Review-My Name is Rachel Corrie (11.12.06)

My Name is Rachel Corrie (Sunday, 11.12.06)
Minetta Lane Theatre, New York, NY

By: Rachel Corrie (edited by Alan Rickman, Katharine Viner), Alan Rickman (direction)

Starring: Bree Elrod (Rachel Corrie, standby)

What gives My Name Is Rachel Corrie its emotional power is also what ultimately limits it as a theatrical piece. Knowing what eventually happens to the reach Rachel Corrie gives her words a sadness and emotional urgency that the words themselves – though often poetic – do not necessarily themselves suggest. By the end of the show, when we learn of her fate through the BBC radio report, we feel as though everything has been leading to it. Although it is the only moment in the show that is not from Rachel’s own writings, it is the necessary culmination of events.

The problems in the script, which are magnified during the first half hour or so, are that they are an amalgamation of fairly short diary entries, and so the script comes across as somewhat fragmented and disjointed. The first part of the show is focused on giving Rachel’s biography – information about her background, her education, her parents, her friends. The dialogue feels stilted and almost stream of consciousness.

Things improve considerably when the action moves to Gaza. The thoughts and scenes are more coherent, perhaps because the diary entries themselves were observations of whole scenes, images and thoughts, rather than snippets from her early life. The dialogue also picks up a deeper, more serious tone. Again, this is not surprising given what the experience must have been like for Rachel.

The deepening in tone also helps deepen the character of Rachel. Absent from the early part of the evening is any sense of what forms the girl’s political consciousness. Faced with the action in Gaza, however, we come to understand this consciousness.

As Rachel, Bree Elrod is plucky and beautiful, an idealist but not so wide-eyed or naive that she does not understand the gravity of the plight of the people she hopes to help. She is particularly good in Gaza, and what makes her most likeable is that she never comes across as proselytizing, even when she is giving her potentially charged political views.

The main problem with Rachel Corrie, and it is unclear whether it is a fault on the part of Elrod or of the editing of the script, it is that we never really understand what motivates Rachel to be the activist that she is. One never gets a sense of how or why, or even makes a connection between the young girl in Washington and the young woman in Gaza. Perhaps it is a difficulty of telling the girl’s story in 90 minutes. Perhaps it is the difficulty of telling a complete story from the diaries of a girl whose story was never completed. Whatever the reasons, My Name Is Rachel Corrie in the end falls a bit short of the emotional and intellectual movement it promises. That says, it still gives power to a young woman’s poetic words, and brings to life the ideals she fought and died for.

Review-Rent (10.1.06)

Rent (Sunday, 10.1.06)
Nederlander Theatre, New York, NY

By: Jonathan Larson (book, music lyrics), Michael Greif (direction)

Starring: Tim Howar (Roger), Christopher J. Hanke (Mark), Destan Owens (Tom Collins), D’Monroe (Benjamin Coffin III), Nicole Lewis (Joanne), Justin Johnson (Angel), Jaime Lee Kirchner (Mimi), Haven Burton (Maureen)

After 10 years on Broadway, numerous international productions, and even a Hollywood movie version, Rent remains an endearing story of the triumph of love over all. Although the freshness of the story cannot possibly be the same today as it was 10 years ago, this Rent tries to keep its youth and vigor through its casting. For the most part, it succeeds.

All of the principal actors are quite good, particularly Christopher Hanke as Mark and Tim Howar as Roger. Each of the actors walks that delicate balance between bringing something new and fresh to the role, and maintaining the integrity of the performance as we have seen it over 10 years.

If there is anything lacking in the overall performance, it is the rawness that we saw in the first company. The rawness of emotion, the rawness of the performances. What’s always struck me about Rent is that it is, at its heart, a true theatrical piece. As much as people talked about it as being a rock musical, a creature of off-Broadway, a Bohemian, Alphabet-city piece, in fact at its heart is emulated the great musicals of the past, from West Side Story and Les Miserables to the Sound of Music, just in a different package. So if the rawness of emotion (which I attribute mostly to the untimely death of its creator, Jonathan Larson), is muted here, it doesn’t really matter, because the theatricality is what matters. And theatricality is what this show continues to deliver.

Complementing the excellent performances by Tim Howar and Christopher Hanke are good supporting performances by Destan Owens (who continues to shine in his big number, “I’ll Cover You”), D’Monroe as Benjamin Coffin III, Jaime Lee Kirchner as Mimi, Haven Burton as Maureen, and Nicole Lewis as Joanne. Justin Johnson gets some of the biggest laughs as Angel and generally delivers a good performance, although it is difficult to erase the indelible (and as yet, unmatched) performance of the role’s creator, Jermaine Heredia.

Review-Spring Awakening (7.20.06)

Spring Awakening (Thursday, 7.20.06)
Atlantic Theatre, New York, NY

By: Duncan Shiek (music), Steven Sater (book, lyrics), Michael Mayer (direction)

Starring: Jonathan Groff (Melchor), Lea Michele (Wendla), John Gallagher, Jr. (Moritz), Mary McCann (adult women), Frank Wood (adult men)

It’s hard to know what to make of Spring Awakening. Wrapped in Duncan Shiek’s pleasant-sounding 90s pop music and telling the story of a controversial 19th century German play, the piece is at once accessible and yet different. One senses it is truly different from the pieces that have preceded it, but it is difficult to identify why.

Certainly, there is nothing groundbreaking today about the show’s story, even if it was controversial more than 100 years ago when it was first written. There is nothing groundbreaking about the music which, while pleasant and hummable, does not differ greatly in form from other music that has been written in the last decade. The story is somewhat fragmented, although its coherence in theme is sufficient to hold it together.

However you characterize Spring Awakening, it does not really matter. What matters is that it is a moving piece, punctuated with both humor and tragedy, and defined by the youth and emotional enthusiasm of its young cast. Each of the young actors seems to want to burst out of their skins. Jonathan Groff embodies this spirit as Melchor. Groff’s Melchor is the handsome charismatic youth, but he is also a volatile bar of dynamite ready to go off at any moment. Matching Groff moment for moment is Lea Michele, whose tragic Wendla is beautiful and fragile.

As for Duncan Shiek’s score, it is generally successful. If there is one fault, it is that several of the numbers feel “unfinished” – this seems in part intentional, and in fact it gives a rawness and roughness to the piece. But it is also extremely frustrating. Songs in a musical have a natural arc, and interfering with this arc is dangerous.The physical production matches the time period well. In the end, this is a very interesting theatrical piece, emotionally rich thanks to the combination of its music-writing and the excellent players performing the pieces. It will be interesting to see how the shows roughness will be dealt with in its transfer to Broadway.

Review-The Drowsy Chaperone (5.6.06)

The Drowsy Chaperone (Saturday, 5.6.06, 2 p.m.)
Marquis Theatre (Broadway)

Starring: Bob Martin (Man in Chair), Georgia Engel (Mrs. Tottendale), Edward Hibbert (Underling), Troy Britton Johnson (Robert Martin), Eddie Korbich (George), Lenny Wolfe (Feldzieg), Jennifer Smith (Kitty), Jason Kravits (Gangster #1), Garth Kravits (Gangster #2), Danny Burstein (Aldolpho), Sutton Foster (Janet Van De Graaff), Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone), Kecia Lewis-Evans (Trix), Joey Sorge (Super)

The Drowsy Chaperone starts with a voice in a darkened theatre. The Man in Chair, which is the only way in which he is known, begins his narration with a humorous monologue on what might go through your head just as the lights dim at the theatre. It’s humorous, it’s fun, and it’s pretty much true.

When the lights finally come up, we are in Man in Chair’s apartment, a humble setting that soon becomes the scene for the remainder of the show. Man in Chair then puts on the record, and sets the scene of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” his favorite musical from 1928; a light, frothy confection which, despite its flaws, has the power to take him away. What follows is a delightful romp; a smartly written show-within-a-show which looks and sounds like the frothy shows of the 1920s, but has enough humor and double entendre to be enjoyed at this day and age. But what really makes it work is the way the show is framed by Man in Chair’s commentary, which not only helps elaborate on the story (and point out the flaws, not that they do not themselves stand out), but which also gives background on the fictitious actors and even, at times, of Man in Chair’s own life.

I'm often not a big fan of shows that are so "self aware" of themselves as shows, but this one is truly delightful, a light confection without a serious note in its entire body. I suspect that a frequent theatre-goer will enjoy it as much as a total theatre novice not accustomed to musical theatre. Man in Chair clearly relishes the show-within-a-show’s ability to transport him away, but he never takes the things that go on in the show itself too seriously.

Of course, what also helps considerably are the tremendous performances given by the amazing core of actors. Led by Sutton Foster’s remarkably versatile comedic turn and Beth Leavel’s absolutely hilarious turn as in the title role, the show-within-a-show is a comedic delight. Rounding out the cast nicely are Troy Britton Johnson’s magnetic Robert Martin and Danny Burstein’s side-splitting Aldolpho.

But anchoring the whole show, of course, is co-writer Bob Martin as Man in Chair. Martin is tremendous – humorous, poignant – a success on many levels. His role is critical to this show’s success, since it is only with the show-within-a-store framework that allows the piece to work. This gem of a show is a surprising delight. It won't change your life or even cause you to think twice, but it's a heck of a good time while you're there watching it.

Review-Jersey Boys (5.2.06)

Jersey Boys (Tuesday, 5.2.06, 7:00 p.m.)
August Wilson Theatre (Broadway)

Starring: John Lloyd Young (Frankie Valli), Christian Hoff (Tommy DeVito), Daniel Reichard (Bob Gaudio), J. Robert Spencer (Nick Massi)

Season after season, creators have been attempting to craft tributes to various musical performers by creating a Broadway show out of their catalog of songs. For the most part, these efforts have been an abysmal failure. This season has seen no less than three such attempts crash and burn – Lennon, Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash) and Hot Feet (Earth, Wind & Fire), and seasons past have seen many more. Perhaps inspired by the success of Mamma Mia! (which for me has remained the only satisfying jukebox venture), these would-be creators persist, searching for that right combination of story and song.

Perhaps we should tip our hats, then, to all of these failed efforts, as it appears they have finally culminated in a truly enriched, theatrical piece which succeeds both as a tribute to its musical creator and as a satisfying theatrical experience all on its own. “Jersey Boys” is at once a celebration of the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, but even more so, it is a compelling portrait of their rise to fame and an emotionally satisfying and entertaining piece. Des McAnuff’s fast-paced direction, reminiscent of his work in the first act of Tommy, is relentless, but with the snippets of recognizable music and a smooth narrative, it is never too much too fast. It is a joy-ride from start to finish.

Which is not to say that it glosses over the more difficult aspects of Valli’s story, and in fact it is in allowing the story to be told from so many different perspectives that it becomes a rich experience. Each of the characters becomes a true character, and not just a mouthpiece for delivering the catchy music. All four men playing the "original" Seasons – John Lloyd Young, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer are uniformly excellent. Each man reveals his character's flaws, but each also shows how his was a necessary contribution to the success of this famous group.

John Lloyd Young’s nasal, high-pitched falsettos are remarkable, and his covers of Valli’s famous anthems and songs are extremely entertaining. But what is more impressive is how he inhabits the character, from his discovery as a 15-year-old boy to a 40-something leader who becomes his own man and takes charge of his life and the group. Young’s acting and musical ability make it his the standout musical performance of the season, and he should be rewarded come Tony time.

Daniel Reichard brings his smooth-crooning and good looks to the part of Bob Gaudio, a would-be one-hit wonder who finds his voice writing for Valli. Gaudio is the kind of character who would ordinarily blend in the background, but Reichard makes sure that Gaudio's combination of ambition and talent ensure that he will remain in the forefront. Although Gaudio eventually gets his wish to stop performing and to focus on his writing and producing, he takes pleasure in knowing just how important he has been to making the Four Seasons’ success possible. Reichard captures this sense of satisfaction, and makes him out to be an all-around good guy.

Christian Hoff has perhaps the most difficult story to tell, because Tommy DeVito’s character is more difficult to sympathize with. But Hoff is terrific from the opening notes of the show through the end. Rounding out the quartet quite nicely is J. Robert Spencer, whose turn as the ordinarily quiet Nick Massu who knows how to lash out and eventually abandons the group, is deep and satisfying.

The book is exceptionally well-put together and thought out. It is filled with plenty of silly and even corny one-liners. But in the context of the show, everything works. It also is remarkably successful in its more dramatic moments, including a pivotal act two scene involving Frankie’s daughter. What the creators have considered is how best to use the music – sometimes it is just presented as numbers (such as cataloging the group’s early hits), other times it is used to further the story thematically, and still other times it is a combination of the two (such as the use of the reprise of “Walk Like a Man” by the group to confront Tommy at the end of Act I. This flexibility allows the music to be used for maximum effect. It has been a long and difficult road, but the creators of Jersey Boys prove that it is possible to use a catalog of pop music and successfully create a moving and complete theatrical experience. Jersey Boys stands up as easily the best new musical of the season, and one of the more satisfying experience of the past several years.

Review-Entertaining Mr. Sloane (4.28.06)

Entertaining Mr. Sloane (Saturday, 4.28.06)
Laura Pels Theatre, New York, NY

By: Joe Orton

Starring: Alec Baldwin (Ed), Barbara Sims (Kath), Chris Carmack (Sloane), Richard Easton (Kemp)

It’s hard to enjoy a show when you are physically uncomfortable. Unfortunately, that was the case at the performance of Entertaining Mr. Sloane. Do to an air conditioning problem, the theatre was over-air-conditioned, and could not have been more than about 50 degrees. It is quite unfortunate.

In any event, I’ve always had reservations about Joe Orton’s work. His bawdiness always struck me as transparent and without any real point. But this play is actually interesting both in its construction and its plotline. The able cast, led by the able and sexy Chris Carmack, is well-coordinated and delivers its lines with excellent timing. Carmack’s performance is good because he transcends simply being a pretty face with a gorgeous body. He offers a layered performance that grows in the second act as his character become trapped by the circumstances he has created.

Alec Baldwin is also good as the closeted Ed, delivering some of the more comic moments, while Barbara Sims is also good as the seemingly frail Kath who proves she is just as able and cunning as her brother. Finally, Richard Easton, the veteran actor, delivers a terrific comedic performance as Kemp, the father who recognizes Sloane for what he is – a no good fugitive and murderer.

The entire production is fast-paced without being rushed, and moves along quite nicely, though not quite quickly enough given the discomfort of the theatre. The production is also well-designed, with a flowing set that allows the frenetic action to flow from all sides of the stage. All in all, this is a good production of a good play, praise-worthy indeed.

Review-Grey Gardens (4.25.06)

Grey Gardens (4.25.06)
Playwrights Horizons (off-Broadway)

There are few actresses that can command a stage quite like Christine Ebersole. She has tremendous stage presence, and a great ability to captivate whether she is singing or speaking. In Grey Gardens, she has truly found a role worthy of her tremendous talent. Respectively playing the younger and older versions of Edith Bouvier Beale and Edith's daughter “Little” Edie, Ebersole is alternately rip-roaringly funny, dramatic, and touching. Her performance is a true tour de force, and were she on Broadway this season, she’d surely be the frontrunner for the Best Actress Tony.

Grey Gardens is, in fact, a rather entertaining little musical, complete with an original score and a well-written book by Doug Wright. It tells the story of “Little” Edie Beale, the cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier. Little Edie was once almost engaged to Patrick Kennedy, Jr. and lived her early life at the pinnacle of Long Island society. Years later she moved back to Grey Gardens to live with and care for her mother. In the 1970s, the press discovered the two of them there, practically living in squalor, when the two were threatened with eviction by the local government. The connection to Jackie Kennedy led to newspaper headlines. In 1975, the Maysley Brothers released their documentary about the two.

It is in the second act that Ebersole’s starring turn really drives the show, as she displays either dementia or simply the result of years of being battered down by her oppressive mother. Mary Louise Wilson is also excellent, delivering an excellent supporting performance as the elderly Edith Bouvier Beale. Between the two of them, there is a scarcely a moment in the compelling second act where you can take your eyes off the proceedings. (Much of the dialogue apparently comes directly from the documentary.)

The main weakness is that, unfortunately, the first act does not match up to the second. While a necessary prologue to the second act, the first is simply not as interesting or entertaining. Ebersole delivers some fine moments as the elder Beale during the first-act set-up, but Sara Gettelfinger just can’t capture the emotional unsteadiness that leads to the second act revelation. It may not be her fault -- the material just doesn’t provide the insight into her character that translates to the second act.

The show feels small and quaint, quite appropriate for off-Broadway show. Frankly I have trouble imagining it as viable in a broader commercial setting. This is not so much a fault as a warning to the investors who plan to bring the show to Broadway. They might be better off financing an extended off-Broadway run. In that incarnation, this delightful show could live on without being overwhelmed by the commercialism of Broadway.

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.

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.

Review-The Lieutenant of Inishmore (4.8.06)

The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Saturday, 4.8.06)
Atlantic Theatre, New York, NY

By: Martin McDonagh

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson (Davey), Peter Gerety (Donny), David Wilmot (Padraic), Jeff Binder (James), Alison Pill (Mairead), Andrew Connolly (Christy), Dashiell Eaves (Joey), Brian D’arcy James (Brendan)

Martin McDonagh’s mischievous sense of violence and blood and gore has never been so clearly and obviously placed on stage. There has probably never been so much blood right on stage before. And it has probably never been so funny.

McDonagh is an absolute master of language, and this is no less true of The Lieutenant of Inishmore than it was with his prior (and subsequent) plays. The premise of this play is so absurdly simple, but it is the way it plays out (with such exaggeration) is what’s so humorous. The violence, of course, would still be outrageous, but the fact that it is all centered on the death of a cat is what makes the show so funny.

Notwithstanding that this is a McDonagh play with some brilliantly written passages, the utter violence of everything makes this quite different from McDonagh’s most recent Broadway outing, The Pillowman, which while violent was filled with gorgeously poetic moments. Not so here with Inishmore, which was actually written prior to Pillowman. If there are brilliant turns of phrase, it is the violence and wit that take over.

It doesn’t hurt that there are some absolutely brilliant performances. Leading the charge is David Wilmot, who is frightening, funny, and sexy as Padraic, the ruthless terrorist with a soft spot for his kitty. Wilmot makes the most of his touches of humanity (such as identifying with one of his torture victims over their pets. Domhnall Gleeson is likewise terrific as Davey, the dimwitted young lad who gets caught in the middle, and pairs well with Peter Gerety, similarly dimwitted and truly scared of his own son. Alison Pill is a pistol – quite literally – and an excellent foil to Wilmot’s Padraic. She is tough as nails, just as passionate, just as sharp, but also in some ways more consistent in her violence than even Padraic.

Rounding out the ensemble nicely with some humorous moments are Andrew Connolly, Dashiell Eaves, and Brian D’arcy James.There is little to find fault with this production, which is taught, constantly surprising, and side-splittingly funny. Though I imagine the impact may be dulled slightly upon second viewing (once you know what’s going to happen, the shock factor is diminished), but that takes nothing away from this terrific production of a terrific play.