Long Lost
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Cititour.com Review
Donald Margulies has long proved himself a master of the “pas de quatre” (“Dinner with Friends,” “Time Stands Still”), so it’s disappointing to report that his latest effort, “Long Lost,” now at Manhattan Theatre Club at New York City Center, ends up so jarringly out-of-tune. While Margulies is to be commended for adding a new element to his most successful formula – specifically, the lower-class Billy (a superb Lee Tergesen), who wreaks havoc on the life of his now-wealthy brother David (a too-understated Kelly AuCoin) -- the result ultimately resembles a derivative and rather unconvincing variation on Sam Shepard’s “True West.”
From the second Billy arrives on the scene, David – and by extension, the audience – immediately question his motives. He’s been estranged from his younger sibling for about a decade after he accidentally caused the family’s Indiana farmhouse to burn down, thereby killing their parents. So why the sudden return? Is he really seeking a mere reconciliation? A hefty payout? A chance to usurp David’s stunning Manhattan apartment (another masterful design by John Lee Beatty), as well as his beautiful if uptight wife Molly (a very effective Annie Parisse) and college-aged son Jeremy (an excellent, completely convincing Alex Wolff)?
Or is Billy merely seeking revenge for what he sees as his own mistreatment from his brother, who has left him to his own devices (minus the occasional wired payment) for so many years. Margulies raises each of these questions – and a couple of others – in rather short order, and Tergesen brings an indelible mixture of charm, unpredictability and anger to the character (all too reminiscent of Lee in “True West”) that admittedly makes each of the possibilities plausible
But the play doesn’t cohere because Billy never acts altogether consistently or even realistically. If you’re trying your charm your way into a well-ordered family, would you immediately start smoking weed, down a six-pack of beer and blast the TV in the middle of the night, especially knowing how each of these actions would trigger Molly’s short fuse? And does he really think buying them a box of coffee and Dunkin’ Donuts will make everything better?
Further, the series of heartfelt exchanges Margulies has penned between Billy and David, Billy and Molly (who have a more complex past than one is led to believe), and even David and Molly all sound like standard TV-movie dialogue. And we can “see” the cracks in David and Molly’s relationship all too clearly long before Billy (purposefully) causes them to become earthquake-sized.
In reality, the most affecting parts of “Long Lost” are the two lengthy conversations between Billy and Jeremy, in which Daniel Sullivan’s direction becomes the most assured. We watch with pity as Billy realizes he’s had next-to-no chance to bond with the nephew he seemingly adored during his childhood and that Jeremy’s memory of those early days have almost magically been erased. Moreover, the picture in his head of Billy is mostly the one his parents have painted him: as the “black sheep” of the family. Now, entering adulthood, Jeremy slowly comes to realizes he can make his own opinions – both about Billy’s behavior and his parents’ – and his transformation is subtle and quite touching. The chance to explore this pair’s connection even more fully is the real lost opportunity of “Long Lost.”
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
https://manhattantheatreclub.com/
Cast
Kelly AuCoin, Annie Parisse, Lee Tergesen, and Alex Wolff
Open/Close Dates
Opening 6/4/2019
Closing 6/30/2019
Theatre Info
New York City Center
131 W. 55th Street
New York, NY 10019
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