Monday, August 12, 2013

Quick Hit Off-Broadway Theater Review: The Two-Character Play

Brad Dourif and Amanda Plummer. Photo: Carol Rosegg
The Two-Character Play
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by Gene David Kirk
New World Stages

What's It All About?
Good question. Most of the reviews or synopses of this play, which Williams wrote 25 years after A Streetcar Named Desire, include phrases like "confusing," "hard to follow," "perhaps autobiographical," "not for everyone"  and that it was too out there for 1967. I concur. With all of the above. For 2013 too.

The play focuses on Felice (Brad Dourif) and Clare (Amanda Plummer), brother and sister actors on tour in a two-character play. Something awful has happened and there is a question of whether the two want to or will be able to continue on with the performance. Then there is a question of whether it really is a performance or whether all of this is taking place in one, or possibly both, of their minds trying to cope with a real tragedy and the possibility of being confined for mental instability. A poster for the show boasts the tag line "Reason and Reality Have Left the Building." Again, I concur.

What are the Highlights?
Dourif and Plummer rise to the occasion with some nice performances. Anytime we get to see Plummer on stage, that's a highlight.

What are the Lowlights?
I felt as though I were losing grips on my own mental faculties by the end of the two acts that run just under two hours with an intermission. Let's just say it's not a good sign when ushers are selling beer in the aisles before the start of the play asking whether they can get anyone drunk..... By the time a gun was introduced into the plot, I was wondering whether I could help put them, or myself out of our misery with it. My brain really becomes unhinged when plays like this get produced while there are so many great ones out there, especially by women, looking for a stage home..... I must confess, however, that I'm not a huge Williams fan. Others are, however. Read on.....

More Information:
After years of withholding rights, Williams’ estate granted permission for Kirk to present the play at London’s Jermyn Street Theatre where he served as Artistic Director. Kirk was introduced to the play by his mentor Corin Redgrave, whose sister Vanessa had long desired it as a personal vehicle. Opening in October 2010, the play earned the critical success that had eluded it years earlier. Kirk dedicates this production to the memory of Mr. Redgrave.
A new block of tickets has just been released through Nov. 17 at New Workd Stages, 340 West 50th St., NYC. Performances are Monday at 8 pm; Wednesday at 2 and 8 pm, Thursday and Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 2:30 and 8 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $72.50 - $126.50: Telecharge.com; 212-239-6200.
Christians might also like to know:
-- Language
-- God's name taken in vain

-- Lauren Yarger


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Gracewell Prodiuctions

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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