True West

C-

Regular readers of this blog may recall that, over the years, the plays of Sam Shepard have held little appeal for me. For what ever reason, I seem to have little affinity for his sensibility. That being said, I must admit that Shepard often writes roles that are absolute catnip for actors. Such is the case with this play. Since it premiered in 1980, the roles of brothers Lee and Austin have been filled by high-powered actors like Tommy Lee Jones and Peter Boyle, Gary Sinise and John Malkovich, Bob Hoskins and Anthony Sher, and, in the much-praised 2000 Circle in the Square revival, Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Reilly, who alternated roles. The current Roundabout production stars Ethan Hawke (Macbeth, The Coast of Utopia, “Boyhood”) as the charismatic rebel and sometime burglar Lee and Paul Dano (A Free Man of Color. “Love and Mercy”) as his younger brother, the buttoned-up married screenwriter Austin. As a fan of Hawke’s film career, I was driven by curiosity to see him despite my usual misgivings about Shepard. Hawke does not disappoint; his performance is high-energy and, at times, over the top. Dano, in the less showy role, comes into his own during the second act. When the play opens, Lee has turned up at his mother’s home in Southern California to find her away on vacation in Alaska and his brother Austin, whom he has not seen in five years, house-sitting for her. Austin has been struggling to close a film deal with producer Saul Kimmer (Gary Wilmes; If I Forget, Chinglish). When Lee butts into their meeting, he manages to talk Kimmer into a game of golf that leads to Kimmer’s decision to produce a Western based on Lee’s idea instead of Austin’s script. After a slow, mostly uneventful first act, mayhem ensues after intermission. There are some very funny scenes, many of which involve skillfully executed physical humor. The brothers reverse roles to an extent. A disillusioned Lee now finds Austin’s carefree life appealing. Their mother (Marylouise Burke (Fish in the Dark, Fuddy Mears), wasted in an underwritten role) arrives home unexpectedly to find a scene of utter chaos. The play ends on an ambiguous note. James Macdonald’s (The Children, Cloud Nine) direction is fine in many details but does not overcome the slow pace of the first act. Mimi Lien’s (The Lifespan of a Fact, Fairview) set recreates a kitchen and breakfast room befitting a middle-aged suburban lady. In what seems to have become a scenic cliche this season, the stage has an illuminated frame that lights up very brightly between scenes. Kaye Voyce’s (Significant Other, The Nap) costumes suit their characters well. While the play had its moments, it ultimately did not seem to have much point, at least to me. Perhaps I have OD’ed on dysfunctional families. Running time: two hours 15 minutes including intermission.

Clive [zero stars]

(Please click on the title to see the full review.)
Having enjoyed The New Group's production of Jonathan Marc Sherman's play "Things We Want" directed by Ethan Hawke about five years ago, I was looking forward to seeing "Clive," Sherman's adaptation of Brecht's "Baal," directed by and starring Hawke. To say I was disappointed would be a gross understatement. Although it's only January, this is my nomination for worst play of the year -- any year. The dissolute poet in Brecht's early play has been transposed to a rock-and-roll musician with a large capacity for booze, drugs and sex. Unfortunately, as told be Sherman, his tale is an incoherent, indulgent, boring mess! About the only good thing I can say about it is that I enjoyed seeing Vincent D'Onofrio onstage. Other cast members include Brooks Ashmanskas, Stephanie Janssen, Mahira Kakkar, Zoe Kazan, Aaron Krohn, Dana Lyn and the playwright. Derek McLane's high-concept set included seven doors that double as musical instruments. Catherine Zuber's costumes are clever, which is more than I can say about the play. I would rather undergo root canal surgery than sit through this play again. Running time: one hour, 40 minutes without intermission.

Blood from a Stone ***

This over-the-top blue-collar family drama with comic flashes, now at the Acorn Theater in a New Group production, has already extended its run before it even opens. The box-office draw is probably Ethan Hawke as the damaged elder son Travis, a former war hero who returns to his small-town Connecticut home before Christmas to try to sort out some family problems before taking off for the West Coast. His character is the glue that holds the play together: he has a scene alone with each of the other characters. The excellent cast includes Gordon Clapp and Ann Dowd as parents who are locked in constant combat, Thomas Guiry as the younger brother who is a gambler and chronic liar, Natasha Lyonne as the sister who has struggled with some success to escape the toxic pull of her family, and Daphne Rubin-Vega as the sexy married neighbor whom Travis beds whenever he is in town. Tommy Nohilly is an actor turned playwright and the juicy roles he has written here give each actor a chance to shine. Director Scott Elliott is in good form as usual. Derek McLane's set of a house in disrepair appropriately mirrors the play's chaos. There really isn't anything new or revelatory, some of the scenes run a bit long, some of the motivation is a bit unclear, but the play is full of energy and very well acted. I overcame my initial lack of interest in these characters and eventually got caught up in the action. I"m not sure you'll like it, but I doubt that you'll be bored.