| I saw it last week. A good play to see if you’re dealing with or thinking about dealing with elderly parents. Good work all around. The play is resolutely mundane in style (as opposed to epically cathartic and Shakespearean or sassy New York like, well, Greenburg or empty anti-event like “The Flick”). I guess slice-of-life is another phrase. The opening monologue is very good, but the withheld nature of the writing is ultimately unsatisfying, even though it’s apt for the limits of the protagonist-son. And the details of observation are good. They stick with you. But it’s safe. You can go to it and have a very good conversation about the subject matter without having been left a basket case. Friedman is very good, though, as I said, his character keeps a lid on it; Pun Bandhu is very skillful at playing a variety of supporting roles without drawing undue attention to himself; Deanna Dunagan is fine; a less demanding variation of her demanding mom Tony turn. |
