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A CurtainUp Review
Relatively Speaking - 3 One-Act Comedies
By Elyse Sommer
"They don't make them like that any more!" You hear that nostalgic complaint all the time. For a large segment of long-time theater goers that means seering, lyrical dramas from the likes of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller; for another, and probably even larger group, that means shows with zero potential for heated post-theater discussions but which will generate enough laughs to drown out some of the zinger stuffed dialogue.
Relatively Speaking, a triptych one one act comedies, is here for anyone longing for at least an occasional return to the days when Neil Simon was the king of funny-funny-funny Broadway entertainment. Each play explores a different aspect of the complexities of familial relationships. The bookend pieces are strictly for laughs, the middle piece blends sadness with the funny stuff.
The three plays add up to two hours of entertainment that's a bit like having three desserts instead of a really substantial meal. Considering that the current news of the day is all dismal and worrisome that's not a bad thing, especially given the show's ticket selling assets: Two playwrights well known to long-time theater goers who know their way around snappy comedies. . . a stellar cast to land all the laugh lines. . . a director who keeps things bouncing along . . . a design team to dress it all up with enough nifty sets and costumes to give the productio the stamp Broadway worthiness.
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"I have nothing to gain by your having a problem." — Doctor If people don’t have problems you don’t eat. You invested a lot of money in people having problems. Medical school. You have to work it off. All those years in medical school, you have to beat it out of my ass. Or you lose.— Larry |
Danny Hoch in Talking Cure
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It's a pleasure to see Hoch back on stage, especially since his Larry is this playlet's strongest asset. His responses to the Doctor's attempt to find out what caused him to shove the elderly woman at the post office and keep his anti-social behavior in check, are a hilarious reminder of one of R.D. Laing's anti-psychiatry maxims about insanity being " a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world."
It's when Hoch leaves center stage that Talking Cure fizzles. A surprise segue to a flashback featuring Katherine Borowitz and Allen Lewis Rickman seems an unnecessarily fancy illustration of the maxim about children being the symptoms of their parents' neuroses.
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"George is dead. They called me from Aspen. He died doing a double snowplow on the intermediate hill. We're going to sue, of course but it's too fresh for me to think
about that." — Doreen
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Marlo Thomas & Lisa Emery in George is Dead
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Doreen's reluctant hostess is As Carla (Lisa Emery), the daughter of Doreen's long-ago nanny. Emery is fine as Doreen's reluctant hostess. Though she's too young for the part she she manages to bring a nicely understated comic touch to her dealings with Doreen. The comments with which she manages to occasionally interrupt Doreen's non-stop, self-absorbed chatter clarifiy the dynamic between the two women -- Doreen, a monstrous spoiled brat, and Carla still smoldering with resentment about the affection and attention her mother lavished on Doreen. Grant Shaud and Patricia O'Connell also make brief appearance as Carla's husband and mother, but this is Thomas's show piece. Since the humor is what connects the three separately authored plays, the more profound aspect of George's death is kept off stage until the last few minutes -- though quite touching, it comes too late to be completely convincing.
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"Jerry, what were you thinking?" — Ed "That I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I’m thinking she’s radiant and sweet and makes a ravishing bride."— Jerry "Yes but you’re leaving out one key thing. You’re not the groom."— Ed "I admit, it’s an awkward detail."— Jerry |
Ari Graynor and Steve Guttenberg in Honeymoon Motel
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True to expectations this May-December couple never gets to consummate their passion in the jacuzzi that's part of the motel suite's accouterments. For one thing Nina, having spotted a pizza parlor on the way to the motel, wants pizza before passion. What's more, a steady stream of the left in the lurch wedding guests as well as the Rabbi (Richard Libertini), ignore the Do Not Disturb Sign to have their say. The recriminations and confrontations are not only directed at the inappropriately shacked up couple but detour into past grievances like Nina's father lingering resentment about is wife Fay's (Julie Kavner) adulteries. (Yes that plural is correct.)
The action in this honeymoon suite is much like a horrendous pile-ups of cars in a highway accidents -- only the cars here are all these angry, confused and ueber dysfunctional people. Considering Allen's several references to Lorena Bobbett, the woman who famously took a pair of scissors to her cheating mate's you know what, indicates that he's confident that most of his audience is old enough to remember this as well as his own much publicized marital scandal. Hauling out all these very imperfect people feels a little like Allen setting the record straight and saying "So what's so terrible about marrying my stepdaughter? Temple going, ordinary citizens misbehave too!"
Director Turturro ably steers this shtick-fest's large cast around that increasingly crowded motel room. My favorite among the obnoxiously funny characters is Fay Roth as played with deadpan humor and dead-on timing by Julie Kavner. Danny Hoch is once again terrific. His Sal Buonacotti (the pizza guy) is definitely the smartest guy in the room and deserves to have the last word.
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Relatively Speaking Directed by John Turturro Playwrights: Ethan Coen, Elaine May and Woody Allen. Cast: Katherine Borowitz, Jason Kravits, Richard Libertini, Mark Linn-Baker, Patricia O’Connell, Caroline Aaron, Bill Army, Lisa Emery, Ari Graynor, Steve Guttenberg, Danny Hoch, Julie Kavner, Allen Lewis Rickman (replacing the still listed Fred Melamed), Grant Shaud, Marlo Thomas. Scenic design: Santo Loquasto Costume design: Donna Zakowska Lighting design: Kenneth Posner Sound design: Carl Casella Stage Manager: Ira Mott All review photos by Joan Marcus Brooks Atkinson Theatre 256 West 47 Street From 9/20/11; opening 10/20/11-- to an early grave, 1/29/12 Talking Cure by Ethan Coen Cast: Danny Hoch (Larry), Katherine Borowitz (Mother), Jason Kravits (Doctor), Allen Lewis Rickman (Father). George is Dead by Elaine May Cast: Lisa Emery (Carla), Patricia O’Connell (Nanny), Grant Shaud (Michael), Marlo Thomas (Doreen), Funeral Director (Allen Lewis Rickman, Max Gordon Moore (Assistant Funer Director) Honeymoon Motel by Woody Allen Cast: Caroline Aaron (Judy Spector), Bill Army (Paul Jessup), Mark Linn-Baker (Sam Roth), Ari Graynor (Nina Roth), Steve Guttenberg (Jerry Spector), Julie Kavner (Fay Roth), Jason Kravits (Dr. Brill), Richard Libertini (Rabbi Baumel), Grant Shaud (Eddie) Reviewed by Elyse Sommer at October 16th press opening |
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Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email. . .also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review. Visit Curtainup's Blog Annex For a feed to reviews and features as they are posted add http://curtainupnewlinks.blogspot.com to your reader Curtainup at Facebook . . . Curtainup at Twitter Subscribe to our FREE email updates: E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message. If you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country. |
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