Thoughts on SOME AMERICANS ABROAD

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 10:11pm

Overall, a tremendously sloppy production that is highlighted by the wonderful performance of Tom Cavenaugh.

2nd Stage's description is totally off - the play doesn't revolve around "a group of partying college students on a literary trip of London," it revolves around their pretentious professors - Tom Cavenaugh (as the chair of the English dept.), Corey Stoll (the professor who's accused midway thru the second act of fondling a student), Enid Graham (who's sleeping with him) and Anthony Rapp (the professor who comes on the trip as the last resort to save his job).

Richard Nelson's play is very, very wordy but at much of the time very funny that it's unfortunate that Gordon Edelstein's production is so claustrophobic (moving all the furniture to the rear of the stage), boring, and miscast.

The only one who truly breathes academia are Tom Cavenaugh who, shockingly, is doing some of his finest work, and Enid Graham. I didn't buy Anthony Rapp or Emily Bergl (who plays his wife) for a second; Corey Stoll is much too much of a brute.

So there you have it.

[AntonEgo]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 11:06pm

I agree with you on most counts. I too was not expecting the show I got from the description on the website. Not that I didn't like the plot I ended up getting, but I was surprised at how misleading the summary was, especially since only two students are shown.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hated the way they kept moving all the furniture to the back. What was that about?

I loved Tom Cavenaugh, especially since he replaced another actor at the last minute. I didn't have a problem with Anthony Rapp or Emily Bergl, but they didn't wow me.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/19/08 at 11:13pm

Who'd he replace?

[EugLoven]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 2:53am

I saw it tonight and walked away remembering only one thing: Halley Feiffer.

She is a complete scene-stealer (in the best possible way) and fantastically funny. I'd previously seen her in None of the Above and enjoyed each of her short moments in an otherwise all-around drab production of Some Americans Abroad. Updated On: 7/20/08 at 02:53 AM

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 2:56am

My friend saw it last week and really liked it. And he did say that the description of the play was not quite correct as Yankeefan pointed out.

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 2:59am

Are you implying that Yankeefan has terrible breath?
Updated On: 7/20/08 at 02:59 AM

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 3:02am

He's looking to see if the culprit is on BWW.

I only saw the first act of Some Americans Abroad. I thought the characters were obnoxious but that's not why I left. I was really hungry. If I get a chance, I will consider going back to catch the play to its entirety.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 8:07am

No, I was there yesterday afternoon.

And I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed Halley Feiffer, as well.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 8/5/08 at 9:03am

Saw it this weekend and found it terribly boring and only occasionally funny. The "not telling him" was not tension-filled, it was just agonizing.

I actually had a small family emergency and had to leave after the accusation of fondling scene. Could someone tell me (or PM me) how the last few scenes end? I have mild curiosity but can't find the synopsis online.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/5/08 at 9:42am

Not much else happens. At all. The trip ends, they debate high politics and theater together, everyone else finds out that two of the professors are sleeping together, they debate who pays the bill.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/5/08 at 9:56am

I saw it just before the run ended. I thought the actors turned in fine work, especially given the dreary directorial choices made. Cavanagh and Feiffer were standouts, yes, but I thought the others did perfectly well. The play itself is just dull as hell on paper, and the director certainly didn't do much to enliven the proceedings. I just don't understand why Second Stage even bothered to revive this play. I hope Cavanagh sticks around New York and does some more theatre here, because he's really great on stage.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 8/5/08 at 12:52pm

Did anyone notice all the eating in this show? I don't think I've ever seen so much actual eating on stage. And it was all this messy food. Yet another horrible directorial choice.

That being said, I really do like the show itself, I just think the director made some horrible choices.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 12:48am

Boring, petty people doing boring, petty things. Dreary is about the best one can say.

As mentioned above, the furniture for each little scene keeps being shunted to the back of the stage until you are looking at what seems to be a garage sale. According to a friend who saw the original production, the solution originally was to have all the chairs, tables, etc. come in from the flys, and rise back to the heavens when no longer needed.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 8:16am

Add me to the camp that doesn't understand the praise for Tom Cavanagh's performance. From the third row he was largely inaudible and seemed to rush through most of his lines. There was nothing academic in his manner. Enid Graham and Emily Bergl did the best they could with seriously underwritten roles; Kate Burton must have done something remarkable in the original production to have garnered a Tony nomination for playing Betty, as I don't remember the character having more than five minutes of substantial stage time.

Loved Halley Feiffer--one of the brightest young talents in New York.

[cactusb]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 2:35pm

I too was greatly disappointed (going into it based on the synopsis given by 2nd stage).

I thought it was a complete waste for Fiona Dourif and Todd Weeks. Why even bother casting those two roles?

I do think Cristin Miloti had a stand out performance.