Three plays now running in New York deftly tackle the biggest questions in life. Love, family and death are the primary ideas explored in the terrific new Playwrights Horizons play The Big Meal. Death returns as the main theme in Signature Theater's expertly cast revival of Edward Albee's The Lady From Dubuque, and Manhattan Theater Club's Broadway revival of Margaret Edson's Pulitzer Prize winning Wit. All three plays feature great casts and are well worth a visit.
The most exciting and fresh of these offerings is the new play in the bunch- The Big Meal which is a uniquely structured look at the history of three generations of a family. Interestingly, each character is played by multiple actors at different ages ranging from childhood (in many cases) to old age. To explain the conceit further would make the play sound too complicated and confusing, but as expertly directed by Sam Gold and his terrific cast, everything rings clear and emotionally true. I am in awe of playwright Dan LeFranc's ability in less than 90 minutes to both chronicle a long familial history while keeping each character and their traits clearly and sharply portrayed. The whole cast is outstanding, but the performances of Anita Gillette and Jennifer Mudge are particularly solid and worthy of note. I am hopeful that the reviews in New York will match the great notices that this play received in Chicago, and that this production has a life longer than its brief run in the smaller theater at Playwrights Horizons where it is currently playing. I also eagerly await the next play from this drama's exciting playwright.
Wit the Pulitzer Prize winning drama that focuses on the end of life issues faced by a poetry teacher/scholar, is on Broadway for the first time in the MTC revival that stars the enormously talented actress Cynthia Nixon. I have seen this play numerous times, including its original production at South Coast Rep and the outstanding NY off-Broadway production that started the formidable Kathleen Chalfant. The tone of the current production is a little off, overly highlighting the humor in the play. Before seeing the show, and even in its first few minutes, I also worried that Cynthia Nixon might not be able to convincingly play a tough as nails university professor faced with her rapidly encroaching mortality. But Ms. Nixon gives such an emotional true and deeply felt performance, that she won me over to her portrayal which added new layers to the play. This is a performance that should not be missed.
Death essentially plays a character (or two) in Signature Theatre's engaging revival of Edward Albee's late 1970s commercial flop, The Lady From Dubuque. Signature wisely enlisted the great actress (and former NEA head) Jane Alexander to play the "Lady" mentioned in the play's title, and further cast the entire production with a skilled group of actors that expertly navigate the absurdist edges of Albee's work. I admired the cast more than the play itself (which tends to drag a bit in the first act that screams out for some editing), but the play itself is nevertheless interesting, daring and thought provoking.
Visiting the Signature Theatre's new multi-stage home on 42nd Street for the second time in the past month, I was again struck by what an amazing accomplishment Signature has achieved in the form of its new venue. Waiting in the generous shared common area for "Dubuque" to begin, the diversity and energy of the theater going crowd Signature has attracted left me thrilled and excited for the future of off Broadway theater in New York. Kudos to Signature and it's funders for a job extremely well done. I cannot wait to visit again soon.
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