Casting Mysteries

[Willster279]

Posted: 8/31/09 at 8:11am

Caught a performance of "The Retributionists" at Playwrights yesterday in which the leading actress is so ill equipped to handle the leading role, she pulled the entire play down with her. I'm not going to say her name, because acting is ephemeral, people do get better in this art form, and she shouldn't be damned for one misstep of casting. The question is, why would someone as savvy as Leigh Silverman even consider this poor woman? Every word out of her mouth sounds like a line reading, every move she makes reads as blocking, and she can't even pull off the activity of lighting a cigarette and believably smoking it without calling attention to herself. No way it could have been better at the audition. Yet she's up there, expected to carry an entire play. What a disservice, not only to this poor gal, but to the three extraordinary actors; Adam Rothenbeg, Adam Driver and the magnificent Cristin Miloti, who have to play scenes with her, pretending she's giving them what they need. Forget the poor playwright, who has no way of knowing if scenes are not working or it's just "the actress." Very sad.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/31/09 at 8:20am

I thought Milioti had the leading role, not Margarita Levieva, or however you spell her name.

[Willster279]

Posted: 8/31/09 at 8:32am

Unfortunately, no, but she does mercifully get the last monologue, which she does superbly. I'd not seen this incredible creature before "Stunning," so I didn't know what to expect. The roles are like night and day, and she is magnificent. I wouldn't have even known it was the same young woman.