THE COUNTER at Roundabout

[Sauja]

Posted: 10/3/24 at 8:55am

I feel like Roundabout is so inconsistent in quality sometimes, but The Counter, currently at the Pels, is a gem of a show. At 75 minutes, it’s slender but not slight, and it reminded me of director David Cromer’s work on the similarly lovely A Case for the Existence of God at the Signature. Tender, emotion writing, directing, and acting, with flawless performances from its small cast of three. A real pleasure.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 10/3/24 at 9:12am

I enjoyed the intimacy and build of connection. I sat in the front right orchestra and got Edwards’ back for most of the play which I found frustrating. Susannah Flood is so good so I was glad to be close to see her facial expressions.  I think I will try to revisit this later in the run as it has stayed with me since seeing it on Tuesday.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/3/24 at 9:25am

I thought this was really good, too. I also sat front right and got Edwards’ back for 95% of the show. If you are going to see this, I’d seriously advise not sitting on either the left or the right side but only in the center. 

Updated On: 10/3/24 at 09:25 AM

[DCDrama2]

Posted: 10/3/24 at 10:00am

Agreed about the seating. I was fourth row center and that was good for faces, but the stage is SO high that I was glad to be done quickly. Sitting further back, skewing to the right is probably best. The folks on the left of me probably missed half the show by being blocked and so low. The show was a nice, brief, reflective bit of life. But the staging and set design is perplexing.

[Theater3232]

Posted: 10/3/24 at 11:14am

I actually loved it as well - was tightly trimmed at 75 minutes and held my attention with no "dead spots". I like how they get into "deep talk" instead of the superficial talk that they referenced and it's a sweet touching story that flies by.  Such a welcome improvement from the shows they've been having on that stage recently, and I hope they keep it this way.

[Tom-497]

Posted: 10/3/24 at 5:42pm

Upstairs, second row, almost as far right as you could get, was a good seat - no problem seeing faces. (And, like others, I thought the show was excellent.)

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 10/4/24 at 9:15pm

I was peeking in to see if anyone saw this. I hadn’t heard much about this production, but I’m always drawn to stories about seemingly ordinary people. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was such a lovely story of empathy and friendship. I saw it last weekend and keep thinking about it. I completely agree with the seating. It’s puzzling. I sat in the middle section of the orchestra so I had a good view. If I had gotten a side seat, I would have been pretty upset. I don’t know how you could see anything. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 10/9/24 at 9:37pm

Hearing strong word-of-mouth about this. Any chance this extends or transfers to Broadway?

Updated On: 10/9/24 at 09:37 PM

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 10/9/24 at 10:32pm

ACL2006 said: "Hearing strong word-of-mouth about this. Any chance this extends or transfers to Broadway?"

A 75 minute one act without any stars is not transferring to Broadway. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 10/9/24 at 10:52pm

Matt Rogers said: "ACL2006 said: "Hearing strong word-of-mouth about this. Any chance this extends or transfers to Broadway?"

A 75 minute one act without any stars is not transferring to Broadway."

Job is an 80 minute one act without any stars that just transferred to Broadway. Nothing's impossible. (Unless 5 minutes make all the difference?)

[ACL2006]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 7:16am

Matt Rogers said: "ACL2006 said: "Hearing strong word-of-mouth about this. Any chance this extends or transfers to Broadway?"

A 75 minute one act without any stars is not transferring to Broadway."

Anthony Edwards is a name.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 7:35am

“Children of a Lesser God” sadly closed in 2018 because of poor sales, even with Edwards and Joshua Jackson. 

[MezzA101]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 12:12pm

Review: In ‘The Counter,’ a Cup of Joe and an Off-the-Menu Order

A diner patron asks a waitress for an extraordinary side dish in Meghan Kennedy’s sweet but shaggy new play.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/09/theater/the-counter-review-edward-flood.html?unlocked_article_code=1.RE4.6QOx.KYhsM4D5ryDB

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 7:16pm

I just realized that this is the same author who wrote Napoli, Brooklyn, a play with a totally insane sound effect at the end of Act One that made all the octogenarian Roundabout subscribers reach for their defibrillators. I loved that play. This one sounds like it is….quieter. 

[tomwsjr]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 9:59pm

What was the “insane sound effect?”

[Dreamboy3]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 10:06pm

tomwsjr said: "What was the “insane sound effect?”"

The play was about an actual plane crash in park slope. 

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 11/3/24 at 8:02pm

Oh I loved this one, a really special show. The whole cast is excellent and Susannah Flood's final monologue is quite powerful. Some elements of the plot reminded me of Sound Inside, which I bet is what appealed to Cromer. 

Also all three actors came out the stage door within minutes of the show ending

[lakena2]

Posted: 12/14/24 at 4:34am

The emotional depth in 'The Counter' really stood out to me as well. It's impressive how much impact a small cast can have in such a tight runtime. David Cromer’s direction really shines here!