The Waverly Gallery

C

Buoyed by the success of the revivals of This Is Our Youth and Lobby Hero, the powers that be thought it would be a good idea to bring back Kenneth Lonergan’s semi-autobiographical 2000 memory play about a dementia-addled octogenarian and the effects of her illness on her loving but frazzled family. Eileen Heckart’s powerful performance in the central role of Gladys made the original production a must-see event, even though the play was not one of Lonergan’s stronger efforts. I regret to say that Elaine May (California Suite, Luv) is no match for Ms. Heckart. The limited range of her facial expression weakens her performance and, therefore, the play itself. The actors playing her family are all strong. For me, the main reason to attend is to see the wonderful Joan Allen (Burn This, The Heidi Chronicles) onstage again, playing her daughter Ellen. David Cromer (Our Town) captures the well-meaning but clumsy behavior of Ellen’s second husband Howard. Lucas Hedges (Yen), in his Broadway debut, plays the long-suffering grandson whose apartment is just down the hall from Gladys’s and who therefore bears the brunt of dealing with her decline. He has the additional burden of narrating the play. A not very well-integrated subplot involves a naive, unsuccessful artist, Don (Michael Cera; Lobby Hero), just arrived in New York, whom Gladys befriends and installs in the back room of her failing Greenwich Village gallery. Even though Gladys fulfills his dream of a one-man show, he becomes disillusioned with life in New York. On the one hand, Cera avoids most of his usual annoying mannerisms; on the other, he does not create a very vivid character. I found it uncomfortable to laugh at Gladys’s behavior, knowing its source and its eventual outcome. There was no conflict within the family how to take care of Gladys and little insight provided about her illness or the best way to mitigate its effects. Perhaps it was cathartic for the author to describe her decline, but, in my opinion, there is little payoff for the audience. Without a really mesmerizing Gladys, the play’s weaknesses become more apparent. David Zinn’s (The Humans) set presents four distinct locations that are revealed behind a brick-wall front curtain. Old film clips of New York are projected on the wall between scenes. Perhaps director Lila Neugebauer (The Antipodes, At Home at the Zoo) could have found more depth in the play; perhaps not. Running time: two hours ten minutes including intermission.

Lobby Hero

B+

Second Stage has acquired and renovated the Helen Hayes Theater, now called just The Hayes Theater, as a Broadway home for plays by living American playwrights.  As their first offering, they have chosen to revive Kenneth Lonergan’s (This Is Our Youth, The Waverly Gallery) 2001 dramedy about four blue-collar New Yorkers in 1999. Jeff (Michael Cera; This Is Our Youth) is a sad sack security guard who has the night shift in the lobby of a Manhattan apartment building. William (Brian Tyree Henry; The Book of Mormon, The Fortress of Solitude) is his boss, an African-American with a strict moral code, who has tried to mentor Jeff. Bill (Chris Evans; "Captain America") is an arrogant policeman who frequently interrupts work for a visit to a lady on the 22nd floor. Dawn (Bel Powley; Arcadia, "A Royal Night Out") is his admiring partner, a rookie still in her probationary period on the force, whom he shamefully manipulates. William is faced with a moral dilemma when his brother, accused of murder, asks him to be his alibi. Lying is against his morals, but he is reluctant to expose his brother to an incompetent lawyer and a hostile justice system. Smitten by Dawn, Jeff disabuses her of false notions about Bill, causing a rift in the partners’ relationship. When Jeff learns about William’s attempt to save his brother, he must decide whether to be a good friend or a good citizen. Lonergan has a wonderful ear for dialogue and the fine cast serves him well. The first act provides a good introduction to the characters and their conflicting goals. The second act is a bit of a letdown as the actions become a bit formulaic. The three supporting actors are excellent. Although Evans is primarily known as a comic book superhero in film and Powley’s stage experience has been primarily in England, they both seem perfectly at home playing New Yorkers. I have some reservations about Cera. The role of Jeff lies too snugly within his comfort zone and he does not bring anything fresh to it. David Rockwell’s (She Loves Me, Kinky Boots) revolving set provides the essentials of a lobby and the street outside. Paloma Young’s (Peter and the Starcatcher, Bandstand) costumes look like the appropriate uniforms of the period. Trip Cullman (Six Degrees of Separation, Punk Rock) directs with assurance. I wish that Cera brought more freshness to the role and that the second act were more satisfying. Nevertheless, there is much to enjoy and the production provides an auspicious launch for Second Stage’s Broadway expansion. Running time: two hours 25 minutes, including intermission.

A few words about The Hayes Theater: David Rockwell’s interior is generally attractive although I was less than captivated by the very blue pointillist version of a tapestry adorning the walls. I am happy to report that the legroom, at least in center orchestra, is an improvement over Second Stage’s Terry Kiser Theater. Unfortunately, the armrests once again seem to be unusually narrow, so that you feel too close to the person next to you. The stage is rather high, so I do not recommend sitting in the first few rows.

Hold On to Me Darling ***

It’s good to see Kenneth Lonergan get his playwriting chops back in this new comedy at Atlantic Theater Company, his best work for the stage since Lobby Hero in 2001. Timothy Olyphant (“Damages” and “Justified” on TV) plays Strings McCrane, a 39-year-old comically self-absorbed country western singer and movie star who reexamines his life upon the death of his mother. When he heads back home to rural Tennessee for the funeral, he decides to cast off the trappings of celebrity and try the simple life. It may not turn out well for him, but it certainly pays off for the audience. The satire is broad and the dialogue, frequently hilarious. Jenn Lyon from “The Wayside Motor Inn” plays Nancy, the seemingly good-hearted masseuse he meets at his hotel. Adelaide Clemens is Essie, the second cousin twice removed that he encounters at the funeral. C.J. Wilson is Duke, his big brother, with whom he has a volatile relationship. The rarely unemployed Keith Nobbs (“The Legend of Georgia McBride”) plays Jimmy, his overly devoted, long-suffering personal assistant. Jonathan Hogan is Mitch, a figure from the distant past who suddenly reappears. The actors are uniformly excellent. The play could benefit from some trimming as it’s a bit too slight for its length. The second act loses steam and the final scene does not seem to fit very well. Walt Spangler (“Between Riverside and Crazy”) once again comes up with a terrific revolving set that includes seven distinct locations. The costumes by Suttriat Anne Larlarb help greatly in creating the characters. Neil Pepe’s fluid direction keeps everything moving smoothly. It’s a little too much of a good thing, but I’m not complaining. Running time: 2 hours, 50 minutes including intermission.

Medieval Play (Act One) [zero stars]

(Please click on the title to read the full review.)
It had to happen sooner or later -- encountering a play so bad that returning after intermission was unthinkable. Alas, today was the day and this was the play. It is hard to imagine that Kenneth Lonergan, author of "This Is Our Youth," "Lobby Hero" and the screenplay for "You Can Count on Me," is responsible for this pointless mess, now in previews at Signature Theatre.  His play "The Starry Messenger" last year was no great shakes, but it was a masterpiece by comparison. This one is allegedly a comedy about the misadventures of two 14th-century Breton knights, one idealistic (Josh Hamilton), the other cynical and not too bright (Tate Donovan). The melange of anachronisms, bodily function jokes, four-letter words and comic book violence might make a mildly amusing five-minute sketch on Saturday Night Live, but sitting through an hour and twenty minutes of it was painful. Staying for the remaining hour and twenty minutes would qualify as cruel and unusual punishment. Most depressing of all, judging from the laughter, there was a substantial minority of the audience who loved every minute of it. Also in the cast are Anthony Arkin, Heather Burns, Halley Feiffer, Kevin Geer, John Pankow and C.J. Wilson.The storybook sets by Walt Spangler and costumes by Michael Krass were far more amusing that any lines in the play. The swordfights were well-staged by J. David Brimmer. Lonergan directed his own play, so he has no one else to blame. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes including intermission.