Did THE TWO-CHARACTER PLAY open last night as scheduled?

[egghumor]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 11:41am

I remember earlier in the week when the final preview performances were cancelled due to Amanda Plummer's injury, the producers stated the production would open Wednesday, June 19, as originally planned. I'm not finding any reviews. Does anyone know if the show did indeed, open last night?

Any pertinent info appreciated.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 12:00pm

It did. I've seen photos from the opening night on Facebook from some friends involved with the show.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 12:18pm

Why are there no reviews to be found?

[egghumor]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 12:34pm

The only evidence I've found thus far:

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/170254/amanda-plummer-and-brad-dourif-open-tennessee-williams-the-two-character-play-off-broadway/

[Sauja]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 1:22pm

trash, I think the reason there are no reviews is that the final previews had to be cancelled, and that included press nights. They probably had to reschedule critics, so reviews will probably come in a bit haphazardly now. SO curious about this show.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 1:34pm

Ah, no wonder. I'd really like to see it, but not until I read a review or two. If it's a trainwreck, I'll avoid it.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 4:10pm

That Broadway.Com article has a picture that is enormously unflattering to both actors. Seriously, it looks like they just stepped out of THE ADDAMS FAMILY.

[cardamon]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 1:34pm

The reviews are starting to trickle in. Ouch.

Matt Windman, amNY
Good luck trying to make sense out of — or even sit through — all two hours of Tennessee Williams’ rarely seen "The Two-Character Play."
http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/theater-review-the-two-character-play-1-5-stars-1.5533457

Terry Teachout, WSJ
It isn't right to call Tennessee Williams's "The Two-Character Play" unendurably awful, since I endured the opening-night performance without walking out or slitting my wrists, but I can assure you that no major playwright has ever written a worse play.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324577904578557321263464996.html

[egghumor]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 2:07pm

Thanks, cardamon. Wish I could say I'm surprised, but as I posted in another thread, OUT CRY (as it was titled in 1973) was one of the very worst plays I've ever seen.

I have no idea what the producers were thinking when they chose to back this production.

[newintown]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 2:23pm

I remember seeing a student production of this this many years ago, and then reading it to figure out what it was. It's utterly incoherent nonsense, but not much different from a great deal of "experimental" theatre of the 50s. Unfortunately, the author finished it in the 70s.

Williams at his pill-popping, trying-to-be-Beckett worst.

[egghumor]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 2:31pm

"Williams at his pill-popping, trying-to-be-Beckett worst."

Yup, unfortunately. This one really is the worst of his worst. He wrote (churned out) so many poor plays in the 70s, but this one is in a class by itself.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 3:21pm

That Terry Teachout's the best of a bad bunch.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 3:21pm

I kinda still want to see this but is it good bad or just bad bad?

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 9:09pm

Brother, Can You Spare My Sanity?
Amanda Plummer and Brad Dourif in Tennessee Williams Rarity

By BEN BRANTLEY

http://theater.nytimes.com/2013/06/22/theater/reviews/amanda-plummer-and-brad-dourif-in-tennessee-williams-rarity.html?pagewanted=all

[followspot]

Posted: 6/21/13 at 11:23pm

Messy, fascinating, funny, and ultimately heartbreaking play, crystal clear to this viewer (and the highly reactive, in-tune audience I saw it with tonight), and two not-to-be-missed performances. Very glad I hadn't read any of the armchair naysaying beforehand. To each their own. Would jump at the chance to see this again later in the run.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 1:33am

Brantley's rave will make this a must-see.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 2:57am

Wow, this has not been a happy time for WIlliams at New World Stages. (The sub-Community Theatre production of In The Bar of a Tokyo Hotel was the worst show I have ever seen.)

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 4:46pm

I have seen it and, in my opinion, you have to hang with it for the whole play. But it is worth it for the performances alone.

[massofmen]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 11:40pm

brantley doesn't have the power he used to (see MATILDA)

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/23/13 at 1:42am

True, but in this case, the elements of Williams, Plummer and a small venue, if they use that review (and they will) This could become a hot ticket for insiders and curiosity seekers.

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 6/23/13 at 4:49am

MassOfMen, please explain your point about Matilda's proving Brantley doesn't have the power he used to. Isn't the show a sell-out with the largest advance on Broadway? His review didn't get it the Tony Award, but I don't remember that being seen as under his purview.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/23/13 at 3:57pm

CPD is correct.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 6/26/13 at 11:34pm

I saw this tonight, and although superbly acted the play didn't do much for me. I hung in there for the first act, but by the second I have to admit that my mind was wandering and I just didn't have anything emotionally invested with the characters to care.

Give both of them awards just for memorizing the whole damn thing, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 6/28/13 at 10:56pm

Saw it tonight. Wow, what a fascinating train wreck.

The house didn't open until five minutes to eight, and the performance was fifteen minutes late. There was an insert In the playbill that reflected that there is a new production stage manager for the show, draw your own conclusions.

It's at one of the smaller spaces at New World Stages, and on a Friday night, after the Brantley review, the house was half empty

And then the play. I read Hinton Al's and Brantley's glowing recommendations of the play itself. I don't get it. This drug induced nonsense that Tennessee produced late in his career feels nothing like a play. It might read well on the page, but as an audience member, it is mystifying. Especially in this meandering production.

Plumber had a bad night, struggling on several occasions to remember her lines. She had a couple of glorious moments, but mostly she just seemed injured. Both of her knees were bandaged, she had an Ace bandage on her left wrist, and a terrible rash on her leg. I don't know what the hell has been going on during this production, but Amanda Plumber is definitely the worse for wear.

Still, I'm glad I saw it. They both were trying very very hard, and sometimes succeeding, with material that was written under a drug induced haze by our greatest American playwright.





Updated On: 6/28/13 at 10:56 PM

[jnb9872]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 9:44pm

So, tonight's performance was cancelled apparently?