Ben Stiller and Jeffrey Wright to Star in Premiere of This is How it Goes

[Rob]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 12:56pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=58596

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 12:59pm

*squeals with glee, abandoning all seeming maturity*

I *LOVE* Jeffrey Wright.

[Chloe]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 1:09pm

Me too, I'm looking forward to this.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 1:27pm

I'm so there.

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 1:50pm

And because Popcultureboy and I have very similar taste in, well, "pop culture," I too can't wait to see this! This is very excellent news. :)

Updated On: 1/26/05 at 01:50 PM

[sweetiedarlinmia]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 2:11pm

Jeffrey Wright is the latest addition to my theatre crushes list. Love him! He was great in Basquat.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/26/05 at 5:47pm

This is going to be spectacular, esp. because the play itself is so well-written.

If they do get Renee Zellweger, you won't be able to get near the Public Theatre.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 12:04pm

Just went into the Donmar to pick up my tickets for the late night Grand Hotel tonight and noticed that they are hosting the London Premiere of this play in May of this year. Think we'll get the same cast? I doubt it.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/12/05 at 2:54pm

I saw the first preview last night.


George Wolfe already has the production in amazing shape -- as if they'd been performing for weeks. It's a well-written, interestingly-structured memory play (narrated by Stiller's character) about a man who returns to his hometown (after a failed legal career in the big city) and runs into his biggest teenage crush (the striking Amanda Peete) who's now in an unhappy marriage to her black high school sweetheart (Jeffrey Wright). Stiller's character winds up insinuating himself into their lives and complications ensue from there (I don't want to give away anymore than that).

The play keeps you guessing at various points. Stiller's character admits to being an "unreliable narrator" early on, so things aren't always what they seem, with some scenes being the truth and others being the narrator's fantasy. It's an interesting technique and LaBute employs it well (aided handily by a charming and antic performance from Stiller, playing a character who's not always likeable). Wright does well as the difficult role of the brusque, self-absorbed husband, while Peete is simply luminous and utterly believeable as the object of both of their affections.

There are a couple of interesting twists and turns along the way and plenty of LaBute's trademark shock value (gasps were heard from the audience at some of the dialogue). Was some of it simply shock for shock's sake? Or is LaBute trying to say something here about the, at times, casual nature of racism and how a person's biases can shape their overall character and/or dictate certain choices they make in life? How important is it to be different? These are some of the subtle, but challenging questions raised here and makes this quite a thought-provoking experience.

None of these three characters is easily defined or fit comfortably into simple categories -- there are no perfect answers for these imperfect people and their lives, which on the surface, seem ideal. An entertaining and provocative play that is well-worth seeing.

FYI -- it ran a short intermissionless 90 minutes (it began about 8:12 last night and the final bows were over at 9:42).

Updated On: 3/12/05 at 02:54 PM

[Chloe]

Posted: 3/12/05 at 2:57pm

Thanks for the excellent review, Margo!

[AndiV]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:26am

two questions...

i read about what the Pub Theatre's rush policy is...and am wondering what the crowd is like for the $15 tix or if anyone has gotten them before. where are the seats, etc?

and...any other thoughts on the show...?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:29am

Thank you, Margo. I'm definitley going to go see this.