"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" Boston Reviews

Positive? I didn't find either one to be positive.

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This is really too bad - this is a role I can really see Turner sinking her teeth into and having a huge comeback. I'll be very disappointed if she doesn't step it up.

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Well I wasn't talking about Turner specifically...I was talking about the production as a whole. He's not so nice to Turner. But as to the whole production:

"Director Anthony Page's production is particularly good at capturing the comedy of the play."

I think it's fairly positive to all the actors, save Turner. I still think she's amazing and I tend to not always sway with the critics. I'm just supporting her. It may not be a rave...but it is a pretty good review.

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Updated On: 2/18/05 at 12:36 PM

Both Ashley and Ruehl did the role a few years ago, but Albee wouldn't approve either for Broadway (he never spelled out why). He's been looking to get WOOLF back to Broadway for well over a decade and Turner is the first actress he's thought had the right qualities to play Martha.

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She does have the right qualities. I'm about to board a Greyhound up to Boston to kick some KT ass. If she screws up this trip to Comeback City that's been handed to her on a silver platter, I'm gonna be REALLY pissed.

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Albee has rarely ever been satisfied with any production of this play. It is possible that should the production meet his standards, they could not be to the critics' tastes.

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Can't wait to see VW in NYC this April!!!!!
Bill Irwin was super in The Goat or Who Is Sylvia?
Is VW a 30s mmmmusical starring little miss alice faye??? lol

Beyond the Forest.

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Will Parker, Ashley was riveting as Martha and her costar Frank Converse was not shabby at all.....I recall seeing the performance the night when we learned that Bill Cosby's son had been murdered.

After her second curtain call, Ms. Ashley hushed the audience and spoke briefly about her love for Bill Cosby and said she had spoken to him about an hour before showtime when she learned of Mr. Cosby's tragedy. She told us that she asked Bill Cosby if there was anything she could do for him. Ms. Ashley told us that Mr. Cosby replied to her, "Yeah, go out there and give the performance of your life tonight!"

That she did.

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Um, I don't see either of these reviews as positive.

Ok, I actually saw this show last Friday, on its second night. Overall, it was rough around the edges, but the potential to be great. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed both Irwin and Turner's performance. Irwin however, seemed to be more comfortable in his character and with his performance, which was absolutely brillant. Speaking only for the night I attended, it seemed that a good portion of the audience didn't understand a number of the humourous lines. The woman next to me kept complaining to her husband that she didn't get what was going on. I think a few people may have heard it was an up and coming show and so went, without any understanding of or appreciation for Albee's writing. In closing, while both of the reviews had valid points, I would disagree about Turner's performance (especially in the third act) and highly reccomend this play to any one who can see it.

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I'm really hoping that you're right. I generally don't listen to critics--esp. boston and ny critics--because more often than not, I don't agree with what they have to say. I greatly enjoyed Kathleen Turner in "The Graduate" which I saw both in London and in New York. The reason critics trashed that show was b/c it had $5 million in advanced ticket sales and b/c they knew that their reviews wouldn't get people's asses into the seats. They resented the fact that it did so well. They also pretty unfaily used the successful and iconic film against the production (which I fear they may do w/ VW as well). I also find that "professional" critics are very unfair when KT is concerned. Back in '95 they praised everyone in "Indescretions" except KT--which ultimately resulted in she being the only one in the five person cast NOT nominated for a TONY. And while her one-woman show, "Tallulah" did have some flaws, she was fantastic. I think she's a great actress and deserves better. Besides, the fact that Albee personally chose Kathleen after searching for five years says a great deal.

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