When We Were Young and Unafraid

Sarah Treem has been busy these past few years and I didn't even realize it.   Aside from writing this mesmerizing and provocative new play, When We Were Young and Unafraid, she's been busy working as an executive producer on two very successful and poignant modern television dramas, HBO's In Treatment and Netflix's House of Cards.  Yeah, that's a big WOW.

In this stage play, Sarah brings a woman running a battered women's shelter together with a recent visitor to her secret shelter, an invading nomadic lesbian searching for meaning, a guest of the B&B she runs as the "front" and the girl she calls her daughter.  The year is 1972 and all the rules are different from today.  Packed like a stick of dynamite, this play is about ready to explode off the pages before you throw in the indomitable stage actress Cherry Jones (Agnes), the potent and explosive Cherise Boothe (Hannah), the mesmerizing Zoe Kazan (Mary Anne), the youthful powerhouse  Morgan Saylor (Penny), and the dashing Patch Darragh (Paul).  Light the fuse - and POW - it's burning the entire time.

The entire time is perhaps the only problem with this show - at 2h:20m, it's perhaps a bit too long for its own good.  Not a bad problem to have, however.  Find the least best thing (it's gonna be hard) and trim it down and I think you have the perfect run time for this powerhouse.  Check out the promo video which will help explain a bit further.  In the meantime - get your tickets now - Manhattan Theater Club's Stage I at City Center 

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

The Glass Menagerie

Stunning.  Enchanting.  Emotional.  Potent.  Transformative.

All these words resonate when it comes to John Tiffany's direction of this new production of Tennessee Williams' classic play.

Casting is the essential ingredient in the success of this production.  Cherry Jones (Amanda), Zachary Quinto (Tom), Celian Keegan-Bolger (Laura), and Brian J. Smith (Gentleman Caller) comprise the perfectly balanced and remarkably talented cast.  Each of these pros brings power and tenderness, anger and awkwardness, and emotion and silence to the incredibly poignant material.

Ms. Jones smothers her children with an incredible southern belle persona.  Mr. Quinto brings an anger and sympathy to the role of the dutiful son trapped in his home.  Ms. Keegan-Bolger brings a remarkable loneliness to Laura.  Mr. Smith brings an innocence and likability to the role I've not quite seen before.  Take  all together, they are simply enchanting.

As Mr. Williams writes, this is a memory play.  So Mr. Tiffany and Bob Crowley (sets) have adorned his version of it with a stage floating apart from the theater among water and the apartment set is, as memory might itself be, both complete in parts and incomplete in others, hence the fire escape rises to the rafters while nothing else quite does.

Mr. Williams writes that memory itself is dim and vague so therefore Natasha Katz (lighting) offers the most focused and purposeful lighting effects.  Mr. Tiffany's gentle and specific movement effects throughout the play remind you of how you slide into and out of a memory.

This production is brilliantly understated and powerfully impactful.  Sometimes less is more.  And more is definitely what you get with this production.  Rise and Shine!

Mrs. Warren's Profession

Deception, lies, money, bribes, love, lust, an illegitimate child, prostitution... and that's just the first act!  George Bernard Shaw's world in 1893 wasn't far off from our own today.  Difference being, all he had was a pen, a stage, and actors to tell a provocative story his audience could see and hear no other way.   Shaw was a big believer in theatre that engaged the audience in the issues of the day rather than letting them escape from them - hence this stinging work he penned.

Set in four equal acts, the show depicts Vivie Warren (Sally Hawkins) as the young, well educated, pragmatic daughter of Mrs. Kitty Warren (Cherry Jones) who, in her coming of age, finds out that her entire upbringing and education was funded by her mother's secretive business endeavor - Brothels.  She briefly reconciles with her mother after coming to terms with the reasons her mother turned to such a life, but then quickly rebukes her after she realizes that the secretive business is not just a faded memory, but an ongoing operation.   Throw in a dirty older gentleman business partner (Mark Harelik) who seeks an "arrangement" to marry Vivie and keep the entire operation within the family, a dashing young suitor (Adam Driver) with no money who wants to marry Vivie for love (and her money), his father (Michael Siberry), the local vicar who strangely rejects the idea of his son's marriage to Vivie for suspicious "reasons undisclosed", and a worldly, trusted friend (Edward Hibbert).

Unfortunately, I don't think this play is going to be a Tony contender, although it surely entertained.  Jones is a powerhouse on stage, a force to be reckoned with.  However, Hawkins seemed to be screaming all the time rather than exuding her "power of the new age woman" - proud, educated, professional, independent, and ethically sound - as I believe Shaw meant the part to be - - a complete counter-weight to her mother's character.  The men on stage turned in sound performances, and certainly seemed to be enjoying their roles in this turn of the 19th century Payton Place drama.

I must say, despite some minor flaws i may have mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed the show - I think more because of the story itself than the specific actors.  Shaw was a realist and this play contained real issues of the day (one might argue they are timeless).  At the end of the day, anything with Cherry Jones is worth seeing and almost anything at Roundabout Theater is worth seeing - a combo that, just like a steamy night at a red hot brothel, can't be passed up.

Faith Healer

This is one tremendous peice of drama. Powerful, well written, brilliant storyline. Tremendous performances by all 3 stars - Ian McDiarmid, Cherry Jones, Ralph Finnes each turn in an extremely strong performance.

Never having seen or read this play before - I was mezmorized by the twist each character gave to the same story - - Who's truth is the real truth?

I must say that as powerful as the show was (Ralph Finnes was tremendous!) - I was a bit disappointed that the show was really 3 mini-monolouges - and none of the actors were ever on stage at the same time! With a smidge of regret - I also have to say the play dragged on a bit. Not that I would ever suggest changing anything, but perhaps shortening it up a bit (Ralph) might help even more.

But then again, who am I?

Doubt

Imaginary Friends

http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=13421

Major Barbara

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Barbara