#1
Posted: 6/17/05 at 6:05pm
I saw The Paris Letter last week, just before it opened, and was greatly dissapointed. The play seemed very lop-sided, and asked a lot of questions that it simply did not answer. I expected much more.
The story revolves around two gay men who were once lovers in their youth. Anton (John Glover) embraced his homosexuality and wears it as a badge of honor, while Sandy (Ron Rifkin) sought treatment to rid himself of his urges. Sandy has since married Katie (Michele Pawk), one of Anton's best friend. He has raised her openly gay son (Daniel Eric Gold) as his own, and took over his father's lucrative Wall Street firm. On the surface, everything seems perfect.
Everything changes, though, when takes Burt (Jason Butler Harner), a young charge in the business, as his lover. He entrusts all of his clients finances to Burt, with disasterous results and later flees the country.
Part of the story is told in flashback, with Gold and Harner playing Young Sandy and Young Anton, respectively. Rifkin plays the eccentric psychiatrist who "cures" Young Sandy of his gayness, and Pawk is especially terrific as Sandy's mother, Lillian.
The acting is great. Rifkin hits all the right notes as Sandy, and Glover is rightly over the top as Anton. He steals the show. Pawk is spectacular in a role that could be considered both Oedipal and Freudian. Harner and Gold both hold their own.
I don't know why I left The Paris Letter so dissatisfied. The show, despite the fine performances, is cold. I really wanted to love it, but I just didn't.
Jim
The story revolves around two gay men who were once lovers in their youth. Anton (John Glover) embraced his homosexuality and wears it as a badge of honor, while Sandy (Ron Rifkin) sought treatment to rid himself of his urges. Sandy has since married Katie (Michele Pawk), one of Anton's best friend. He has raised her openly gay son (Daniel Eric Gold) as his own, and took over his father's lucrative Wall Street firm. On the surface, everything seems perfect.
Everything changes, though, when takes Burt (Jason Butler Harner), a young charge in the business, as his lover. He entrusts all of his clients finances to Burt, with disasterous results and later flees the country.
Part of the story is told in flashback, with Gold and Harner playing Young Sandy and Young Anton, respectively. Rifkin plays the eccentric psychiatrist who "cures" Young Sandy of his gayness, and Pawk is especially terrific as Sandy's mother, Lillian.
The acting is great. Rifkin hits all the right notes as Sandy, and Glover is rightly over the top as Anton. He steals the show. Pawk is spectacular in a role that could be considered both Oedipal and Freudian. Harner and Gold both hold their own.
I don't know why I left The Paris Letter so dissatisfied. The show, despite the fine performances, is cold. I really wanted to love it, but I just didn't.
Jim
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