"Torch Song" Ultimately Succeeds; "Treasurer" Effectively Tackles Tough Issues; "Too Heavy" is Too Light; "Illyria" Captivates

Admittedly, I had some issues with the current revival of Harvey Fierstein's "Torch Song" now playing at off-Broadway's Second Stage Theater.  I found some of the acting too broad and the affectations that Michael Urie adopted in an apparent effort to partially channel Fierstein in the lead role were initially off-putting to me.  After the first two acts that precede the intermission, I was left feeling that the work was just too dated to retain any emotional impact.  But then the third and final act, anchored by a perfectly cast Mercedes Rule, brings out the best in Urie's performance and completely engaged me on an emotional level that was absent during the first two acts.  Ultimately, this left me feeling that overall this is a successful revival of a seminal work and despite its flaws, I recommend this production with the caveat that it is best judged on the post-intermission content.

Young playwrights are the future of theater, and for that reason I get very excited when I see a new play by a promising young playwright.  This excitement was on full display as I watched "The Treasurer," a new commissioned play by Max Posner.  Posner's play is a probing look at the dueling emotions a middle aged son has towards his complicated, and dementia suffering mother.  This an a finely written play that is given a sterling production helmed by David Cromer.  The acting is outstanding across the 4 person cast, with especially fine performances from Chicago based actress Deanna Dunagan and Peter Friedman, who play the mother and son, respectively.

The Roundabout Underground is also mounting a play from a promising young playwright in the form of the civil rights themed drama "Too Heavy For Your Pocket" by Jireh Breon Holder.  The acting, singing and physical production here are of the highest quality, but the writing has too many shifting tones and focuses to make this a truly successful play.  The handling of civil rights issues felt too facile and undeveloped, and did not integrate well with the inter-personal aspects of the drama.  With a bit more work the script could be edited and revised into a much better play, but there is nevertheless much to admire here.  Indeed, I look forward to seeing future plays by this playwright.

I also caught a poorly attended performance of the Richard Nelson play "Illyria," which takes a look at the early days of Joe Papp as he encounters growing pains in 1958 with regard to his recently formed New York Shakespeare Festival.  This is a quiet, conversational play that may well bore many viewers, but I found it a fascinating slice of NY theater history that engaged me from start to finish.  Given that the play is mounted at the theater which is the legacy of Joe Papp, it was surprising the portrayal of Papp was so complex, with both his strengths and flaws on full display.  I applaud the Public for mounting this interesting drama.