The Winslow Boy

Terence Rattigan's new play, The Winslow Boy, took it's second spin at Roundabout's MainStage this season after its production at the Old Vic in London.   It's a play for playgoers.  Four acts.  A real story from start to finish.  Yes, it's a bit stodgy.  It's set in England after all.

The cast, however, was outstanding.  Lead superbly by Roger Rees (Arthur Winslow) and supported stupendously by Mary Elizabeth Mastrntonio (Grace Winslow), Zachary Booth (Dickie Winslow), Michael Cumpsty (Desmond Curry), Alessandro Nivola ( Sir Robert Winslow) and making his Broadway debut, Spencer Davis Milford (Ronnie Winslow).

Acting was crisp, superb and often funny.  The set was the usual high brow, top notch visual of a Kensington living room that Roundabout is known for.  Perhaps a scoach long for my liking but the quality of the acting and the storytelling far exceeded my expectations and neatly wrapped up in about 2h:30m.

Go see what all the fuss over Ronnie Winslow is all about at the American Airlines Theater on 42nd Street.

Me, Myself and I

Albee's new work (2007) is certainly a highbrow, maybe a little too much actually.  Such an interesting (read, strange) way to convey a message about twins and how they struggle to find their own identities - Create a farcical family, turn up the weird factor, break (read, completely disregard) the 4th wall, and paint the sparse stage mostly gray.  Certainly unique, I'll give him that.

OTTO (Zachary Booth) and otto (Preston Sadleir), as they are named by their crazy mother, (Elizabeth Ashley), are identical (and very cute, by the way) twins.  OTTO decides that otto no longer exists and that he is going to China to become Chinese.  And that is just about all there is to the plot -  A twin who is essentially "acting out" about his identity along with a mother you think is a loony bird and possibly the reason these two kids are so messed up.   Brian Murray, the mother's live-in "crazy doctor" is a bright spot throughout the entire show with his comedic genius, impeccable timing and reaction.

The talent in this show abounds, actually. I expected a lot, and got a fair amount from Ashley and Murray I must say - but the material seemed to tie one if not two hands behind everyones' proverbial backs.  If the story wasn't strange enough, perhaps the continued direct dialogue with the audience is what did whole thing in.

On a final note, I hope I have not made any grammatical errors in this post.  It seems along with the saga of the twins' identities, Albee has issues with bad grammar too.

Prayer for My Enemy

Playwright Craig Lucas packs a whole lot of punch into the 1 hour and 40 minute (no intermission) off-Broadway debut of his new work, Prayer for My Enemy.  One might say  - "the kitchen sink" is even in there.   The Noone's have a plethora of problems and complications in their lives - alcoholism, an autistic child, bi-polar disorder, divorce, mild poverty, a gay (or maybe not) son, the Iraq war, and the list of personality "adjustments" that the entire family makes to accommodate all these things.   

Skipp Sudduth blurts out with certitude exactly what he thinks and feels  - about his son, the Iraq war, the failings of his life, and so much more - he's the alcoholic one - a 12 step success for 6 years now - despite his bi-polar disorder and his extreme interest in reptiles and mammal documentaries on TV.  Michele Pawk walks on eggshells trying to hold the family together - always acquiescing, pleasing, pointing out the silver linings - all the while crumbling and tormented inside about her son - Jonathan Groff - the one who's maybe gay - self admittedly effeminate, but he LOVES WOMEN.  He points this out to his childhood friend Tad (Zachary Booth) and the audience early on as the play alternates between dialogue and what Lucas calls "the psychic interior" - all the characters telling the audience what they are thinking but not saying along the way - or are they really saying it?  

But what does Victoria Clark  - an acerbically  bitter woman from Manhattan who loves to escape to the country and is now visiting her dying mother in the hospital - have to do with any of this?  Well, no spoilers here - we'll just say - "loaded gun".

There's a whole lot going on with this family - but I think part of the message Mr. Lucas is trying to pass on is "who's life isn't complicated these days"?