rOcKS @ 'The American Plan'

I caught the show yesterday afternoon and I enjoyed it. It's not perfect (I didn't find Brantley's rave justified in any aspect of the play besides the acting and the design elements) but it's very interesting and one of Greenberg's strongest works in a while (it at least got the bad taste out of my mouth from his atrocious new book for PAL JOEY).

I didn't really mind the plot twist that is proving to be so divisive. I thought it made sense, progressed the story, gave more depth to the plot, and wasn't gimmicky or "tacked on" at all. The first act is pretty fantastic and the second act gets off to a great start but I really wasn't a fan of the final scene that takes place ten years later. It just felt like more of a "tack-on" than anything else and wasn't really well-written and didn't feel as believable as the rest of the play had. I know this isn't the first production of THE AMERICAN PLAN but it's the first that I've seen and also the first Broadway mounting, hence my critique of the material itself.

Anyway, the best aspect of the show by far is the acting. Across the board the acting is very solid with two (not one but two) tour de forces. One from the incomparable Mercedes Reuhl and the other from Lily Rabe. Both are just brilliant and I hope at least one of them is remembered come Tony time. They both blew me away.

I loved the design elements (simple, elegant, and innovative all at the same time) and again I hope they are recognized come nomination time. I thought the direction was passable enough and suited the material but again wasn't anything brilliant.

Basically, I liked the show. I wasn't raving about it as I left but I felt satisfied. I'm just so tired of feeling satisfied enough and not jumping out of my seat in excitement. Nothing is sparking that excitement in me lately (save BILLY ELLIOT, which was fantastic but makes me wonder if it was fantastic because everything else has been kinda just somewhere on the spectrum between terrible and good enough or because it was actually fantastic).

"Fantastic" is what Broadway desperately needs now and THE AMERICAN PLAN at least delivers on one front; the performances.

*** out of ****

Updated On: 3/2/09 at 10:08 AM

I agree with much of what you say...especially the last scene. But I think that's why I ultimately felt UNsatisfied. I wanted more from the ending.

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I wouldn't think so...she has just as much (if not more) stage time as did Mercedes.

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I believe that the Tony commitee has already ruled that both Rabe and Reuhl will be considered featured.

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Saw it this evening.

I liked it. The production really shimmered, the same way Grindley's PYGMALEON shimmered. It's a well-thought-out, intelligent staging of a solid (though not excellent) script. Of course, Grindley does have a few pitfalls here and there: not enough seats at the table, dropped rings that you can see very clearly though "lost" in the darkness, etc.

Very smartly acted, with two wonderful performances by Mercedes Ruhl and Lily Rabe. My first time seeing Rabe on stage, as she's been absent from every other show she's been in when I saw it. Wonderful performer, reminiscent of a young Mary-Louise Parker. I just wish she wouldn't have delivered every line like a bad Kate Hepburn imitator.