The Old Friends
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Cititour.com Review
Thwarted love affairs. Family squabbles. Fights about inheritances. These plotlines are staples of the plays of one of the 20th-century’s greatest dramatists, Horton Foote. The Old Friends, Foote’s last full-length play, contains all these ingredients in a stew that contains some mighty delicious acting, but is ultimately somewhat less tasty than the sum of its parts.
We’re back in Hoote’s hometown of Harrison, Texas, where the already delicate balance between rich grande dame Gertrude Ratliff (Betty Buckley) and her newish lover and ex-brother-in-law Howard Ratliff (the very fine Cotter Smith) is thrown for a loop by the arrival of Howard’s former flame Sibyl Borden (Hallie Foote). Sibyl’s return from South America is expected as she’s due back to live in Harrison with her husband Hugo, but when she shows up, she announces Hugo has died suddenly en route.
The news of Hugo’s passing is greeted by sadness by his downtrodden mother, Mamie (Lois Smith), and complete indifference by his avaricious sister Julia (Veanne Cox) and her perpetually angry husband Albert (an effective Adam LeFevre). As for the completely self-absorbed Gertrude, she doesn’t take kindly to Howard’s renewed interest in Sibyl, and does what she can to thwart them from reconnecting.
The work too often feels like the master of small-town Texas life is actually channeling the more flamboyant pieces of Tennessee Williams, rather than staying true to his own, quieter voice, and director Michael Wilson (an expert in both writers’ works) has trouble finding a consistent tone for the two-hour piece.
Nonetheless, the cast is consistently first-rate. Buckley is marvelous, throwing herself into the role of Gertrude with complete abandon and creating a sort of “monster sacre” in the Williams vein. Yet, she also lets us glimpse just enough of her character’s vulnerability to see that even Gertrude knows all her money can’t buy Howard’s love. Cox, one of New York’s great treasures, is divine as the often-bitchy if clearly unhappy Julia, who enters into an ill-considered tryst with young stud Tom Underwood (the handsome Sean Lyons). Stage veteran Smith is a bit underused as Mamie, but has some truly memorable moments. And as has long been the case, Hallie Foote proves to be the ideal interpreter of her late father’s work, providing Sibyl with a quiet yet firm backbone.
The show’s title, which is repeated throughout the play by Gertrude and Julia, is clearly ironic. With friends like these vipers, who needs enemies?
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://www.signaturetheatre.org
Cast
Betty Buckley, Veanne Cox, Adam LeFevre, Hallie Foote, Sean Lyons, Novella Nelson, Melle Powers, Cotter Smith, Lois Smith
Open/Close Dates
Opening 8/20/2013
Closing 10/20/2013
Box Office
212-244-7529
Theatre Info
Pershing Square Signature Center
480 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
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