My thoughts on DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 6:07pm

Geeky Jean (Mary-Louise Parker) is writing a letter in a cafe when a ringing cell phone interrupts her. It belongs to Gordon (T. Ryder Smith), deceased. Jean answers the ringing phone and is sucked into his world, and digs herself in deeper with every lie she tells to make his family (Kathleen Chalfant, Kelly Maurer, David Aaron Baker) feel better.

This is the plot, in a nutshell, of Sarah Ruhl's newest work, Dead Man's Cell Phone, now playing at Playwrights Horizons. Ruhl, no stranger to imaginitive fantasy, takes the audience on a journey, as usual, this time to Hell and back, with stops in a cafe, a stationary store's closet, and South Africa. And while the play isn't the best thing since sliced bread, it's certainly a delightful evening of loveable fluff.

Mary-Louise Parker is a luminous Jean, and really makes "Geek Chic" work. She carries the show with great flair, except for a mannered post-nasal drip accent which adds nothing but frustration on the part of the audience.

Kathleen Chalfant is at the top of her game, and, with one phrase, grabs the audience in the palm of her hand and teaches a master class in the art of the comic delivery and the proper ways to play unbearable sadness.

T. Ryder Smith is frightening as Gordon, the dead man of the title, and delivers one of the most brilliant monologues in recent memory at the top of the second act (as he's cut off at the end of the first).

Strong supporting performances from David Aaron Baker, Kelly Mauer, and Carla Harding.

Ruhl's play doesn't say much, there's no profound statement, just a lot of questions as to why people feel a need to become voyeurs when it comes to talking on cell phones. The play mirrors The Clean House, in terms of the great journey to find the object that will lead to absolution (in this case, a Kidney), and the dialogue is just as poetic.

Anne Bogart is a great match for Ruhl's work. A longtime collaborator of Charles Mee, Bogart is known for her thought-provoking productions, and this is no different. To say anything more would undoubtedly reveal spoilers, and I don't want to. I will say that the way the first act ends is one of the most ingenious things I've seen in a long time.

A very nice, spare set by GW Mercier, appealing costumes by Mercier, as well. Haunting lighting by Brian H. Scott. But the show really comes alive with the Darron L. West's dazzling "soundscape."

Perhaps the funniest - and most ironic - moment of Dead Man's Cell Phone happened even before the show began. I was standing in the lobby, picking up my ticket when I happened to see Ms. Parker arrive. She was yammering away on her cell phone, not seeming to realize that there were people in the lobby who were within earshot of the conversation.

In the show, Jean delivers a speech about something very true: Do people talk loudly on their cell phones in public because they think they're the only ones in the universe, or, is it because they want everyone else to hear it? Just made me laugh, knowing what I had seen.

If anyone wants spoilers about the show, please PM me. I'll be happy to reveal. Updated On: 2/23/08 at 06:07 PM

[whatever2]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 6:42pm

yankee: havent read yet, but have been waiting to hear your thoughts on this one ... any spoilers, or should i dive in?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 7:20pm

There are no spoilers in Yankee's post, feel free to dive in.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 8:05pm

All finished.

[theatremom2]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 8:38pm

spoilers maybe. Can't agree. I,too,was so lookimg forward to this but felt it fell flat. I get that it meant to speak to human isolation, mother from son, wife from husband, even man from mistress (remember the will)but the kind of simpistic 'love is the answer', and a rather preachy speach at that, just didn't do it for me..Where it went for zanny, came off as just bizarre. Interesting idea tho- we continue as long as people keep calling us- remembering us?. Kind of "The Bridge at St. Louis Rey' for the modern age. As to the kidney-not sure. An organ essential for a life bought and sold, bestowed on strangers impersonally, not a gift of love but a marketable item or all of the above? It wasn't painful but not great either

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 8:46pm

So it was too fluffy for 'ya?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 8:48pm

I thought it was alright. I gave up the chance to see AUGUST: OC with its original cast intact to see this play and I'm not sure it was worth it. Oh well. I do agree that Mary-Louise Parker was "luminous" and yes, the weird accent made no sense to me except for the fact that it made Jean even more odd.
I got to see Bill Camp in the title role and he was magnificent, nice to see that T. Ryder Smith is a fine replacement.
Can't say enough good things about the supporting cast (save for David Aaron Baker whom I found to be quite lacking, not bad, just kind of bland), especially Kelly Mauer whose scene with Parker in the restaurant/bar was the most enjoyable part of the play for me.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 8:53pm

Smith was very menacing (I kept thinking I was watching Will Arnett - GOB on Arrested Development). How was Camp?

Baker's certainly warmed up - his chemistry with Parker is second nature.

It's an alright play, though not the most entirely satisfying thing out there. As I said, nothing revolutionary (though it was quite remarkable to figure out a way compare a human's need for a cell phone with the need for a kidney), but a fine evening of fluff. Is it worth the $$ they're charging? I like Ruhl, I like Bogart, I enjoy Chalfant, and I adore Parker. So I think it was.
Updated On: 2/24/08 at 08:53 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 7:03am

bump

[nyb418]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 10:05am

Thanks Yankee. I got to see it last night.Had great 3rd row seats and quite enjoyed the show. Cast is remarkable, and I adore all of Ms. Parkers work.T.Ryder Smith is quite menacing as Gordon, I found myself staring at him in the opening scene, waiting to see if he even took a breath or blinked. He did not!His act 2 monolouge is mesmerizing, I hung on every word and delivery.He was brilliant!

I found Ms. Parkers delivery and even sometimes annoying nasal accent to be funny. At points in Act 1 I thought of "Forrest Gump".I have respected her work for years and was just awestruck how easily she turns into the character she plays .She makes it look so effortless.

All in all, an evening well spent.Funniest part for me was the audience. Very pretentious(at least around me). Everyone was babbling (loudly) about their place in the Hamptons, their apartment that overlooks Central Park (at $5k a month) and the view of the sunset from their bedroom window. Blah.. blah..Then the snooty woman says (again.. loudly) how she loves Sarah Jessica Parker on "Sex and the City" and that is why she is here seeing this play!I had to control myself from laughing out loud. I wonder how long it was in Act 1 til she realized she had the wrong actress.She was unusually quiet at intermission!

Glad I got to at least share it wth the board.

Only bummer was I never saw Miss Parker leave through the lobby afterwards.Everyone with Playwrights Horizon told the small crowd waiting she left.Has anyone here ever been to a stage door for Miss Parker? Just curious if she signs or take photos ever?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 10:10am

Another person has posted that she exits through the TheaterRow stage door on 41st, behind PH.

If it counts (as I said I saw her arrive), she got there at 1:30 for the matinee.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 12:16pm

I wish tickets were still available for this show. I'd love to see it.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 12:23pm

I can't wait to see this play! I'm so happy a few more tickets came up!

How does one get to the 41st Street stage door?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 12:33pm

I'm supposed to see this tonight. But I have the flu.

Fortunately, I'll still get to see it thanks to a friend who has an extra ticket, but not until late March. That's better than missing it completely though, in which case I'd be really upset.

nyb418 - I did when I saw Reckless. She signed autographs and took pictures, yes. She signed my Playbill, and I had this stupid grin plastered on my face all the way home.

Updated On: 2/24/08 at 12:33 PM

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 1:07pm

Em! When are you seeing it? Maybe we're going on the same night.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 2:50pm

I'm seeing this 3/9 and I'm excited.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 4:09pm

Thanks Yankeefan for your review!

J*

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/24/08 at 5:21pm

I hope all of you enjoy it.

It's not a life-changing work, but it's certainly a pleasant 2 hour diversion.

And the 41st Street Stage Door is right around the block. Walk around the corner, and make an immediate turn, and you'll see a sign that says THEATER ROW STAGE DOOR.

Not exactly a place I'd want to be after dark, but hey (and I'm a NYer.)

[April Saul]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 12:52pm

Finally saw this last night, was so looking forward to it, front row center seats, loved Mary-Louise and company when it started, still happy at intermission, but by about 20 minutes from the end of the piece (maybe the fight in the airport?) felt like it had really jumped the shark for me. Lots of laughs and witty observations about our society, but where was the heart? Found myself wondering whether Mary-Louise had played it TOO much for laughs or whether Ruhl just didn't find a really good place to end this and went over a cliff instead. Is there anybody else who had this feeling about it? Eurydice made me laugh AND cry, and did a lot more for me than this one. And I'm also kind of wondering if you KNOW that an actor or actress sneaks out the back door as it's been reported on this board that Mary-Louise does (perhaps trying to get home to her kids faster, who knows?) is it really a good idea to go round the block and try to stop her for a photo or autograph? My daughter is a big fan and we did say hello to her after Reckless at the Biltmore a few years ago, but she came out the front and seemed quite willing...if she's sprinting out the back way, she might be trying to send a message, but that's JMO

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 1:19pm

I've found Ruhl's works to be a bit chilly, mainly because so many of her characters are upper-crust WASPs (Blair Brown in Clean House, Kathleen Chalfant in this one).

Regretfully, I didn't see Eurydice (much to my chagrin), so I can't speak for that, but I remember walking out of Clean House and saying, "well, it was VERY sterile, but the dialogue between John Dossett and Concetta Tomei was so strong and lovely that it had heart."

I thought Dead Man's Cell Phone had heart, as well (I loved the idea of the two geeky people obsessed with embossed stationary falling in love), but not as much.

The problem is that Ruhl's works peter out in the end, since she insists on taking her characters to bizarre places. The Clean House sent John Dossett to Alaska to bring back a birch tree. It seems like she has no idea where to go and how to end it, so she just puts her finger on a map and says "LET'S GO THERE!"

I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Posted: 2/25/08 at 2:52pm

omg, dont you know that theaterguy11 & paphillyguy are gonna attack you for referencing yourself in the thread title?!?!!?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/25/08 at 2:55pm

Well who else would be mentioned in the thread subject? It's not Ben Brantley's review of DMCP!

[burnthemistletoe]

Posted: 3/27/08 at 11:46am

So sad that I wont get to see this, MLP is one of my favorite actresses. Does anyone know of any bootlegs of this show? I know it was a really short run, but I am praying to God that someone got a copy! My email is [e-mail], if you have one!