‘GREY HOUSE’: Laurie Metcalf & Eamon Patrick O’Connell. Photo: MurphyMade, 2023.

GREY HOUSE
Written by Levi Holloway
Directed by Joseph Mantello
Through July 30, 2023
Lyceum Theatre
149 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.GreyHouseBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Upon leaving this show, one wishes ushers had handed out leaflets to explain what on earth playwright Levi Holloway was writing about to clarify what happened on the stage of the Lyceum Theatre for the last 100 minutes. What is supposed to pass as a thriller comes across as a pretentious, incomprehensible, inconceivable tale. It is the story of a married couple, Henry (Paul Sparks) and Max (Claire Karpen)—Tatiana Maslany was absent at our performance due to illness—driving in a blizzard. They get into a car accident by hitting a deer, and that leaves Henry with a broken ankle. He hobbles in with Max to the cabin in the woods. Wooo—scary concept.

The time is 1977 (I guess people got scared easier in those days). The time is essential to know, because back then there were no cell phones to call for help. Of course, all the prerequisites are here, the house is creaking endlessly, the wind is howling outside, the cabin is a creepy mess and empty, and in order to call for help, Henry and Max walk into this seemingly abandoned cabin to call for help only to find out the phone’s cord is severed and there is no way to call out. This should have been a sign to get out of the house.

To add to the thrills and chills, there are the loud blackouts, a basement door that opens and closes with smoke billowing out of it. You ask yourself if this the stairway to hell? There is a refrigerator that, when opened, has different contents in it. The first time there are jars of elixirs in it, followed by different contents and back to the jars. Of course, what horror tale doesn’t have a face staring blankly through a window? These are the best of the jolts and shockers.

Soon, five of the creepiest children start appearing: Marlow (Sophia Anne Caruso), seemingly the eldest and the chilliest, an act perfected from her playing the role of Lydia Deetz in the musical Beetlejuice. Next is Bernie (Millicent Simmonds) who is deaf and uses sign language and can make Henry’s nose bleed with the merest hand gesture. Squirrel (Colby Kipnes) creeps in and out of the basement. A character named A1656 (Alyssa Emily Marvin)—this is not a typo —is the nicest of the lot, and one boy, The Boy (Eamon Patrick O’Connell), is the youngest. He is mostly blindfolded and hardly ever speaks. There’s also The Ancient (Cyndi Coyne); she is old and ghoulish—I think a ghost—who preys on Henry’s mind with the elixirs.

Oh, I almost forgot, there is also Raleigh (Laurie Metcalf), a seemingly gruff mother (or just having a bad day) mother figure to these children.

As Henry’s pain gets worse, Marlowe and the rest start plying Henry with the jars of moonshine—better known as the nectar of dead men—his condition worsens, these demon children start playing devious head games with Max to reveal inner secrets. Now, one would ask why would anyone allow themselves to be subjected to any of this? One would sooner amputate one’s own leg than be subjected to these children and this awful setting. It is at this point we find out there are many hidden secrets that brought them here. Was it really an accident or fate brought them here? You decide; I didn’t care.

Director Joe Mantello, usually a very concise and thorough director, has shed no light onto the proceedings except for the eerie lighting by Natasha Katz and a creepy set by the ever-brilliant set designer Scott Pask.

In a thriller, you expect to get scared and terrified, and not end up with a headache trying to figure out “what in the hell did I just sit through”?

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published June 5, 2023
Reviewed at June 3, 2023 press performance.

‘GREY HOUSE’: The cast. Photo: MurphyMade, 2023.

‘GREY HOUSE’: (left to right on stairs) Sophia Anne Caruso, Alyssa Emily Marvin & Millicent Simmonds. Photo: MurphyMade, 2023.

‘GREY HOUSE’: Sophia Anne Caruso. Photo: MurphyMade, 2023.

‘GREY HOUSE’: Paul Sparks & Colby Kipnes. Photo: MurphyMade, 2023.

‘GREY HOUSE’: Eamon Patrick O’Connell & Paul Sparks. Photo: MurphyMade, 2023.

‘GREY HOUSE’: Tatiana Maslany & Paul Sparks. Photo: MurphyMade, 2023.

‘GREY HOUSE’: (left to right) Laurie Metcalf, Tatiana Maslany, Alyssa Emily Marvin & Millicent Simmonds. Photo: MurphyMade, 2023.

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‘AMERICAN BUFFALO’: Sam Rockwell & Laurence Fishburne. Photo: Richard Termine.

AMERICAN BUFFALO
Written by David Mamet
Directed by Neil Pepe
Through July 10, 2022
Circle in the Square
235 West 50th St.
New York, NY
212-239-6202, wwwAmericanBuffaloNYC.com
 

By David NouNou

It’s hard to review a David Mamet play these days without including his heinous quotes recently on Fox News: “Teachers are abusing children mentally and using sex to do so,” further alleging “Teachers are inclined, particularly men, because men are predators to pedophilia.” It’s amazing he can make quotes like these when most of his plays are full of overt sexism and toxic masculinity driving the narrative. What I find most amazing in today’s culture is the double standard for women. With all the expletives that are used in this play, especially the misogynist name calling of women with the use of the “c” word and the women that are talked about by one character as “lesbian dykes,” some people who find the text most amusing are women. When you are seated at Circle in the Square Theatre, you not only get to hear audience reaction, you also get to see audience reaction. As written and spoken by Mamet, it is acceptable and humorous, but if spoken by the average person on the street, it is offensive, demeaning and contemptible to women.

The action takes place in a junk shop on a Friday morning and later that night around eleven o’clock. In Act I, Donny (Laurence Fishburne), owner of the junk shop and a father figure to the slow-witted Bobby (Darren Criss)— who has made a mistake and apologizes for it—wants Bobby to learn from his mistake. They’re also discussing on how to go about doing “the thing.” In comes Teach (Sam Rockwell), a repugnant conman  loser if ever there was one. He is sexist, racist and has total disdain for humanity.

Turns out “the thing” is a robbery to take place later that night. A buyer has come to the shop a couple of days earlier and bought a buffalo nickel for $90. He has given his number to Donny to call him if he should come across some more. Donny now feels he has been cheated and should have gotten more for that nickel   Bobby later informs Donny that the buyer has left town with his girlfriend and a suitcase in a car that morning for the weekend and his place will be empty. Upon hearing of this job, Teach wants a piece of the action and wants Bobby out for being slow and unreliable for such a job. The meeting is set for 10:30pm that night with Donny, Teach and a third party named Fletch to break in to the buyer’s home and take back the coin and more if there are any.

Act II begins with Teach being late, and Fletch nowhere to be found. Only Bobby shows up with a lot on his mind. No spoiler alert here, but violence does ensue. This unraveling is what keeps the audience’s attention.

The redeeming grace of the evening is the solid work of the three actors, each giving stellar performances. As loathsome as Sam Rockwell’s character Teach is, his performance is as powerful as it is menacing. Having seen the original Teach, Robert Duvall in 1977, Al Pacino in 1983 and John Leguizamo in the disastrous 2008 revival (which only lasted for 20 previews and eight regular performances), Mr. Rockwell’s performance is by far the most nuanced and pulsating with seediness and rage.

Laurence Fishburne gives an equally stunning and riveting performance; the beauty here is the strength in his character as well as his protective feelings toward Bobby.

Darren Criss as Bobby is of course the least showy character in the play. However, Mr. Criss delves into Bobby to make him more than the simple character he is. There is a genuine desire to please his mentor, thus imbuing his character with humanity.

There are two more notable assets to the play.  First, Scott Pask has created the best junk shop set devised for this play. It is a work of art. Second is the pulsating direction by Neil Pepe, for even in a moment of stillness, there is constant movement. Whether it is in the dialogue or the actors, something is always moving.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 22, 2022
Reviewed at April 21, 2022 press performance.

‘AMERICAN BUFFALO’: Darren Criss & Laurence Fishburne. Photo: Richard Termine.

‘AMERICAN BUFFALO’: Laurence Fishburne. Photo: Richard Termine.

‘AMERICAN BUFFALO’: Sam Rockwell. Photo: Richard Termine.

‘AMERICAN BUFFALO’: Darren Criss. Photo: Richard Termine.

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‘AN ACT OF GOD’: Sean Hayes. Photo: Jim Cox

AN ACT OF GOD
Written by David Javerbaum
Directed by Joe Mantello
Through September 4, 2016
Booth Theatre
222 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.AnActOfGod.com

By Scott Harrah

God returns to Broadway in this hit show from last summer, appearing in the 21^st century to give us His new version of the Ten Commandments. He’s not in the form of a burning bush, but this time around he’s in the body of Emmy Award winner Sean Hayes, with mostly heavenly results.

Mr. Hayes, Jack McFarland of “Will and Grace” fame, reprises the role originated by “Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons in 2015. Mr. Hayes, who played God earlier this year in the Los Angeles and San Francisco productions, brings his Almighty touch to New York. Anyone who saw Mr. Parsons do the role will immediately make comparisons about Mr. Hayes’ portrayal. While Mr. Parsons’ God was more droll, ingenious and deadpan, Mr. Hayes gives a fresh, snarky take on the Supreme Being. Sean Hayes as God is more sarcastic, delivers the dialogue with more of an edge and, well, does at times seem like Jack McFarland as our Heavenly Father, but that’s not a problem at all if one is a “Will and Grace” fan.

Naturally, the script has been updated slightly for 2016. There are now jokes about Hamilton and Donald Trump (no need to spoil anything with punch lines, but there are enough new tweaks to make the show worth a second look, even if you caught it last year with Jim Parsons).

We know that God is omnipotent and omnificent created the world in six days and can be merciful. We know He can be full of wrath, vengeful, jealous, unjust and downright cantankerous. We now know that on good days He also has a sense of humor.

Besides Mr. Hayes, the other true star is the clever script by David Javerbaum (13-time Emmy Award-winning former head writer and executive producer of “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart), all based “on the memoir of God.”

Whether you’ve seen Sean Hayes as Jack in “Will and Grace” or caught his Broadway debut back in 2011 opposite Kristin Chenoweth in Promises, Promises, you’ve never seen him quite like this.  Now, in this 90 minute monologue, he shows us God’s duality, the good side of Him and the one who is skeptical of mankind’s daily troubles. He is vain and does not concern Himself in sports, so we should stop praying to Him for our favorite team, Mr. Hayes shows us God in all of his moods. While Mr. Hayes primarily plays things for laughs (and gets them), he can be poignant in the right places, such as when he announces the 8^th commandment, “To Honor Thy Children.” Suddenly, this smart-mouthed God shows he has a compassionate side, too.

God has two engaging assistants: The questioning angel Michael (David Josefsberg) and the servicing angel Gabriel (James Gleason). The set by Scott Pask and lighting by Hugh Vanstone is sparse but effective. As he once did for Bette Midler in I’ll Eat You Last (which played the Booth back in 2013), Joe Mantello has a fine gift for extracting the best from his actors who engage in monologues.

Now here’s a commandment: Thou must now get to the Booth Theatre and see Sean Hayes as God.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published June 6, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on June 4, 2016

‘AN ACT OF GOD’: James Gleason, Sean Hayes & David Josefsberg. Photo: Jim Cox

‘AN ACT OF GOD’: Sean Hayes. Photo: Jim Cox

‘AN ACT OF GOD’: James Gleason, Sean Hayes & David Josefsberg. Photo: Jim Cox

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