s fun to watch and listen to the playful language, but the impact is blunted by the absence of any discernible message. We are never really sure who wins -- Irwin’s style over substance, or Hector’s knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Or perhaps that’s the point. In any event, as an eye into a particular view of life, the History Boys is really tremendous, and the highly stylized presentation is extremely entertaining and even moving.
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