It’s Only a Play – Or is it Something More

Dec 9, 2021 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Sue Weston and Susie Rosenbluth – Two Sues on the Aisle

The show must go on! This is the underlying theme of Terrence McNally’s comedy It’s Only A Play which pokes fun at the theater industry. What better way for The George Street Playhouse to reopen in-person theater than with a tribute to this Tony Award-winning playwright who died of COVID in 2020. So, come back to the theater, laugh out loud, or at least snicker as a seven-person cast, each a caricature of the best and worst qualities of the theater industry, shares the drama of opening-night. The show, sponsored by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, is scheduled to run until December 19^th reminds us of the good, the bad, and the funny of the theater industry.

In the Bedroom

The performance unfolds in the bedroom suite of wealthy investor turned first-time producer Julia Budder (a picture-perfect performance by Lindsay Nicole Chambers) while the after-party rages downstairs. The suite becomes a gathering place for those closest to the production, wandering in and out of the suite as they impatiently await opening-night reviews. There is the insecure playwright, Peter Austin (played by Patrick Richwood, adorned in a top hat and tux with tales), and his friend James Wicker, who passed on the show for a sitcom in LA (the dashing Dough Harris). The leading lady, Virginia Noyes (flamboyant Kristine Nielsen) carries a drug store in her purse and wears an ankle bracelet that goes off at inopportune times.

The production of The Golden Egg is avant-garde, performed on a tilted disk, conceived by Director Sir Frank Finger, a frustrated protégée who desperately wants a flop (Greg Cuellar).  Add to the mix Gus, a just-arrived-to-NY aspiring actor working as the coat-check (Doug Harris), and Ira Drew (Triney Sandoval) critic, whose vicious reviews cut deep, and let the sparks fly. We witness the fickle yet fragile nature of Broadway. It transforms the performers from narcist ego-driven to co-dependent needy, from friends to back-stabbers and back again.

It’s Only a Play is a satire of Broadway

Who better to share the story than Terence McNally, winner of four Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize? McNally has been the playwright or librettist for many hit plays and musicals including Ragtime, The Full Monty, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Anastasia, and Master Class. He knows the business and has earned the right to make fun of it.  Broadway is dominated by revivals, shows based on Disney, based on stars, jukebox-musicals, and British imports. It is missing American creativity, ingenuity, and original works. He makes fun of the influence of critics, whose opinion can make or break an actor, or a show. The astronomical cost of producing a Broadway show, which plagues flops and hits alike, and places creativity behind profits. Lastly, he spotlights the draw and power of stardom, which creates starry-eyed fans, and jealousy within the industry, naming the celebrities attending the opening-night party, including Liza Minnelli, Hillary Clinton, Rosie O’Donnell, and the cast of The Lion King.  Actors live for the applause, their need for external approval is core to their personality, insecurity, and the thrill of live theater.

An Entertaining Evening Out

Throughout the performance, the dialogue flowed, although the show was long, about 2 hours and 20 minutes (including a 15-minute intermission), it was engaging. The cast clicked, bringing the lines to life, in an improbable yet believable sequence of events.  Playwright writes a play for his friend to star in, his friend takes another opportunity but comes to opening night hoping to see the show fail due to an inexperienced producer, a flamboyant director, and second rate-actors. And yet, when they received negative reviews, they placed their differences aside banding together to find a way to keep the marquee lights on because the show must go on.

The George Street Playhouse provides a safe, and cozy venue by requiring all individuals attending to show proof of vaccination or a Negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance date and a picture ID before entering the building. Face masks were required to be worn throughout the performance. This was my first in-person show, I had initial trepidation about being indoors, but my fears quickly faded. The theater was well ventilated, seating was nicely spaced, and patrons followed the rules.

Beat the winter blues and experience live theater again at George Street Playhouse. Discover the intimacy of New Jersey theater, great acting without having to travel to New York City. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased online at www.georgestreetplayhouse.org.  Enjoy the light-hearted revival of It’s Only A Play. 

 

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs it pays to buy (rather than make) in order to see the play, show, film, or exhibit being reviewed. 5 Challahs is our highest rating.

The George Street Playhouse performance of It’s Only A Play received a 3 challah rating