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MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler)

Posted by:	sergius 12:01 am EDT 03/13/14

MOTHERS AND SONS is a standard problem or "social issue" play that's insufficiently dramatizied and wholly unconvincing. With the arguable exception of the mother, the characters are tracts, mere mouthpieces for positions that are sympathetic and well intentioned but blandly sincere and devoid of specificity pertaining to character and circumstance. It's a lazy play, thoroughly implausible and rigorously contrived. It relies entirely on the audience's sympathy and goodwill. As such, and even with sentiment and a fine Tyne Daly on its side, any feeling it generates is unearned. Perhaps in keeping with the mainstreaming of homosexuality in our cultural moment, there's something parochial about it. Additionally--and worse--the play is sometimes confoundingly simplistic and naive (Cal to his former partner's mother:: "We didn't deserve to be married! Maybe that's why AIDS happened." Really? This is baffling and unpersuasive as drama AND argument) MOTHERS AND SONS has no moral force that isn't pre-fabricated; it lacks guts. But rest assured, if the ride's a wee bit boulevard-bumpy, in the end, everyone basks in the glow of tolerance--acceptance even!

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Next:	re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - marshvale60 05:19 pm EDT 03/13/14

Thread:	re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - marshvale60 05:19 pm EDT 03/13/14 re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - Delvino 09:06 am EDT 03/13/14 (8) re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - LegitOnce 11:43 am EDT 03/13/14 (4) re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - marshvale60 05:27 pm EDT 03/13/14 (1) re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - wmdmcree 05:42 pm EDT 03/13/14 re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - davei2000 01:19 pm EDT 03/13/14 (1) re: "And she never heard of the AIDS quilt?" - Dale 05:58 pm EDT 03/13/14 re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - sergius 10:53 am EDT 03/13/14 (1) re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - ryhog 11:00 am EDT 03/13/14 re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - ryhog 10:21 am EDT 03/13/14 MOTHERS AND SONS ... - flaguy 08:55 am EDT 03/13/14 (4) PS ... - flaguy 09:43 am EDT 03/13/14 (3) re: PS ... - bwayjoey 10:56 am EDT 03/13/14 (2) re: PS ... - John_Patti 02:48 pm EDT 03/13/14 (1) Exactly the reaction was concern the mother would be nasty - UWS_JIM 04:57 pm EDT 03/13/14 I guess I don't find an engaging one act play to be a lazy play - dramedy 01:21 am EDT 03/13/14 (2) re: I guess I don't find an engaging one act play to be a lazy play - mikem 07:15 am EDT 03/13/14 (1) Yes - dramedy 10:13 am EDT 03/13/14 re: MOTHERS AND SONS Tonight (Possible Spoiler) - charles1055 12:51 am EDT 03/13/14 (1) Agree go see Mothers & Sons - John_Patti 03:00 pm EDT 03/13/14

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