The End of Longing
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Cititour.com Review
Since first-time writers are usually advised to tackle subjects they know, it’s less-than-shocking that former “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s playwriting debut, “The End of Longing,” now being presented by MCC Theater at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, is chock-full of witty sitcom banter and deadly truths about alcoholism (an addiction which Perry suffered from for many years). That these polar opposites sit somewhat uneasily within the same 100-minute piece should be equally unsurprising.
The work, directed with a certain flatness by Lindsay Posner, focuses on four interconnected people, who quickly become two very different couples. There’s the mostly obnoxious, constantly drunk and defiantly alcoholic Jack (convincingly played by Perry), who falls for Stephanie (the charismatic Jennifer Morrison), who covers her emotional emptiness by making a living as a very high-priced escort.
And then there is the pair’s respective (if improbable) best friends, the neurotic, drug-popping Stevie (a frequently hilarious Sue-Jean Kim) and the big-hearted, not-too-bright construction worker Jeffrey (a very appealing Quincy Dunn-Baker), whose casual relationship turns serious after Stevie becomes pregnant.
Perry clearly wants us to forget Chandler Bing (there’s not even a mention of “Friends” in his Playbill bio) -- and there’s no denying he’s aged quite a bit (and put on some weight) since that show’s heyday – but there are still noticeable traces of his TV alter-ego in his sharp, sarcastic delivery. Nonetheless, he proves to have some considerable dramatic chops as well, especially in the scenes that show the horrifying physical and emotional toll that 20 years of alcohol abuse has taken on Jack.
Unfortunately, and this is where the play truly falls short of its goal, Perry (as both writer and star) can’t really make us believe that Stephanie, who has fought even longer to maintain emotional control, would want to forge a serious relationship with Jack. No wonder Morrison is at her best when she’s angry with Jack (and perhaps herself), but the popular actress lacks some much-needed conviction in the pair’s more tender scenes.
While Perry may be the true marquee name, the show’s biggest star turns out to be Derek McLane’s brilliant set, a constantly rotating wall that employs hundreds of bottles for dramatic effect. (By some feat of stage magic, behind and in front of this wall, we end up at various times in a swanky L.A. bar, both women’s bedrooms, a hospital room, a pharmacy, and a locker room.)
The bottles, by the way, are completely empty. The play, even at its best, is half-full.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://www.mcctheater.org/shows/16-17_season/the-end-of-longing/index.html
Cast
Matthew Perry, Jennifer Morrison, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Sue Jean Kim
Open/Close Dates
Opening 5/18/2017
Closing 7/1/2017
Box Office
866-811-4111
Theatre Info
Lucille Lortel Theatre
121 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
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