The Old Friends ***

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Horton Foote, Pulitzer Prize-winning chronicler of small-town American life as lived in Harrison, TX, worked on this play off and on for over 40 years, but apparently was still not completely satisfied with it when he died in 2009. Signature Theatre is now presenting its world premiere. In Foote Country, we are never far from family rivalries, greed, the lust for power, and in this instance, the nearest liquor bottle. Borden family matriarch Mamie (Lois Smith) is forced to live with her wealthy but greedy, unhappily married daughter Julia (Veanne Cox) and Julia’s rotund alcoholic husband Albert (Adam LeFevre) who makes no attempt to disguise his hatred of his mother-in-law. Their old friend Gertrude, a monstrously greedy, needy lush (Betty Buckley), is filled with unrequited love for her business manager Howard (Cotter Smith), younger brother of her late husband. Mamie’s long-absent daughter-in-law Sybil (Hallie Foote) returns to the family with news of her husband Hugo’s untimely demise. 30 year ago, she broke off her engagement to Howard and married Hugo out of spite. Gertrude regards Sybil’s return as a threat and acts accordingly. The equilibrium is further upset by the arrival in town of Tom (Sean Lyons), a good-looking young man on the make, who ignites a rivalry between Gertrude and Julia. For most of the play, Julia, Albert and Gertrude are drunk. The play’s imperfections include too many over-the-top emotions and a weak narrative arc. Nevertheless, Foote created a gallery of vivid characters superbly portrayed by a stellar cast. Novella Nelson and Melle Powers have little to do in roles as maids. Jeff Cowie’s set design and David C. Woolard’s costumes are excellent. Michael Wilson directs with the sure hand he always brings to a Foote play. Running time: 2 hours including intermission.

A reminder about ratings: I use a scale from 0 to 5 stars. 0 = Dreadful. * = Poor. ** = Fair.

*** = Good. **** = Very Good. ***** = Outstanding.

Cock ****

(Please click on the title to see the entire review.)
The sensationalistic title of this British play by Mike Bartlett, now in previews at the Duke, may sell tickets, but it ill serves the play by coarsening audience expectations. Those who arrive expecting nudity and graphic sex will go home disappointed. The actors remain fully clothed and physical contact between them is sparing. In the play's sexiest scene,  the only body parts to touch are foreheads. The plot revolves around John (Cory Michael Smith), a youngish gay man who is tired of being a trophy boy and who, during a brief split from his longtime lover "M" (Jason Butler Harner), meets and begins an affair with "W" (Amanda Quaid), a divorcee. Vacillating between his two lovers, John is finally forced to choose at an awkward dinner at which the three are joined by M's father "F"(Cotter Smith). The staging contributes greatly to the play's impact. A five-row wooden circular arena fills The entire Duke Theater. There are no sets or props and the house lights remain on. The short scenes are punctuated by an electronic tone. The actors are like combatants in a high-stakes competition. The rapid-fire dialogue is voluminous and often very funny. The acting is simply superb, reason enough to see the play. Never have I seen American actors so comfortable with British accents. James Macdonald, who directed the Olivier-winning Royal Court production, does an outstanding job. The ending will probably satisfy no one, but that almost doesn't matter. The play raises complicated issues and treats them both intelligently and humorously. Running time: 95 minutes without intermission. Warning: the stadium-style seating has no seat backs and only a thin foam cushion. If your back needs support, get a seat in the last row.

Side Effects **

Michael Weller's two-character play, now at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in an MCC production, is the third in a trio of plays with interlocking characters in troubled marriages. (The series will be published next month under the title Loving Longing Leaving.) The current play covers a year in the life of Melinda and Hugh Metz (Joely Richardson and Cotter Smith). Hugh, the buttoned-up CEO of a failing family-owned factory in a small Midwestern town, is tapped by the town's power broker to run for public office. Melinda is his sexy, bipolar wife who reluctantly gave up a vibrant life in New York when Hugh decided to return home to take over the family business. Both are resentful over what they feel they had to give up for the other. In their early years together, Hugh was allegedly a free spirit, but it's hard to imagine from his present dour manner. In several scenes we see their marriage put to the test as they try to figure out which is harder -- staying together or breaking up. Richardson is superb in the showier role; Melinda's snappy dialogue almost makes bipolar disorder seem appealing. Smith mostly succeeds at the more difficult task of making the audience care about, or at least understand, an unsympathetic character. Even at 90 minutes, the play seems a bit long and repetitive. I found the final scene awkward and unconvincing. The living room set by Beowulf Boritt captures the generic look of Midwestern affluence. David Auburn's direction is smooth. I wish some brave producer would stage the three plays together. Rumor has it that Showtime is interested in making them into a series.