‘I NEED THAT’: Danny DeVito. Photo: Joan Marcus.

I NEED THAT
Written by Theresa Rebeck
Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel
Through December 30, 2023
American Airlines Theatre
227 West 42nd Street
(212-719-1300), www.RoundaboutTheatre.org

By David NouNou

What is there to be said about a hoarder? We’re all guilty of it in one form or another. Hoarding is a universal condition which most people suffer from, but can it sustain a play for 100 minutes? The answer to that would be a resounding no, but what sustains I Need That is Danny DeVito’s Sam, the hoarder.

Sam is a widower living alone. His home (amply hoarded by set designer Alexander Dodge), is uninhabitable; as a matter of fact, his neighbor from across the street as taken pictures of the inside the house and reported him to the police as a hazardous place that can be a fire trap. He has gotten a few eviction notices to make his place habitable but he has ignored them. His mementos go back as far as 60 odd years and includes books that his late wife used to read, board games he played with his daughter, a 60-year-old TV set that was built by his father, and all sorts of items that only have importance to a hoarder.

Sam has not stepped outside his home in years. His contact to the outside world is Foster (Ray Anthony Thomas) who is his best friend, and who steals from him. Sam tells Foster about the items he has collected over the years: a ring, bonds, and magazines which Foster then steals, then pawns, cashes in and/or sells on eBay behind Sam’s back and keeps the proceeds.

The other contact in Sam’s life is his daughter, Amelia (Lucy DeVito). She devotes her life to trying to protect her father from bringing him food to trying to fend off the law from evicting him. Both Foster and Amelia try their best to help Sam unload, but he argues back that he is organizing.

To tell you more would be revealing the outcome which is unfair to a theatergoer. Suffice it to say there is a lot of extemporaneous filler halfway into the play, and the play goes off into tangents. There is even a mention of the TV show “Hoarders.” While most hoarders may be crotchety and unlikable, Sam is crotchety but lovable.  After all, he is Louie De Palma from “Taxi” in the form of Danny DeVito.

Having seen Mr. DeVito in the 2017 Roundabout revival of Arthur Miller’s The Price (in which he was robbed of a much-deserved Tony Award), Mr. DeVito is a consummate stage actor. He is as comfortable on the stage as he is on any TV set. He is the oxygen that pumps into the veins of this lackluster play. What also adds dimension to the performance is that he is performing opposite his daughter, Lucy. There is a beautiful care and chemistry between them that comes across as only a real father and daughter possess. They enhance each other’s performances.

Ray Anthony Thomas gives a sincere performance as a caring friend but is also guilt-ridden from his constant stealing. His apology scene to Sam is very touching.

Ms. Rebeck is a good and prolific playwright. She always has a grand idea, but in a lot of cases she can’t flesh them out properly. Think of Dead Accounts, Seminar and Bernhardt/Hamlet (also at the Roundabout), to name a few. Her two best plays are Mauritius, and Mad House, the play I saw in London last year at the Ambassador Theatre with David Harbour and Bill Pullman, also directed by Mr. von Stuelpnagel. I am truly stunned that Mad House has not made it to Broadway yet. With a little tweaking and editing by Mr. Von Stuelpnagel, it can be a terrific play on Broadway.

The positivity here is that both Ms. Rebeck and director Moritz von Stuelpnagel work together well and both have their own quirky, edgy chemistry together. Mr. von Stuelpnagel has the capacity to flesh out and edit scenes in Ms. Rebeck’s play to give them a smoother polish and finish.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 8, 2023
Reviewed at November 7, 2023 press performance.

‘I NEED THAT’: Ray Anthony Thomas, Lucy DeVito & Danny DeVito. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘I NEED THAT’: Lucy DeVito & Danny DeVito. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘I NEED THAT’: Danny DeVito. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘I NEED THAT’: (left to right) Ray Anthony Thomas, Danny DeVito & Lucy DeVito. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘I NEED THAT’: Ray Anthony Thomas, Danny DeVito & Lucy DeVito. Photo: Joan Marcus.

The post ‘I Need That’: Danny DeVito & cast shine appeared first on StageZine.

‘MAD HOUSE’: (left to right) David Harbour, Bill Pullman & Akiya Henry. Photo: Marc Brenner.

MAD HOUSE
Book by Theresa Rebeck
Directed by Moritz Von Stuelpnagel
Through September 4, 2022
Ambassadors Theatre
West Street

London, United Kingdom
(0333 009 6690), www.MadHouseThePlay.co.uk

By David NouNou

LONDON—Mad House poses the question “Is this an angry home or is the house I live in a loony bin or is this house worse than living in a loony bin”? What and which does it actually mean? Theresa Rebeck is one of America’s finest and most prolific female playwrights. In the past she has given us Bernhardt/Hamlet, Dead Accounts, Seminar and Mauritius, with the latter being the most interesting. All of them contained great ideas, but most of them weren’t fully fleshed out and ran out of steam way before the ending. In Mad House, Ms. Rebeck has written what I consider her finest play. Not only is there meat on the bone, digging deeper—there is marrow in the bone.

Set in rural Pennsylvania, Michael (David Harbour), the youngest and slowest of three children, has returned to his childhood decaying home to take care of his terminally ill father, Daniel (Bill Pullman). This is no ordinary father-and-son relationship. Michael was committed to a mental institution by his older, well-to-do sister, Pam (Sinead Matthews) for nine months, is released on his own accord to look after their father. The middle child Nedward (Stephen Wight), a Wall Street tycoon, cannot be bothered by the whole mess. Both Pam and Nedward have arrived to figure out how much money their father has left.

Daniel is a separate story unto himself. Not only is he terminally ill; he is maniacally devious and calculating. He is sly as a fox and constantly manipulates the people around him to his whims. Michael has put up with a lot of his crap (literally), to prove to himself he is not the loser his siblings would like him to believe he is. There is another person that puts up with Daniel’s shenanigans and that’s the Nigerian nurse assigned to him, Lillian (Akiya Henry). She puts up with a lot because she needs this job.

A further layer to this play is the backstory Ms. Rebeck has provided each one of these people and it is not fair to reveal them to both reader/viewer because it is constantly driving the narrative forward. Let’s leave it at; this isn’t just another ugly story about siblings squabbling over a real or probable estate left behind. It goes much deeper and more poignantly.

We attended the second preview of the show, and as might be expected, the cast was not settled into their parts yet. At times they stepped on each other’s lines or stepped on a laugh line; jitters do play a big part upon the onset of a show, but in this case it really didn’t matter. Veterans David Harbour and Bill Pullman are giving career defining performances as the embittered son and father. They are at the top of their game, and their performances complement each other. The chemistry between them is felt throughout even when one of them is offstage.

However, the revelation of the evening is Akiya Henry’s performance as the hard but vulnerable Nigerian nurse. She is sheer perfection; she not only anchors the show, but the realism she brings to it is palpable. There is not much to say about the remaining cast members.

Moritz Von Stuelpnagel is a brilliant director for the offbeat, slightly off-center quirky plays. Remember his direction of the 2015 play Hand To God ? He delivers the goods yet again. His eye on Mr. Harbour, Mr. Pullman, and Ms. Henry never waivers. He is laser-focused on the three of them (little on the others) and the play is in constant motion.

I’m sure Mad House will have an easy transfer to New York. I hope Mr. Harbour, Mr. Pullman, and especially Ms. Henry will be part of the transfer. I also hope that Ms. Rebeck and Mr. Stuelpnagel will keep a sharper and keener eye when it comes to casting the supporting players to lift this show to an even higher level.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published July 21, 2022
Reviewed at preview performance on June 16, 2022

‘MAD HOUSE’: Marquee at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. Photo: StageZine.

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‘BERNHARDT/HAMLET’: Dylan Baker & Janet McTeer. Photo: Joan Marcus

BERNHARDT/HAMLET
Written by Theresa Rebeck
Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel
Through November 18, 2018
American Airlines Theatre
227 West 42nd Street
(212) 719-1300
www.RoundaboutTheatre.org

By David NouNou

Playwright Theresa Rebeck is one of the few modern-day female playwrights who has made a major impact on the American theatrical stage. She is prolific and has good ideas. As in her previous outings Dead Accounts, Seminar and Mauritius, she starts with a great premise but somehow the plays never flesh out to full fruition.

The ambitious Bernhardt/Hamlet is no exception. Ms. Rebeck has Sarah Bernhardt (Janet McTeer) taking on the role of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The conflict here is that no female has ever dared play the part of the Great Dane. The public would just not stand for it and it could turn out to be her biggest debacle. After all, Sarah Bernhardt was the foremost actress of her day and one of the most eccentric divas as well. Her offstage antics were just as publicized as her roles of Medea and Cleopatra, as well as Shakespeare’s heroines: Cordelia, Desdemona and Ophelia as well as her renowned Camille.

Act I is saddled with long-winded passages from Hamlet. Ms. Bernhardt is having difficulty with all the poetry that is essential to Hamlet and decides to engage French playwright, Edmond Rostand (Jason Butler Harner), to revise Shakespeare and Hamlet and strip it of its poetry. This is where the humor is supposed to be. The plot is further mired with Bernhardt’s affair with the married Rostand. He forsakes his greatest masterpiece to do the revisions on Hamlet due to his love for Bernhardt.

The best scene in Act II comes when Madame Rostand (Ito Aghayere) forces her way in to see Bernhardt. Here, she presents Bernhardt with what will be Rostand’s greatest triumph Cyrano de Bergerac, but he has stopped working on it because of his love and trying to fulfill his obligation to Bernhardt. The scene then dissipates into scenes and passages from Cyrano and thus makes the evening interminable.

Kudos have to be given to the four supporting players that ground this show with their natural, low-keyed genuine performances; they are Matthew Saldivar (as Alphonse Mucha) who does all of Bernhardt’s divine posters but has problems drawing one for Hamlet, because he has never drawn men; just women at their glorified best. Next is Tony Carlin as the French critic Louis who has problems accepting a woman playing Hamlet. Equally wonderful is Nick Westrate as Maurice, Bernhardt’s steadfast son, who comes to knock some sense into her and her Hamlet folly. Last but not least is Ito Aghayere as Rostand’s wife, Rosamond; her quiet dignity brings reality to the forefront.

It is never easy for one actress to capture another actress’ essence, especially on the stage and certainly someone like Sarah Bernhardt of whom 2018 audiences know nothing except what we have read about her. It is Ms. McTeer’s impossible task to come up with a creditable interpretation of the fire that was Bernhardt. Instead, we have a petulant Sarah bossing people around to satisfy her whims and throwing giddy tantrums. She comes across more as the wonderful late British actress Kay Kendall and Vanessa Redgrave but lacking any nuances. It’s a full-throttle performance that, while enthusiastic, never varies much.

Alas, part of the problem is with Moritz von Stuelpnagel, a splendid director of the absurd. Remember his Hand to God and last year’s Present Laughter, both flawlessly directed? He has derailed the proceedings without imbuing any seamless shadings or editing. In this case, it is a free-for-all of the preposterous with no reining in of the rough edges that are way over-the-top for his leading lady and the plotline.

A high note of the evening is the set designs by Beowulf Borritt, a genius for any season.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published September 28, 2018
Reviewed at September 27, 2018 press performance.

‘BERNHARDT/HAMLET’: Jason Butler Harner & Janet McTeer. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘BERNHARDT/HAMLET’: (left to right) Dylan Baker, Jason Butler Harner, Janet McTeer & Matthew Saldivar. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘BERNHARDT/HAMLET’: (left to right) Dylan Baker, Janet McTeer & Jason Butler Harner. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘BERNHARDT/HAMLET’: Janet McTeer. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘BERNHARDT/HAMLET’: Janet McTeer & Brittany Bradford. Photo: Joan Marcus

The post ‘Bernhardt/Hamlet’: Diva reinterprets classic appeared first on StageZine.

FIRST LOOK AT ‘BERNHARDT/HAMLET’: Tony & Olivier winner Janet McTeer plays legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt in ‘Bernhardt/Hamlet’ at the American Airlines. Previews begin August 31, 2018. Photo: Jake Chessum

ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
Announces casting for Bernhardt/Hamlet on Broadway

Oscar Nominee and Golden Globe, Tony & Olivier Award Winner
JANET McTEER

DYLAN BAKER, JASON BUTLER HARNER

To Star In The World Premiere Of
BERNHARDT/HAMLET
By Pulitzer Prize finalist THERESA REBECK
Directed by Tony nominee MORITZ VON STUELPNAGEL

With
MATTHEW SALDIVA, NICK WESTRAT, PAXTON WHITEHEAD, ITO AGHAYERE BRITTANY BRADFORD, AARON COSTA GANIS, TRINEY SANDOVAL

On Broadway
A Roundabout Theatre Company commission

Previews begin Friday, August 31, 2018
Official opening Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Limited engagement through November 11, 2018 on Broadway at the American Airlines Theatre

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO) is thrilled to announce casting for the world premiere of the Roundabout-commissioned play Bernhardt/Hamlet by Pulitzer finalist Theresa Rebeck, directed by Tony nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel, and starring Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe, Tony & Olivier Award winner Janet McTeer as “Sarah Bernhardt.”

Joining the previously announced McTeer in Bernhardt/Hamlet are Dylan Baker as “Constant Coquelin,” and Jason Butler Harner as “Edmond Rostand,” with Matthew Saldivar as “Alphonse Mucha,” Nick Westrate as “Maurice,” Paxton Whitehead as “Louis,” Ito Aghayere as “Rosamond,” Brittany Bradford as “Lysette,” Aaron Costa Ganis as “Raoul,” and Triney Sandoval as “Francois.”

Bernhardt/Hamlet will begin preview performances on August 31, 2018 and opens officially on Tuesday, September 25, 2018. This is a limited engagement through November 11, 2018 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street).

Playwright Theresa Rebeck returns to Roundabout, where she is an Associate Artist, following her hit production of The Understudy (2009) at the Laura Pels Theatre. Jason Butler Harner was last seen at Roundabout in The Paris Letter (2005); Paxton Whitehead returns following The Importance of Being Earnest; and Triney Sandoval returns following Marvin’s Room in 2017.

Mark Twain wrote: “There are five kinds of actresses: bad actresses, fair actresses, good actresses, great actresses. And then there is Sarah Bernhardt.” In 1899, the international stage celebrity set out to tackle her most ambitious role yet: Hamlet. Theresa Rebeck’s new play rollicks with high comedy and human drama, set against the lavish Shakespearean production that could make or break Bernhardt’s career. Janet McTeer, “one of the finest classical actresses of her generation” (The Telegraph), brings the legendary leading lady to life.

The creative team includes Beowulf Boritt (Set Design), Toni-Leslie James (Costume Design), Bradley King (Lighting Design) and Fitz Patton (Original Music and Sound Design).

TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets for Bernhardt/Hamlet are available by calling 212.719.1300, online at roundabouttheatre.org, in person at any Roundabout box office: American Airlines Theatre Box office (227 West 42nd Street); The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 W 46th Street) and Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street); or by visiting StubHub, The Premier Secondary Ticketing Partner of Roundabout. Ticket prices range from $49-$139. For groups of 10 or more please call 212-719-9393 x 365 or email groupsales@roundabouttheatre.org

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Bernhardt/Hamlet will play Tuesday through Saturday evening at 8:00PM with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2:00PM, and Sunday matinees at 3:00PM.

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