RACE Reviews — Page 2

Even though Osage had a long run, it was on TDF quite often.
Well, it was playing at a large house for a play during the first half of its run. And some would say it was on TDF often BECAUSE the run was so long. The long run was a result of an interest in seeing the show.

Doubt had a subject matter than titillated & sex or the thought of it always sell.
Pardon? Was that in English?

^Haha, that made my day.

Back to the reviews. Newsday is Negative (with praise for Grier and Spader):

"'Do you know what you can say to a black man on the subject of race?" the black attorney asks the rich white defendant. "Nothing," answers the accused, perhaps convinced, but maybe not.

Whether David Mamet is himself convinced, well, we never know. The more troubling question is whether, ultimately, we end up caring what he thinks in "Race," the attractively cast, surprisingly stale new play that tries to draw blood by picking at old scabs with a blunt instrument.

The subject, race, could not be more timely. And yet the confrontations have the urgency of pigtail-pulling provocations in the schoolyard. Are we really meant to be shocked to hear that trials are entertainment or that people of different colors get different treatment? The generalizations - blacks have shame, Jews have guilt - are as inflammatory as a routine by Jackie Mason. The real shock of this "Race" is that Mamet cannot take them and run.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/review-david-mamet-returns-to-form-in-race-then-trips-up-1.1640426

TheaterMania is positive with another rave for Spader:

"A rich, white man is accused of raping a younger, African-American woman. His lawyers -- one white, two black -- not only debate whether or not they should take the case, but confront their own biases and assumptions about race relations in writer/director David Mamet's engrossing new play, Race, now at Broadway's Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The play takes awhile to heat up, but once it does, it becomes thrillingly explosive.

...

Spader is pitch-perfect as a self-assured man who feels confident enough in his understanding of racial dynamics to be able to make some rather questionable pronouncements in the presence of his African-American co-workers. Washington presents a nuanced performance that relies heavily on the non-verbal, while Grier makes the most of an underwritten role. Both he and Spader demonstrate a firm grasp of the rhythms within Mamet's own brand of lyrical yet gritty verbiage. Washington is only partially successful in this regard, while Thomas seems overly conscious in his use of pauses.

..."
Review

Only in the declining era of Mamet's abilities could a review that contains a line calling his characters "whores" for his ideas be considered a rave.

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Ouch. NY Post is very negative (1 1/2 stars out of 4):

"The most stunning thing about the David Mamet play that opened last night is how clunky it is.

The man's written books about drama and filmmaking, so you'd think his missile against a hot-button issue would at least be well put together. But "Race," which Mamet also directed, is a bewildering muddle. Audiences might expect this type of awkwardly constructed, flailing acrimony from a 15-year-old with a Twitter account, not from a Pulitzer Prize winner."

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/reviews/no_winner_in_race_D8xYC0dU0DypH9J4BmvJ3L

I can't believe the reviews didn't mention how horrid Kerry Washington was in this play.

I thought Kerry Washington was great. As great as you can be with Mamet's horrible misogynistic writing and direction. Richard Thomas was the weak link for me. Spader was fantastic and Grier was very funny.

These reviews are pretty on target. Mamet says a lot, but never really makes a point with any of it. And Kerry Washingotn is horrendous.

Washington couldn't even walk without looking awkward, let alone deliver her lines in the right cadence.

Spader was awesome...I hope he's considered come awards season.

I saw this show Saturday night and wasn't blown away. I wanted to love it, and I wanted to be enthralled...but it left me a bit cold and unsatisfied. The ending seemed to need more....but I felt that each time the curtain fell there was something missing.

I applaud the acting of both Spader and Grier, but was less than impressed with Thomas and Washington.

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