THE HOMECOMING Reviews- Page 3

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/18/07 at 2:44pm

I think this play went right over the heads of the "Word of Mouth" people. I just chuckled when Susan said she left the show and had nothing to discuss about it.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 12/18/07 at 7:57pm

Not only did it go over the heads of the Word of Mouth people - their hair didn't move.

[beyonddizzy31]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 1:47am

How on earth do you leave this show with nothing to talk about?

I truly truly hate the word-of-mouth reviews... Except of course for Audrey. I must've rewound that 10 times, I couldn't stop laughing. Who DOES that??

Reading the NYT review makes me wonder if Brantley has stock in this show... I mean, it's great for them, but yeah, defintely inconsistent with the others.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 1:57am

He looooves the play. He loooooves Raul. He's a gushy fanboy. It all adds up.

[ken8631]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 8:59am

I thought the whole cast was excellent in this play, even if I had no idea why anyone was doing what they were doing. Throughly enjoyed it.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 9:10am

ken8631, did yiu figure out why they were doing what they were doing? I tried to pm you but you aren't accepting them.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 9:57am

I'm going tonight. Hooray!

[ken8631]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 1:59pm

Nope - had no idea why they were doing what they were doing.... I wonder why I don't accept PMs? Maybe its the firewall at work?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 11:06pm

I just got back.

I had some reservations following the run-through, but they are all out the window after seeing it tonight

Everyone go see this play right now.

Updated On: 12/19/07 at 11:06 PM

[keen on kean]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 11:22pm

So glad you enjoyed it, em! I have a sneaky feeling that the cast will only get better and better, especially now with the opening night nerves behind them. My Christmas present to me is going to be a second viewing of this gem, probably early January. Can't stop thinking about it. Hooray for Pinter.

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 11:26pm

Haha, funny you should say that, Emcee... my parents just "surprised" me with my Christmas present. Center second row balcony, 3 o'clock matinee on December 30th.

My mother wants to know if the actors will come out afterwards, even though she "doesn't really care" about seeing Raul. (She isn't fooling me, though).

Updated On: 12/19/07 at 11:26 PM

[misschung]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 11:31pm

hey, that's my birthday! I will be seeing The Little Mermaid that day, lol. Probably The Homecoming sometime that week, though

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/19/07 at 11:44pm

Aw, yay, Perfectly!

I didn't stay long enough tonight to see if everybody did the stage door thing because it was too cold, but I while I was talking to Raúl, I did see Ian McShane pop out as well.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 10:21am

I saw this play yesterday. I knew Raul played a pimp, and a brother and his wife were coming to visit his brothers, but beyond that, I wanted to go in surprised. I am SO glad I didn't read the play before I saw it. Raul was damn near perfect. Perhaps it was because of a matinee or perhaps it was because the house was full of blue hairs, but no one clapped...ever. That drives me crazy. Anyways, very interesting play. I love Pinter even more now than I did before. The thing that I was amazed with was how Raul delivered his lines. I would love to know how close he stayed to his original vision when he first read the script.

And for those of you who stage door, Raul even came out after the matinee which was quite surprising to me. That man is...someone to look up to. Grr, except for the smoking part! He saw people, took one long drag off his ciggy, then flicked it to the ground. Damn him for being hot.

[misschung]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 10:36am

That man is...someone to look up to.

This is why I don't wear heels to stagedoor his shows :-P

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 10:44am

There was no applause until curtain calls last night, either.

Raúl's toned his performance down a ton, and it works so, so much better now, because he's nailing more of that sinister, villainous edge that Lenny has, instead of just being a raving lunatic all the time. I knew he would get it, and I'm really glad to see that for the most part, he has. They've all settled into those roles so much in the past month or so, and they're only going to get better. It's such a great cast, truly all around.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 12/22/07 at 8:53am

The website for this show is fantastic. Now that the photos are up, I may go back for a second view sooner than I thought - like right after Christmas. Eve Best is so complex.

[joshy]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 7:27pm

When are people meant to clap except at curtain calls?


Unless you mean they didn't clap at the end of the first act when the intermission started?

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 1/7/08 at 2:33am

I'm taking a little break from BWW, but I thought I'd pop back in and share my thoughts regarding The Homecoming. I was able to see it last weekend (December 30th, 3 pm matinee) with my parents.

I've read some reviews in which the sentiment is "if this isn't your kind of play, then you may not enjoy it." I couldn't agree more. However, that's not to say it can't be enjoyed, as it just takes some getting used to. With The Homecoming you're left to pick apart the characters and give them backstories, depending on your own preference. (Lenny is probably the best example when it comes to having a backstory. Ever since my dad told me of the NYT review where they call him a "sociopath pimp" I've been having quite some fun imagining what he does in his spare time).

Anyways, on to my review/thoughts (I apologize if it isn't as nicely written as others... it's just a lot to digest).

*************************

THE HOMECOMING

It’s fairly easy to comprehend in the sense that all of the characters are trying to outdo each other in some regard. Max, the father, constantly berates his brother Sam for one reason or another. Teddy, the oldest son, causes tension when he returns to England from America unexpectedly. After living there for nine years, he decides to come home with his lovely wife, Ruth, which instantly sets flares with Lenny , the middle son, (whose “occupation” is a pimp) and Joey, the youngest, an aspiring boxer. By doing this, he sets a greater riff in the family, by letting them know that he is “better than them” because he has a nice family (three sons are mentioned but are at home in the States).

Ruth, one could say, is responsible for much of the tension caused, although it is obvious there has been some atomicity there for quite some time before. Her slinky and savory side seeps out and gets the attention of Lenny (whom she first encounters when he comes into the living room in his pajamas (because he is having trouble falling to sleep). Attraction brews, as he purposely leans over her (not just to get the ashtray, rather to get a good look at her). She dares him to come sit on her lap and “take a nice cool sip” from her water cup. There is ammunition for trouble, and that's what makes the remainder of the play such a devious delight.

To see how each character interacts – the very dynamic of the ensemble – is a wonder to behold. Every actor is on top of their game, particularly Ian McShane as Max. He gives the role a hardened feel (whenever he feels his power is endangered he has his cane out, ready to give anybody who crosses him a lashing). Yet by the end has the audience feeling pity for him; also Raul Esparza, who plays Lenny in such a deliciously naughty way that one finds themself not wanting to like him yet at the same time totally enamored by his anecdotes and personality. His intensity oozes from the stage and is reminiscent of Marlon Brando, circa A Streetcar Named Desire. There is something quite Stanley-esque about the character of Lenny. Perhaps, it is his penchant for unpredictable behavior that makes him terrifying. [Personally, I was afraid during several moments. Particularly when he is telling Ruth of a woman he met whilst waiting underneath an arch. The woman made him a sort of “proposal” and he beat her up. His excuse was that she was diseased so he wouldn’t have any part of dealing with her. When Ruth asks him what made her diseased, he coldly responds, “I decided she was.”] A special mention goes to Eve Best, who controlled the stage with her subtleness as Ruth. By the end, she was the one in charge and the boys – albeit Teddy – were ready to appease her by any means possible. Michael McKean also deserves to be mentioned, as he is simply endearing as Sam. He brings a sort of “realness” amidst the oddness of the family.

Perhaps this “homecoming” isn’t so much a joyous event as it is an examination of human behavior at its most desperate and disastrous. After witnessing such lewdness first hand, one may be surprised to find a little part of what they've just seen in part of their own family, or in the families of people they may know. That, above any sexual undertone, is the most frightening thing of all.

***********************

After the show, I met Raul (got his autograph and picture). Luckily, he was the third one and there wasn't much of a crowd. I was able to talk to him, although it was a bit overwhelming because I didn't know quite what to say at first but managed to quietly tell him, "I just wanted to let you know that you're my hero." He took my arm and thanked me for saying something so thoughtful and nice. (I think I may have stunned him a little bit, though!) My mom then said "You're an inspiration to her!" and he asked if I wanted to be an actor. We talked a little more after that, then my dad shook his hand and we all wished him a happy new year before parting ways.

(He's incredibly lovely. I think everyone should meet him at least once in their lives.)

Updated On: 1/7/08 at 02:33 AM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 1/7/08 at 5:14am

I saw it again Friday night and it's really just getting better and better. There was some kind of electric charge in the audience that really made it good ~ even Raul commented on it at the stage door. He was lovely as were Gareth and Eve. Ian McShane came out but went straight to his car pretty purposefully, so I didn't dare stop him.

But the whole thing is shaping up so nicely. I can't wait to see it again!!

Posted: 1/7/08 at 12:15pm

The show is changing, subtle in some ways & more pronounced in others. I esp. notice that Raul's performance is more energetic & clearly defined. Sullivan is still around, presumably tweaking, so perhaps that explains it.

For those who didn't understand the motivations, I'm not sure Pinter INTENDED us to understand them. I'm not a Pinter fan, so maybe that is why I feel comfortable saying that he usually "sounds likes" someone who says & does things to shock just to be cool & "artsy".

In any case, if anyone is looking for a reason to return, you might go back to see the changes in interpretation.
Updated On: 1/7/08 at 12:15 PM

[Otto2]

Posted: 1/9/08 at 8:31am

For some reason in fifty years of involvement in literature and thirty years of theater-going, I had missed Pinter. Sure lots of great Beckett and enjoyable Mamet and Albee, but Pinter was missing. But here he was easily accessible.

I tend not to read reviews before I go. I feel I can understand a play without help. And I don't like to have a silly influence.

So now I have seen the play and then read the reviews and then read the comments here. What did I find?

Eve Best (I missed her in "Moon") played Ruth like a person who had had a frontal lobotomy. Even her leg-moving scene lacked any sultriness. Esperanza (don't know him. I don't do musicals) seemed to be reading his lines. He couldn't scare anyone. Ian McShane was nowhere near as menacing as he was in Deadwood. The set (which is always praised) and costumes were ordinary.

The net result was a play even more incomprehensible than I suppose it should have been.

Now I read the reviews, and the comments here, and I get a sense of how it should be played. But wasn't. But no one seems to want to say anything bad about anyone. They seem to have gone to a different production than I did.

Maybe the old movie does it close to right. I might give it a try. But I suspect it is unlikely that I will ever see a proper stage production.

As for the reviewers and commentators...er....the emperor has no clothes. The production really is not good.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 8:19pm

It is hard to take your comments very seriously, otto, when you don't even bother to get names right. And Mr. "Esperanza" has been in non-musical productions so give me a break. I liked the movie version of HOMECOMING but I don't think it is the only way this can be played. I had also not seen any prior Pinter, and I found it spell binding. And welcome to the board, I guess.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 8:32pm

keen ~ I'm in your camp. Never been exposed to Pinter before and was spellbound. Perhaps Otto just missed the point?

[beyonddizzy31]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 10:53pm

Heh. "Raul Esperanza" Raul Hope.

That actually caused me to gigglesnort.