Speed the Plow- Page 2

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 6:53pm

I thought Raul was perfect in his role. He gave my favorite performance out of the three. Jeremy Piven was still trying to get his lines down, and if anyone was miscast I would say it was Elizabeth Moss. Overall I enjoyed the play very much.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 7:20pm

Actually, it seemed like it was easiest to accept Raul in his role because it took awhile to remove Jeremy from Ari Gold and Elizabeth from her role in Mad Men.

That's not an effect of casting, though, it's an effect of audience perception.

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 7:38pm

To the earlier question, everyone came out between performances today. I didn't see Piven leave but I think he was the first one out. (I was in the lobby buying the wonderfully obscene tee shirt!). Raul came out after a while, and signed and talked and posed for photos. He seemed to be in a good mood, and very patient and cordial to everybody. The cutest thing was he heard that some of the people were waiting for Elisabeth Moss, and he apparently volunteered to go back inside to see if she was planning to come out. But the stage door was locked so there was Raul pretending to struggle with the door. He hit the intercom and one of the staff came to the door and he asked her to find Moss and give her the message. I didn't wait, but I would guess she came out once she knew people were waiting for her, too.

*SPOILERS*

I loved the performance, and like the physical production a lot. The projector effect between scenes worked for me - like something from a very 1940's film noir Hollywood drama. The lighting in the second scene in Bobby's house is some of the best I have ever seen - very warm and rich.

There weren't a lot of miscues - Piven mumbled a couple of times, and still seems to be stuck on "make the book" rather than "make the movie" in a couple of places. The fight was very fast and awkward but I liked it because instead of looking choreographed it looked like two ordinary people having a fist fight. Piven was generally fine, although I would have liked to feel a little more pathos for the "I am lost" lines. His character feels very circumstance driven rather than a fully developed person, but some of that lies at Mamet's door.

I liked Elisabeth Moss a lot. In reading the play, I couldn't understand where Karen was coming from. In the second scene, she makes Karen so innocent and so full of enthusiasm that she is irresistible, which is really the whole point of her character. She was very effective in the final scene - and it felt like a three-person performance, not two and a half. Brava - and still room to grow in the part. She is so beautiful on stage - luminous skin color and huge eyes.

I thought Raul was on the money with this role (wow- great pun and unintentional) - he's funny and flashy and pushy and desperate and damaged and insecure. He got a lot of audience reaction because Fox has so many wonderful one-liners. During the third scene, the audience was absolutely quiet, and the tension was palpable, especially when he confronts Karen. If the rest of the production can be brought to this level, it will be well worth going back again.

I didn't expect to enjoy this play as much as I did. It seemed more substantial than I anticipated. Theater about 3/4 full.

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 10/16/08 at 12:16am

The restaurant I work at is hosting the opening night after party for Speed The Plow next week and I get to work it. I can't wait! I also can't wait to see the show :) I'm glad it's gotten a good response.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:51am

Saw it tonight and thought it was an outstanding production. Raul stole it for me. I thought he was fantastic (as usual!). The lighting in Gould's house was excellent. Piven delivered a fairly good performance, but Moss' Karen reminded me of Elizabeth Stanley in the Company revival.

I didn't realize the t-shirts had anything on the back when I bought one. Funny as hell though.

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/17/08 at 1:00am

The "girlie" cut tee shirts don't have the line on the back, but the unisex ones do. I guess some women actually want to wear these shirts in public.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 10/17/08 at 9:26am

I asked this question at the box office, but is STP being done with or without an intermission at this point? Box office said (two weeks ago) that that decision hadn't been made.

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/17/08 at 10:08am

No intermission. The plays runs about 90 minutes.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:22pm

I thought this was one of the worst productions I've had the misfortune of sitting through on Broadway.
Piven stumbled over every other line and got a lot of his cues wrong.
Moss was horrible. I couldn't take the weird pauses she interjected in the dialouge. I don't know if that was her choice or the directors but it didn't work. And I didn't buy the chemistry between her and Piven for one second. I didn't think there was any chance she would have convinced his character to make that book into a movie.
The only bright spot for me was Esparza.

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 4:08pm

Anyone going to the opening night on Thursday?

[broadfan327]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 4:18pm

I saw it Saturday night. I was not too impressed by the play. The male leads are fine, but I think Elizabeth Moss was miscast. The play is over before you can blink twice, and not in a good way. Mostly, I did not care for the material. It seemed too trite to be the basis of a play.

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 4:21pm

"Anyone going to the opening night on Thursday?"

Yeah I'll be there.

[littlemezzo25]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 7:13pm

Is this show worth the money?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 7:36pm

Did you read the thread? Some people loved it and therefore would say yes. Others disliked it and would say no.

You need to make your own decisions.

[BroadwayBaby19]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 7:32am

Definitely seeing this as Esparza is amazing in anything! I feel a SPAMALOT/SPEED THE PLOW two-fer in my holiday travels. Helps that I'm a big MAD MEN fan as well. Now Piven, I don't know... sometimes I like him, sometimes find him annoying. This dropping his lines problem, tho, is quite disconcerting. Were Raul not there to ease the pain, I might not bother.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 9:07am

I find it kind of peculiar that he didn't (noticeably) drop any lines at the dress rehearsal, but has been in performances. The press will be in soon, so hopefully he gets it together!

If you're basically seeing the play for Esparza, then go. You'll enjoy his performance.

[Hest882]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 11:50am

Agreed. Although he isn't in the 2nd act, Raul has such huge chunks of the 1st and 2nd that if you're seeing it for him you won't be disappointed. Plus, if you're a Mad Men fan you also get to see Elisabeth Moss in a more contemporary role.

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 12:07pm

Yikes...I feel like I was seeing a different show than some of you. I thought it was the best Mamet production I have seen so far.

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 12:07pm

Yikes...I feel like I was seeing a different show than some of you. I thought it was the best Mamet production I have seen so far.

[Hest882]

Posted: 10/20/08 at 12:14pm

Morgaine885, we saw it during the 2nd or 3rd day of previews. I really liked it and my husband loved it. However, I just didn't feel it was something worth paying full price for. Discounted, totally. It's also really one of those plays where the 3rd act is what really brings it home. The rest sort of holds your attention but the first and second acts I found not all that memorable by themselves--unlike plays where everything is enthralling.