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My Old Lady reviewed by Elyse Sommer
My own reaction to the play bears out Laura Hitchcok's prediction in the review of the Los Angeles production (see below) that My Old Lady will inspire arguments about the pros and cons of the the playwright's choices. On the pro side, there's the old-fashioned structure of ten scenes, each ending in a little climax which, much predictability notwithstanding, propels the story from to the next episode in a week of watching the fallout of parental sins visited on their children. To go with the old world sensibility of the play Horovitz has written dialogue of shifting moods that rove deliciously over a range of topics -- including the less than endearing side of Paris during World War II. These conversations are never talky and help to establish the personalities of the characters. The women's accents are so authentically French that you tend not to nitpick about their occasionally dropping these accents when alone together. Friedman is right on the mark as the angry American who has interrupted their hushed bookish lives and learned that, true to what he calls his "loser virus, " he has inherited a valuable apartment with unexpected strings attached. (Some New Yorkers who have bought occupied co-ops, will recognize the French real estate practice of viager in which an apartment is bought at a low price with the understanding that the new owner can't occupy it until the existing occupant dies -- in fact the owner is responsible for the maintenance fees). The acting and staging took me to the intermission without feeling any need to remark on the con aspects of My Old Lady. But the second act has more difficult to overlook flaws, such as Chloé's abrupt change of heart about Mathias and the final soap-operatic push for the climax to top all those end of scene climaxes. Still, these actors manage to make even the overcooked aspects of the script theatrically satisfying: Friedman rescuing a drunk scene from coming off as maudlin; Mathilde's bourgeois practicality giving a semblance of believability to her savoire faire attitude towards one of our remaining taboos; Ms. Maxwell so moving in her turnaround scene that she almost convinced me it was possible. Mr. Beatty's gorgeous set is strikingly lit by Peter Kaczorowski, the only new member of the superb design team. Mathilde and Chloéand Mathias may not be the most unforgettable characters ever put on stage, but as played by Phillips, Maxwell and Friedman, and in this feast-for-the-eyes staging, they're sure fun to watch. In a town like New York where real estate often dominates conversations, this real estate triggered tale has a built-in audience. -- Elyse Sommer MY OLD LADY By Israel Horovitz Directed by David Esbjornson Siân Phillips (Mathilde Giffard), Peter Friedman (Mathias Gold) and Jan Maxwell (Chloé Giffard) Sets: John Lee Beatty Costumes: by Elizabeth Hope Clancy Lighting: Peter Kaczorowski (Scott Zielinski in LA) Original music: Peter Golub Sound: Jon Gottlieb and Matthew Burton Make-Up Design: Angelina AvalloneRunning Time: 2 hours plus one 15 minute intermission. Promenade Theater, 2162 Broadway ( at West 76th Street) From 9/12/02; opening 10/03/02.Tue-Fri @8PM, Sat @2PM & 8PM, Sun @3PM &7PM -- $60. |