Mary Jane NYTW (previews)

[Relevance81491]

Posted: 9/6/17 at 7:28pm

I have been eagerly awaiting a new play from Amy Herzog for quite some time.  Mary Jane is her reunion with director Anne Kauffman that starts previews this evening.  Reviews from the Yale Rep run of this play were very promising, so early reports will be greatly appreciated

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/6/17 at 10:22pm

Going on Sunday! Will report back. 

[jawjuhh]

Posted: 9/6/17 at 11:23pm

I thought this was really, really lovely.  Carrie Coon created such an intense and complex character that showed a new layer with every scene.  Was a huge fan of hers from The Leftovers and she managed to impress me even further.  Susan Pourfar was one of the other standouts to me, she probably got the most laughs throughout the night.  I thought the pacing was appropriate, contemplative yet not too slow moving, and overall it was a wonderful production.  

However, I could not for the life of me hear the last line of the show!! I asked somebody else what it was but they didn't hear it either.  I tweeted NYMF but if anybody else happens to remember, could you message me what it was? 

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 9/7/17 at 10:37pm

jawjuhh said: "However, I could not for the life of me hear the last line of the show!! I asked somebody else what it was but they didn't hear it either. I tweeted NYMF but if anybody else happens to remember, could you message me what it was?"

I PMed you.

I also thought it was lovely and moving, and Carrie Coon blows me away in everything she does.

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 9/10/17 at 10:55pm

Herzog's best play yet. Coon is magnificent and the play is as wise as it is painful. It sounds unusual considering how dark the material is, but this is really a crowd-pleasing emotional hit that will resound with audiences of all shapes and sizes.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/10/17 at 11:33pm

Oh jeez...

I'm truly glad you guys liked this, but I found it to be a real slog.

Herzog tries really hard to write "casual" dialogue that makes up a large portion of the play (especially the first half), and to be honest I was not having it. It struck me as very forced, which made me feel really alienated. The FIRST line of the play (literally) had me rolling me eyes. The dramatic meat of the play is well written (particularly the last few scenes), but it still felt kind of thin, like it's downing in its attempts at hyper-naturalism. I think there is a lot of heart and honesty in the central issue, but I just found it so hard to care about any of it. And I'm usually really emotionally affected by stories that feature...

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

a child's life at risk

I think the play is harmed by the fact that we never see Mary Jane and Alex interact. I realize that would be a very difficult thing to actually do onstage, given the circumstances, but I'd argue that it would have been better as a film or book for that exact reason. 

Also, I'm not sure if it was the actress, the writing, the director, or some combination thereof, but I didn't like the main character at all. I found her really irritating. Her quirkiness and large personality felt very forced to me, and in general I thought all the other actors disappeared into their roles much more effectively. 

Part of this is a taste issue, of course. I feel like I've seen a ton of these straightforward, naturalistic, off-Broadway dramas in the last few years, and I'm just feeling kind of bored of them. I'm not saying they're bad, there are just so many kinds of playwrights and theatre-makers that I find far more interesting. 

Updated On: 9/10/17 at 11:33 PM

[little_sally]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 11:32am

I really enjoyed this. It's a subject matter that isn't dealt with a great deal in theater, and while it was heavy and upsetting, it never got too cliche or overly-sentimental. The cast, lead by Carrie Coon, is just terrific.

[Cesare2]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 1:24pm

I kept thinking throughout this play how is this family supporting itself and how can it afford all its medical bills. 

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 2:56pm

Cesare2 said: "I kept thinking throughout this play how is this family supporting itself and how can it afford all its medical bills."

 

I mean, a fairly significant struggle for Carrie’s character is negotiating her employment with caring for her son, and it’s pretty explicitly stated that the excellent insurance provided by this job is what is allowing for the care...

[Cesare2]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 3:06pm

Sorry.  I've been told the playwright has a special needs child, but so much of this play rang false to me. Good to hear Mary Jane has excellent health insurance.  A lot of us are hoping we still have some semi-adequate health coverage by the end of the month.

Updated On: 9/25/17 at 03:06 PM

[little_sally]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 3:11pm

wicked_beast4 said: "Cesare2 said: "I kept thinking throughout this play how is this family supporting itself and how can it afford all its medical bills."

I mean, a fairly significant struggle for Carrie’s character is negotiating her employment with caring for herson, and it’s pretty explicitly stated that the excellent insurance provided by this job is what is allowing for the care..."

Exactly.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

It's clear Mary Jane has financial issues and problems at work--she states that she's used all of her sick and vacation time, and it's clear at the end that has been let go. Mary Jane is clearly struggling to support her and her son.

The one problem I had was...

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

what Alex's father's role was in the whole situation. Mary Jane says he can't handle a sick son but feels bad he's not in his life. But it's not clear if he's supporting him in any way, i.e paying child support.

 

[Relevance81491]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 10:45pm

anyone know wha the NYTW Rush policy is for this show?  If I remember correctly it varies from production to production.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/6/17 at 11:07pm

Bringing this back because I just saw it tonight and thought it was devastating and beautiful. Carrie Coon can do no wrong in my eyes, but the ensemble put together for this production is altogether excellent. I couldn’t recommend this highly enough if you’re not opposed to tearjerkers.

[steven22]

Posted: 10/8/17 at 9:03pm

Saw this tonight. Really enjoyed it. Great performances all around.