A funny thing happened when we met our new neighors

Terminal illness is seldom a punchline.

Except in Will Eno's new drama, "The Realistic Joneses," at the Lyceum Theatre through July 6th, where it is. "The Realistic Joneses," is the playwright's Broadway debut, and it features a starry cast.

This very funny drama has a very funky plot. The Joneses, John (Michael C. Hall) and Pony (Marisa Tomei) have moved in down the block from Jennifer (Toni Collette) and Bob (Tracy Letts) Jones. The new neighborrs drop in on a beautiful quiet night. Over the course of several encounters around town, it is clear that John is suffering from the same uncommon genetic disease that Bob has.

Michael C. Hall and Marisa Tomei as the new neighbors, John and Pony.
Photo by Joan Marcus.

If Eno has a point, it is buried in the diurnal rhythms of his play. Yes, despite its outlandishness, life in "The Realistic Joneses" seems very normal. A thin-- more like a whisper of a-- story doesn't suggest much but an opportunity for crackling good talk and a slice of real life ordinariness.

Toni Collette, Michael C. Hall, and Tracy Letts as Jennifer,
 John and Bob. Photo by Joan Marcus.

All the revelatons in "The Realistic Joneses" come with terrifically snappy dialogue, delivered with a suave ease by an expert cast. Sam Gold's direction keeps the scenes moving, and the sparkling wit flowing. Michael C. Hall's quip-cracking John is expecially wonderful-- maybe because he has all the best lines. Tracy Letts, the 2013 Tony Award recipient for Best Actor, is also especillay wry in his deliveries.The women of the quartet in "The Realistic Joneses" are natural and comfortable in the strange circumstances of the play.

"The Realistic Joneses" is a most entertaining and amusing tragedy you are ever likely to see.

For more information on "The Realistic Joneses," visit http://www.therealisticjoneses.com.

Love survives in " Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virgiinia Woolf"

It's a familiar scenario. Sometimes ringside seats come with that invitation to meet the senior
faculty.  

George (Tracy Letts) and Martha  (Amy Morton) are at it again in “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” in a fiftieth anniversary revival through February 24th   at the Booth Theatre. Theirs is a combative love story.

Tracy Letts as George, Carrie Coon as Honey, Amy Morton as Martha being subdued by Madison Dirks as Nick and  in “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? “ Photos by Michael Brosilow.

George and Martha duke it out in a battle royale over the course of one long and boozy night while Honey (Carrie Coon) and Nick (Madison Dirks) watch sometimes helplessly, sometimes actively. At first both Nick and Honey seem to be victims of the whirlwind that is Martha. While Honey seems oblivious, but Nick is an avid participant in the kind of games academics and battling marrieds play. 

"I would divorce you," Martha tells George, 'if you existed." Their huffing and puffing definitely blows this house down.  This is an epic production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."

 

Tracy Letts as George, Amy Morton as Martha and Madison Dirks as Nick and Carrie Coon as Honey in “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? “ Photos by Michael Brosilow.

Edward Albee, whose plays have won him a great deal of recognition-- several Pulitzer, a couple of Tonys and one for Lifetime Achievement in The Theatre in 2005,--   has brought recriminations and vituperation to the level of art in  “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”.

In its inaugural production in 1962, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” won the Tony Award. This season, “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” on Broadway  by way of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company and directed by Pam MacKinnon, is on pace to once again grab some prizes.



For a more extended review of “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” see http://www.vevlynspen.com/2012/11/edward-albees-whos-afraid-of-virginia.html

To find out more about “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” visit http://virginiawoolfbroadway.com