Stage Kiss
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Cititour.com Review
In the uncertain world of New York theater, two sure bets have emerged in recent years: Sarah Ruhl’s plays will leave you admiring her audacity and original voice (whether you love or hate the actual work) and Jessica Hecht will deliver a performance – comic, tragic, or both – that will stay in your mind days after you see it. Both women more than live up to these expectations with the New York premiere of “Stage Kiss” at Playwrights Horizons.
A comic valentine-cum-satire to the world of theater, as well as a somewhat melancholic meditation on romance, “Stage Kiss” may prove to be Ruhl’s most crowd-pleasing play, especially given Rebecca Taichman’s heightened direction of the show’s most mirthful scenes. Still, it’s a rather messy one, with sharp tonal shifts, often unbelievable situations, and a couple of too-broad characters.
Fortunately, Hecht grounds the proceedings expertly with her multi-layered portrayal of an actress (simply called “She”) who returns to the stage after a decade-long absence by landing the leading role in a Connecticut production of a flop 1930s melodrama called “One Last Kiss”. On the first day of rehearsal, she discovers her leading man is her estranged former lover (played with suitable intensity by “Nurse Jackie” star Dominic Fumusa), and life soon imitates art as their intimate scenes and constant proximity help cause them to rekindle their relationship.
Despite what we learn is the couple’s tumultuous, often violent past, “She” decides to leave her seemingly milquetoast husband (Daniel Jenkins) and angry, foul-mouthed teenaged daughter (Emma Galvin) when the pair are offered the chance to star in a new play in Detroit -- written and helmed by their former director (Patrick Kerr), who proves to be shockingly inept in both capacities. But during rehearsals of this absurd work (in which he plays an IRA terrorist and she portrays the whore he briefly hooks up with), “She” begins to reconsider her decision to change her life.
Even when called on to utter the most inane dialogue – and the writing of “One Last Kiss” is actually even more awful than I think Ruhl intended – Hecht finds just the right intonation. And during Ruhl’s best scenes, when she and Fumusa revisit their former lives, Hecht can be tough, tender, and even heartbreaking. (While the entire supporting cast is fine, only Michael Cyril Creighton, in a hilarious turn as Hecht’s gay, nerdy co-star, can steal the spotlight.)
Whether all audiences will fall in love with “Stage Kiss” is up for debate, but it’s hard to imagine any viewer not wanting to embrace Hecht’s superb performance.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/plays/stage-kiss
Cast
Todd Almond, Clea Alsip, Michael Cyril Creighton, Dominic Fumusa, Emma Galvin, Jessica Hecht, Daniel Jenkins, Patrick Kerr
Open/Close Dates
Opening 2/7/2014
Closing 4/6/2014
Box Office
212-279-4200
Theatre Info
Playwrights Horizons
416 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
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