iHO Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 4:48am

It's Thursday, May 5, and it's already time to talk about another TONY, boys and girls: Tony Kushner. As we anticipate the opening night performance of his latest, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures, a dynamic family drama studded with politics and American union fervor, playing at the Public Theater.

Michael Greif, who helmed the world premiere of the play at the Guthrie in 2009, also directs the Off-Broadway incarnation of the four-hour work (presented with two intermissions), which began previews March 23 for a run through June 12 in the Newman Theater. The Public and the Signature Theatre co-present the New York bow.

The cast includes Michael Cristofer, Linda Emond, Michael Esper, Steven Spinella, Steven Pasquale, K. Todd Freeman, Hettienne Park, Molly Price, Matt Servitto, Danielle Skraastad and Brenda Wehle. Cristofer, Emond, Esper and Spinella originated their roles in the Guthrie world premiere in 2009.

Here's how The Complete Homosexual's Guide is billed: "In the summer of 2007, Gus Marcantonio, a retired longshoreman and cousin of the late New York Congressman Vito Marcantonio, summons his three adult children to the family’s Brooklyn brownstone - to vote on the question of his committing suicide. The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide… explores revolution, radicalism, marriage, sex, prostitution, politics, real estate, unions of all kinds and debts both unpaid and unpayable."

My best to all involved!

- M

[dexter3]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 10:24am

Gosh I really hope the reviews are positive. I thought the play was such a mastery of the craft of playwriting. The story and structure were tight. The dialogue was smart and organic to the characters. The characters we well drawn and three dimensional. And I was just blown away by the actors. What a cast.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 10:25am

I'm EXTREMELY anxious to see how this fares with the critics.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 10:29am

I really enjoyed this show. The acting was stellar and while the writing was uneven, when it was strong, it was REALLY strong. I still liked it quite a bit. It was a pretty brisk three and a half hours. Break a leg to the cast & crew!

[Ariella]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 12:03pm

I hope the reviews are positive. I think iHo is an absolutely stunning piece of writing and there is not a weak link among the stupendous cast. Fingers crossed!

[Huss417]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 2:00pm

Seeing this on the 15th as part of my subscription. Looking forward to it no matter what the reviews turn out to be. But for their sake, hope they are great reviews. :)

[americanboy99]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 5:00pm

Lord, the Reader Reviews on the NY Times website are SCATHING.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 10:24pm

Hollywood Reporter positivity

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 10:30pm

Typical Brantley wishy-washiness

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 10:35pm

LA Times

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 10:37pm

Variety

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 10:39pm

Associated Press

Updated On: 5/5/11 at 10:39 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/6/11 at 10:13am

Some of those comments are scathing. (Miss Kushner)

[Ariella]

Posted: 5/6/11 at 3:30pm

I'm disappointed in Brantley but unsurprised. Once again he failed to dig deeper into a show to discover why the show works as it does. Of course he's entitled to his opinion, but his job as critic is also to examine what the PLAYWRIGHT is trying to accomplish and assess him by that standard too. Brantley thinks the characters are essentially talking heads for all of Kushner's ideas, but they're more than that. The question he should be asking is, what is the significance of the fact that the characters cannot emote except through complex theories and abstract ideas? Why are they that way? How does it affect their relationships? It's not that Kushner failed to humanize and autonomize his characters - he's a much better playwright than that. Instead, he's intentionally creating people who are limited beyond their intellectualism and who struggle to connect on a human, emotional level.

[walkedthroughmany]

Posted: 5/6/11 at 3:45pm

Ariella, I think those questions are better answered in a college research paper -- not a theatre review.

[Ariella]

Posted: 5/6/11 at 4:51pm

I'm not saying Brantley should have answered them. I'm just saying he should have looked a little deeper and asked himself why the characters behave the way they do instead of just attributing it to Kushner's logorrhea.