A NAKED GIRL ON THE APPIAN WAY Review

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 11:22am

A NAKED GIRL ON THE APPIAN WAY Review

“A Naked Girl on the Appian Way” is Roundabout Theatre Company’s new work by playwright Richard Greenberg (“Take Me Out,” “The Violet Hour”) that is now playing nightly at the American Airlines Theatre. His latest is a comedy that mildly explores the relationships among the distinguished, yet extraordinary Lapin family.

Greenberg has always been hit or miss, but never so much in the same play, as he is here with “A Naked Girl.” For this is ultimately a bare reproduction of playwright Edward Albee’s “The Goat or Who is Sylvia,” but instead dealing with human love humorously. The laughs do indeed score, but when pushing the envelope to ask an audience “just how liberal are you really?” – the intensity behind it need be just as strong as the laughs. What kind of human love is acceptable and what kind of human love is not acceptable in today’s American society? The questions should not only be dealt with, but should indeed leave one pondering its ramifications, outside of the theatre, far longer than it does.

“A Naked Girl in the Appian Way” starts off conventionally and realistically, set in the smart living/dining/kitchen area designed by visual intellect John Lee Beatty and lighting master Peter Kaczorowski. The family housed here is headed by Jeffrey Lapin (played by Richard Thomas), a novelist, and his wife, Bess, (the delightful Jill Clayburgh) a cook. Getting the sense that everything is going right in their married lives would help start the play off on a more fluent note. However, Thomas and Clayburgh (both fine actors in their own right) have about as much on stage charisma together as the 2004 Presidential candidates did during their debates. The duo’s elevated dialogue really does not help matters. Do husbands and wives really talk like this to each other, when it’s just the two of them?

Not until the entrance of the fantastic group of ensemble players does the play garner its strength. Ann Guilbert (who many of you may know from TV’s “The Nanny”) as old, senile neighbor Sadie is indeed the perfect actress to make sense of her characters foul mouth neuroses. Guilbert’s comic genius as Sadie parades in and out of the Lapin’s Hampton home at her own free will is uproaringly hysterical; Admitting though, that the scene only adds to the confusion and overall disjointedness of the opening act.

It is not until the close of Act I that we know just exactly why we are sitting in the theatre. Juliet and Thad (two of the three adopted Lapin children portrayed by Susan Kelechi Watson and Matthew Morrison) return home from an extended trip to Europe and while their parents are delighted to see them returning to the humble abode, they are not so delighted to see what they plan on doing in their residence. It is here that Greenberg begins to cover all the bases. Bess and Jeffery finding out their children have become lovers – the ramifications of third child Bill’s (James Yaegashi) feeling of inadequateness due to the situation – the product of this rather unique union – and yes, even Bess’ bout with free lesbian love with Sadie’s daughter in law Elaine (Leslie Ayvazian)!

Once the material is up and running, no one involved shies away from the laughs the material brings out. For the audience, the laughter might be genuine or embarrassing (it's hard to tell which, sometimes), but it's remarkably insidious. Under this is the perhaps expected dark, tragic undercurrent but unlike “The Goat,” “Naked Girl” never seems to quite find that right balance. Director Doug Hughes is not to blame, while this is no “Doubt,” he has done well almost across the board here, bringing a sense of reality to subject matter that frequently seems almost impossibly unbelievable.

There is much about “A Naked Girl on the Appian Way” that is very good, though I doubt destined to be a classic. For a play of this subject matter to maintain more than just a degree of good is a remarkable achievement indeed; however, this is certainly a case where the parts are all around greater than the sum of its whole (and even then, there are still a few unpolished parts.)

Updated On: 9/17/05 at 11:22 AM

[Pinguin]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 11:24am

ooooooooooooooooooh...I'm very interested to see it. Thanks for the review.

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 12:12pm

Your welcome Pinguin...enjoy. Hope you all find the review helpful in your 05-06 Theatre Going experiences.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 12:59pm

saw it last night. (9/16)

lacage: what did you think of Sadie's very long "chicken" speech in Act 2? honestly, i thought it was kind of random...

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 1:08pm

Huh. Naked Girl actually premiered here. That's strange...

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 1:14pm

without a trace, i took that little rant to be cuz they were talkin about lesbian love (chicks) and shes old and senile so she got all confused. i thought that was hysterical actually.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 1:16pm

thanks mistress.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 1:18pm

I had no idea Ann was still up and kicking!

Well, now I HAVE to see this!

Do they have rush or anything?

Updated On: 9/17/05 at 01:18 PM

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 2:19pm

They do have a general rush for $21.25 day of and a Student rush for I believe $26 day of. I honestly thought the play was randomly funny, but not very well structured at all...too many times you are going "huh?" and not at what youre supposed to be going "huh" at!

As for the chicken speech...it was bizzare, but I did get the connection as well with chicks. But with the Sadie character, not much had to make a lot of sense. Ann was marvelous, but she almost biffed it and tripped on an awkward step right before the deliverance of her last line last night. She recovered nicely and got the loudest applause by a very confused yet taken audience.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 3:26pm

yes, i did see her trip on that awkward step as well. my friends and i gasped because we thought she was going to fall. i brought my light in the piazza poster for matt morrison to sign after the show and i think he feels bad for leaving LITP to go into the flop play. he was brilliant in LITP, but not very good last night. i hope the next job he gets features his talent better than "Naked Girl." he is also such a nice guy.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 3:28pm

OK, do you know where the seats are? That it matters....I'll go end of this month, maybe!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 3:38pm

Well, "Naked Girl" technically can't be flop play. It's produced by not-for-profit Roundabout (with its subscriber base of 30,000+) and will complete its limited engagement with decent-sized houses despite whatever the reviews are.

And I think it was a GREAT move on Morrison's part to leave PIAZZA though. WHY slog away month after month at a role you've already been doing forever, when you have a chance to star on Broadway in a new play by an acclaimed Tony Award winning playwright, directed by the most in demand and respected director in the business these days, Doug Hughes and starring Jill Clayburgh and Richard Thomas. Regardless, of how it gets received, doing a nonmusical play can only help his career, demonstrating to agents, directors, producers and movie people that he's more than just a musical theatre guy and can handle all kinds of roles. It's an important transition for musical theatre people to make if they want a career beyond the very limited confines of musical comedy.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 3:45pm

yes margo. i know that roundabout plays cannot be considered flops or hits...i meant that i think it is going to be a critical flop.

as far as matt's decision to leave piazza, i guess it seemed like the right move at the time. i just thought his performance in piazza was infinitely better than his performance last night in naked girl.

[grizzabella]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 3:53pm

I've admired Jill Clayburgh's work - forever. How was she in this? What did she bring to the part? Thanks, LaCageAuxFollesfan2, for the insightful review, and to Trace for added views.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 3:58pm

If I recall correctly, Matthew said that this is the first straight play he's done. (I assume he means professionally) And despite his success in musical theater, he also stated that he feels that straight plays may be a better fit for him. Go figure.

But even if he isn't as good in this play as he was in the musicals he's done, I agree with Margo that it is a good career move.
Updated On: 9/17/05 at 03:58 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 4:43pm

I think it's interesting that Matty chose to do a straight play after Piazza... I'd always just assumed that he would stay at Piazza until he moved into another musical. That day when he told me he was leaving Piazza, I thought he was going to Tarzan, honestly I did... but it's interesting to know that he likes variety in the things that he does on Broadway, I wonder what's next!

... thanks for the review!
--korenglish

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 5:53pm

I would venture a guess that Matt's sadness over leaving Piazza is a completely separate thought from his opinion of this new show, where he is also very happy.

I enjoyed the show quite a bit more than the original poster of this topic but Im holding off on a review until I see it again. I dont think writing a critique of the first preview would be too nice of me.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 7:19pm

It's only previews...

An actor will shift and move within their role and grow into it, explore it, use imagination.
Updated On: 10/6/05 at 07:19 PM

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 8:40pm

As far as Matt is concerned, I understand what Trace is saying...It isn't THAT much of a role. I can totaly understand why he would want to do a straight play, but one that better suited his talents and capabilities should have been sought. Although, he probably banked on Tarzan, so who knows how this came about.

Anway...the play really isnt all about MM...for me it was a very bland and dry and very awkward Richard Thomas that was one of the things that turned me off to this NAKED GIRL. Yes he could still be finding his "character" but it certainly wasnt it last night.

Clayburgh was very good. I wish the role would have required more of her. She has ZERO chemistry with Thomas, and thats ashame...but it doesnt hinder the plays position THAT much. With what she was given she does a nice job...can't say its her best work...but better than decent.

For me it was Ann Guilbert who honestly stole the show. Brilliant!

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 10:31pm

Saw today's matinee. I'll write a full review later, but I'll just say now that I was SEVERELY dissapointed. Other than the luminous Ms. Clayburgh and the hilarious Ms. Guilbert ("You munched my daughter-in-law's rug!"), the play falls flat.

Matt needs to stick to musicals. He doesn't have the chops to do a straight play.

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 10:45pm

I'd blame it on the material before I blamed it on Matt...but the overall tone of the show is sooo disjointed at this point, I wasn't THAT impressed either...but it had its moments of movement.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 9/17/05 at 11:10pm

Even if his performance gets panned, I give him props for trying to stretch. And it's understandable why he chose this production, considering its author and director.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:11am

Mr. Morrison is a natural mime who is capable of drawing out all the physical comedy of the piece which I imagine is still in the exploration stages. There's probably a lot to play with between the humor and his being "special" in the piece.

He did the right thing to move on. It's the brave thing to do; you can't rest on your laurels.

Saw Greenberg's The Dazzle which had a decent first act but fell apart in the second, so perhaps he and Hughes still have some collaborating to do to fully realize the piece. I haven't seen it yet...

[Phantom2]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:24am

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing the stud muffin do a straight play.

Updated On: 9/18/05 at 12:24 AM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 12:35am

A "straight play" to me is a drama rather than a comedy.

I would love to see him do a drama where he has to spill his guts out because he was so thrilling doing that in "Autami" in Piazza...