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#26

The Assembled Parties

Posted: 4/1/13 at 11:14am

Thank you, Someone in a Tree2! I guess what I confuses me is...

**SPOILERS**

What was Mort's motivation for blackmailing Ben to get the necklace? Was he doing this for the love of his wife? Or did he have more sinister intentions?

#27

The Assembled Parties

Posted: 4/3/13 at 10:21pm

I'll chime in here—albeit with a dissenting opinion. I'll echo that the performances of the leading trio were (quite unsurprisingly) very strong. And of course, the set was lovely.

But I thought the script was just one great confusing mess. Did I miss most of the plot points? Surely I was paying attention, but couldn't help feeling lost or uninterested when the curtain fell on Act I. I really had no idea where the plot stood, what was moving the story forward or why I just spent the last hour and twenty minutes watching these people. Act II was notably better—perhaps because things actually feigned to happen, and there was suddenly some level of urgency—yet I felt no appreciation when the loose ends from the first act were tied up. A flimsy set-up for a plot means a level of indifference for how that plot resolves.

It sounds like many on this thread will disagree, but those are my thoughts and surely we're all entitled to them. And of course, I'll reiterate that the leading actors deserve praise. Best wishes to Hecht (worlds better than the nightmare that was HARVEY), Light (the obvious standout) and Shamos (who lacked a major 'moment' but is always a joy to watch).

#28

The Assembled Parties

Posted: 4/3/13 at 10:25pm

J52, I had the exact same question! Was it just that Mort disliked his inlaws so much that Fay was the lesser of two evils? They made it quite clear that he and Fay never actually loved each other, so its not like he did it out of passion for her. Could it have been to get back at Ben for knowing things about Mort's past, so with the Polaroids and blackmail for an important family heirloom he was putting the ball in his own court? Would love to hear peoples thoughts on this.

Otherwise, I thought the show was not without flaws, but overall was a beautiful piece of original theater with some stellar performances and a cool design.

#29

The Assembled Parties

Posted: 4/4/13 at 12:11am

SPOILERS

I think one of the play's many ironies is that, just when Faye is describing Mort's lack of lovability and his inability to make "a grand gesture or even a small gesture," Mort is in the next room making a hugely grand gesture for her.

At a minimum, Mort was aware of the terrible, ongoing pain his wife felt due to her estrangement from her mother; and through the blackmail regarding the necklace Mort successfully alleviated that pain by causing Faye to (mistakenly) believe that mom died thinking well of her and loving her.

However, for the ruse to be successful, Mort can never tell Faye about it. So, Faye never knows just how caring, and perhaps even loving, Mort was toward her on at least one extremely important occasion.

#30

The Assembled Parties

Posted: 4/16/13 at 3:57pm

Seeing this tonight so I thought I would read what the board thought...but almost all of these posts have spoilers :-/

In any event...looking forward to it! I'll have to return to this thread and enjoy the lively spoiler discussion then.

#31

The Assembled Parties

Posted: 4/16/13 at 3:59pm

I hope you like it! I haven't stopped thinking about it for weeks.

#32

The Assembled Parties

Posted: 4/17/13 at 7:46pm

I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. It has some great funny lines but I just thought the play meandered and couldn't decide who the protagonist was or even what it was trying to say. I kind of cared because of the marvelous performances of Judith Light, Jessica Hecht and Jeremy Shamos -- but then I kind of didn't. As was said on here, the story was kind of convoluted. I got that Scotty died of a blood tranfusion . Now as someone mentioned here if the
transfusion story was a cover up for him being gay..... now that's a play worth writing. That play did not get written. Too bad. To me between this and Breakfast at Tiffany's ..Greenberg is 0 for 2. Vanya and Spike has nothing to worry about.

#33

The Assembled Parties

Posted: 4/18/13 at 11:34am

Why does there have to be a protagonist? Real life doesn't have a protagonist (except, of course, that everyone sees themselves as the protagonist of their own story). I saw this play as a window into this family on two occasions, 20 years apart, so the fact that there was no protagonist didn't bother me.

That is just an odd criticism to me. "I didn't like the play because there was no single protagonist." Okay...?

I loved the play. It reminded me of going to visit my dad's Jewish relatives in the Bronx when I was little. I think the performances elevated the play itself, but overall, I loved the production.

Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters. ~ Wicked
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent

"He's a tramp, but I love him."

#34

The Assembled Parties

Posted: 5/23/13 at 4:20pm

I saw this yesterday and can't say that I loved it either. I really wanted to but I just kinda liked it. Very meh.

I personally thought that Act 1 had a lot more going for it because all of the interactions between the characters. Act 2 was very dour in comparison. I'm not saying that both acts have to be a romp but I was bored at just listening to those four go on and on. I was definitely paying attention but didn't pick up on everything just like it seems others didn't either. For me I think the discussion going on shouldn't be just about wtf happened because it's not totally clear. If Scotty were gay then I totally didn't pick up on that but it would definitely have made for a more interesting story. I saw the ***SPOILER*** Scotty dying and that actor playing the older Timmy in Act 2 coming from a mile away (and I didn't read it in the Playbill).***END SPOILER***

The performances of the trio were amazing but I had a HUGE problem with Scotty/Timmy. It seemed like in the beginning that older Timmy was a little "special" but then he started using all these big words which honestly didn't ring true to the character. Shelley was one of the highlights for me (maybe because the actress reminded me so much of Kristen Schaal) and missed her in Act 2. I honestly don't even know why she was in the play to begin with.

The set was amazing although I didn't quite get the change in Act 2. Becoming so static and not really matching the layout of the apt in Act 1 was bothersome to a point.

My thoughts seem a little scattered but I think that's ultimately because I don't have much of an opinion about the play other than it was OK.

"Pardon my prior Mcfee slip. I know how to spell her name. I just don't know how to type it." -Talulah

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