Life of Pi--The Most Wondrous Show Broadway Has Seen In a Long Time

By Joseph Cervelli

Anyone who read the novel "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel most likely was very excited when it was turned into a film and an excellent one at that. Yet, as good as that was, the extraordinary stage production with book adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti at the Schoenfeld Theater surpasses it. The expression "nothing like live theater" certainly applies here. I can easily see why the show won the Olivier Award for Best Play and Best Actor (Hiran Abeysekera) who reprises his role here. He alternates the exceptionally demanding role both in an emotional and physical sense with Adi Dixit. I saw Abeysekera who indeed was amazing and Tony worthy.

 

The play which combines realism with fantasy and whimsy (your decision what is real and what is not ) starts out quite sedately. Taking place in a hospital room in Mexico 1978 a nurse comes in speaking Spanish and addressing someone who is not in the bed. Is this where fantasy begins? And then comes in a woman (Kirstin Louie)  from the Canadian Embassy and a man (Daisuke Tsuji)  from the Japanese Ministry of Transport. They want to know how Pi (Abeysekera) who is actually hiding under the bed survived by himself for over one hundred days at sea when the cargo  ship he was on with his family sunk. Pi (a name he gave himself) is a spunky and impish seventeen year old who delights in being both serious and silly. 

His story begins with the run down zoo his family owns in India and their need to escape to Canada because of riots in the streets. Pi is a mischievous lad who decides to get a too close up look at the Bengal tiger which Pi's father has named Richard Parker (you will find out why in this  amusing running joke). He barely escapes. Pi is quite funny as he decides he will adapt several faiths--Muslim, Judaism and Christianity along with Hinduism. There may be a few others thrown in there. The family board the not very conducive cargo ship filled with a crew of undesirables and several animals from the zoo. Now, while this is more than a bit questionable, dispel rationale beliefs and just go with the show for full enjoyment. Pi is an exceptionally bright young  man who delights in discussing philosophical ideas with a family that is more interested in surviving. A storm ensues and the superb lighting by Tim Lutkin, sets and costumes by the always wonderful Tim Hadley along with the ominous sound design by Carolyn Downing makefor a breathtaking experience. But most important are the realistically designed puppets by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell with movement by Caldwell and associate Scarlet Wilderink. 

The ship sinks and all are lost except for a few of the animals which include the organtuan, hyena, zebra and the frightful tiger. You know immediately that the only one of those animals that will survive will be the latter. So, how does Pi not fall to this prey. That is part of the story which is almost lovely in its simplicity. Abeysekera pulls off the very difficult feat of near starvation and dehydration so realistically. His listlessness is incredibly believable as one can imagine. 

There are so many scenes of visual wizardry including one when Pi just into the sea and goes under. And great praise to all the puppeteers too many to mention but each is an expert at what they are able to accomplish. You might, at first, wonder why the hospital bed appears on the boat Pi escapes to but when you give it some thought as my companion and I did it really does make perfectly good sense. 

While visually you will be entranced there is much more here dealing with faith, love and goodness in the way you celebrate each.

Under the brilliantly inventive direction by Max Webster, this is the most wondrous show Broadway has seen in a very long time. 

PHOTOS: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Tickets are available at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre 236 West 45th Street.

Becomes a Woman--One of the Season's Best

     By Joseph Cervelli

It is amazing and sad that Betty Smith's vivid and extremely engaging 1931 play "Becomes a Woman" was never published nor produced. Well, until now that is, thanks to the ever wonderful Mint Theater Company's presentation at City Center Stage ll. 

So many of the Mint productions of shows have not been seen for decades and yet when you now see them are taken back by how apropos they are to today's times. 

The plays starts off in a rather light hearted manner at Kress's Dime Store chain. While the action here take place in Brooklyn the actual Kress's never opened in there. And two of the characters Leonard Kress Sr and Jr. who play prominent roles bear no semblance to the original owner Samuel Henry Kress who remained unmarried. The carefree atmosphere clearly becomes more serious in the next two acts and most definitely had to cause a startling sensation when it was written. 

The lovely first act set by Vicki R. Davis who has provided her craft for many past Mint Productions has a section of the store filled with artificial flowers and another with  a piano along with a counter with mounds of sheet music. When customers come in to purchase the music they can not only hear the song being played by the piano player Florry (Pearl Rhein) but also have a singer there performing what they choose. Not exactly the nicest person with a flippant personality Florry is envious of the younger and more alluring singer nineteen year old Francie Nolan (Emma Pritzer Price.) She is the main reason   so many of the young men enter the store. The petite Francie dressed in a stunning black dress with fringes not only has a lilting voice perfect to sing the songs of the times but is attractive enough to be asked out by many of the male customers. The play takes a rather unflattering view of the male gender. In Smith's eyes most are interested in basically sex and not much else. 

Francie beautifully played by Price (keep an eye open for this exceptionally fine young actor) is not a fool by any means but is a sweet and kind young woman dealing with both male customers who call her "baby" and a family life we are soon to see which is none too happy. She seems very vulnerable and is, but as the title suggests she indeed becomes a woman and learns the hard way how to deal with what happens to her. The other character who plays a more prominent role in the second and third acts is the very likable and kind Tessie (Gina Daniels) who has had misfortune with men herself. 

Without giving too much away, the second act takes place in the slightly rundown home of Francie where she lives with her mother Ma Nolan (Antoinette LaVecchia) totally domineered by her obnoxious police officer husband Pa Nolan (Jeb Brown). He is both verbally and physically abusive to her and soon his behavior towards Francie is abhorrent. Living in the home are her two unlikable brothers played by Tim Webb and Jack Mastrianni (both men play customers in the first act)  who bear the wrath of their vile father. Brown does a good job of show how callous his character is. He could lower the volume because the theater is small so his bombastic voice does become a bit piercing. Also living upstairs as a boarder, is the lovable Tessie who proves what a source of help and inspiration she is to Francie.

It is the third act that is the pivotal moment in the play in which we meet two other characters. Both of whom try to manipulate Francie, but it is here where she lives up to the title of the play. Her subordinate nature can no longer rule her. She knows she needs to be a strong individual for several reasons. 

Britt Berke has directed with such clarity and hard-edged honesty which is what the play intends. 

While the performers are all fine it is indeed the radiant presence of Price whose character goes through a difficult transformation that she becomes the shining star of this production. 

The play concentrates on the inner strength and fortitude to get thought difficult times with the help of even one or two good friends to get you through. It may not be family at all but friends who reach out and help to make you survive what feels like insurmountable difficulties.  And besides that you need your own inner determination which Francie is ingrained with. 

Bravo to the Mint for presenting among the finest shows of the current season. 

Photos: Todd Cerveris

Tickets are available at City Center Stage ll 131 West 55th Street.

 A Bright New Boise

     By Joseph Cervelli

While Samuel D. Hunter's 2010 play "A Bright New Boise" which is having its off Broadway debut at the Signature Theatre is moderately fascinating and absorbing it never truly resonates for a number of reasons. 

Hunter has too many situations going on here. There is the issue of finding the son a character gave up for adoption, lonely people who don't know where to turn, and in the forefront religion. It is not clear exactly how Hunter feels about all kinds of religion but it does not seem to help the characters in his play. 

Interestingly, the action takes place in the break room of a Hobby Lobby Craft Store in Boise, Idaho. Those familiar with this company will be aware that the founders are ingrained in conservative religious beliefs along with strict Christian ideals. Yet, some things here just don't gel. Would one of the characters Leroy (Angus O' Brien) be allowed to wear provocative tee shirts he himself has designed outside of the break room. Hard to believe any store policy would allow an employee to wear such on the selling floor. Can you imagine a conservative Christian institution allowing "F***" to be worn for customers to see. There would be a riot. Hobby Lobby is also anti unions a topic that is gone over very briefly in the beginning of the play. And the manager of the store Pauline (Eva Kaminsky) who was hired to get its failing status back up to par spends most of her time screaming at the employees. Why indeed would she allow Leroy to wear a standard Hobby Lobby shirt without anything underneath? Not exactly realistic.

There is a new employee Will (Peter Mark Kendall) who is starting his first day. We find out Will belonged to a controversial non-denominational church in northern Idaho. He worked he says as both a janitor and bookkeeper. Something happened at the church concerning the pastor which sent the pastor to jail and closed the church down. Hunter does have the audience guessing what exactly transpired which is explained at the end. And it is the last fifteen or so minutes that are the most interesting. I kept wondering why not bring that part of the play into the limelight much earlier. And one of the characters may not be as unassuming as you are led to believe. 

Right from the onset (no real spoiler here) Will announces to the teenage boy Alex (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio) who works there that he is his father who gave him up as a child. Alex has loads of issues which include lying and panic attacks. He also despises his adoptive parents whom he calls alcoholics among other things. Not sure how much is true or not. We also find out that Leroy is his stepbrother. 

As if this is not enough we meet the rather banal Anna (Anna Baryshnikov) who has her own issues trying to find a boyfriend but is very jittery and a rather uninteresting character. For some strange reason the playwright has both entering the lounge area after the store is closed. Will needs the internet for his book and Anna goes there to read. Apparently Will has not service where he is currently living and Anna has to put up with disruptive brothers. Still makes little sense and it would be fine if Hunter had them meet once but twice becomes tedious. 

The performances are adequate but here is a stilted feeling here among all of them. I felt that Oliver  Butler's direction never clearly gives them the energy they should have. The storyline is original but never feels as developed as it should be because too much is transpiring that just never clearly coalesces into a play that should be more involving than it is. 

Tickets are available at the Pershing Square Signature Theater 480 West 42nd Street. 

PHOTOS: JOAN MARCUS    

 Best Shows of The First Half of the 2022-2023 Season

            By Joseph Cervelli

I used to list what I considered to be the best shows of the entire season while other reviewers would write the best of the year. I never quite understood that (and still don't) because quite a number of those shows were already nominated for the previous season. I now prefer to list my favorites from those that opened from May till December and then January to April. The normal cut-off date of shows for the Tony and Outer Critics Circle Awards is in April. 

So, in no particular order here are those I felt were the best during the time period mentioned. 

"Soft" by Donja R. Love was a smashingly good, high intensity play about a group of Black and Latino boys in a juvenile boarding school. The young men have explosive personalities for the most part along with the teacher who tried to keep order. It was an amazing play directed by Whitney White. How they did not (as far as I know) harm themselves in the physical encounters is amazing. 

James Ljames' Pulitzer Prize winning "Fat Ham" which is arriving on Broadway in the spring is a rollicking tale that takes place at a southern barbecue and is a clever, thoughtful takeoff of "Hamlet." It is both seriously entertaining and the next moment a real hoot. I wish it well on Broadway. It has not been easy for transfers of shows off Broadway recently. 

A 1909 play about the lower class in Edwardian England sounds rather dull, yet that is far from what Elizabeth Baker's "Chains" is. Marriage, work, a lodger and a surprise ending made this exceptionally well acted play one that I hope you had a chance to see. 

The wonderfully appealing "Kinky Boots" was given an equally delightful revival. Some might quibble that it was a carbon copy of the original Broadway show but it worked so well.  With a wonderful score by Cyndi Lauper it boasted a bravura performance by Callum Francis as the drag queen performer Lola who forms a friendship with a young man who makes shoes (an equally excellent Christian Douglas.)

While I had some problems figuring out the ancestry in the otherwise superb "Leopoldstadt" by Tom Stoppard,  it is a remarkably effective work about a Viennesse family who thinks they have little to fear from the Nazis living where they have for many years. There are sadly parallels to what we have seen    in this country over the past years. 

Two brilliant performers Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II bring new life in the revival of Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize play Topdog/Underdog. How they are not mentally and physically exhausted by the play's end is quite a feat. Or, perhaps, they indeed may be. Sibling rivalry explodes into a fury of tragedy. 

Despite some unfairly negative reviews, I loved every minute of Gabriel Byrne's lovely, lilting autobiographical "Walking With Ghosts." It was a heartfelt tale about his life--funny, touching and even upsetting. Closed much too early. 

And speaking of unfairly negative reviews, I was completely enthralled by "Ohio State Murders" which was a frightening story about the kidnapping of two babies. Told by the incomparable Audra McDonald who certainly helped to propel the story. I just wondered if those who were not taken with this show were mystery story devotees. If you love reading such genre then I would be surprised if you were not immersed in the storyline. 

"Chester Bailey" by Joseph Dougherty was an intriguing and deeply felt play taking place in a hospital in Long Island in 1945 about the relationship between a psychiatrist and his patient who refuses to believe after a monstrous attack by a fellow worker that he is blind, lost his hands and one ear. Reed Birney and his real life son Ephraim Barney give award winning performances. Especially Ephraim who broke your heart. 

While this list is in no particular order, I do have to say the best of the season, thus far, was the mesmerizing "Downstate" by Bruce Norris who wrote the very good "Clybourne Park." This hard to tell and harder to sit through (but you never take your eyes off the explosive performers) play is about a group home for sex predators and the sexually abused man who comes to confront one of them. If ever revived I urge you not to miss it. In any other hands under than Norris's and Pam McKinnon's direction, it could have been been a true disaster. The one caveat is something obvious that occurs in the second act. But that, notwithstanding, it was quite a play. 

I loved "Cost of Living" off Broadway and the recent Broadway revival conjured up the same feelings. One of the new additions was the unforgettable David Zayas who needs to be remembered at award time. Zayas who was superior in the unforgettably exciting  "Dexter" takes to the stage beautifully. 

An excellent revival of the wild "Between Riverside and Crazy"by Stephen Adly Guirgis with a memorable Stephen McKinley Henderson reprising his role is a must. Funny, touching and interesting how your feelings about the injured ex-cop played by Henderson starts to turn as the play evolves. I would hope that someday my personal favorite of all Guirgis' works "Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven" arrives on Broadway. It is a knockout play. 

Mike Birbiglia never fails to disappoint in any of his hilarious and touching one person shows. Birbiglia is a kind of Everyman. A type of guy you want to call up and ask, "Hey, buddy, want  to go out for a beer?" and find out what is going on in his life. His latest and best "The Old Man & The Pool" makes you laugh out loud one moment and wipe away a tear the next. 

"& Juliet" is a rollicking delight about what happens if Juliet wakes up while Romeo supposedly never awakens. Stark Sands as Shakespeare and Betsy Wolfe (Anne Hathaway) just about steal the show. The music while not original fits in perfectly. It is a romp from beginning to end.

Jefferson Mays astounded (not a surprise) in his one man "Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol." Taking every major role in the play he is miraculous as is the thrillingly alive production with the scenic and sound design. And that lighting was award winning. I hope he brings it back next year. 

One of the most frightening performances in a play from many years go, "Wait Until Dark," was Robert Duvall as a psycopath. Now there is another one that was just as chilling. In Harrison David Rivers' deeply engrossing play "The Bandaged Place"  Anthony Lee Medina gives a performance that could easily keep you up nights as the psychotic ex-boyfriend who refuses to stay away from his lover well played by a gentle Jhardon DiShon Milton. There was also a performance of many layers beautifully played by Stephanie Berry. This one stayed with me for days after attending it. 

"Into The Woods" was a joy when it opened back in 1987 and the revival ending on January 8 is just as jubilant with a cast that brought new life into a play about the retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Stephen Sondheim at his very best. 

Bravo to the immensely talented performer/actor Maria Friedman for her direction that made the Sondheim show "Merrily We Roll Along" now more accessible. The book was always troublesome but now makes much more sense. The three leads Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, and Daniel Radcliffe could not be better. And that score still is a reigning achievent for the extraordinary composer. Moving to Broadway next season. 

Both Danielle Brooks and John David Washington bring life into the revival of  "August Wilson's The Piano Lesson." It is a masterwork about the fight between a sister and brother over the sale of a piano that has more riches than the young man cares about. How the past influences who we are today is one of the themes and in its own way it is a deeply spiritual experience.

HONORBLE MENTION:

Johnny Berchtold and Lily McInerny were standouts in "Camp Siegfried"; Nicholas Barasch was amazing in the difficult role of a crazed young man in the bizarre "The Butcher Boy"; As much as I admire Wendall Pierce along with Khris Davis and McKinley Belcher III,  I was not taken with their performances in the latest revival of "Death of a Salesman," yet Sharon D Clarke plays the part of Linda Loman with complete elegance; Tonya Pinkins was simply wonderful as Lena Younger in the disappointing revival of the classic "A Raisin in the Sun"; While I was not a fan of  "Straight Line Crazy," Ralph Fiennes never failed to disappoint and there was a subtly good performance by Helen Schlesinger; the  hardworking cast of "Ain't No Mo'" made it almost worth a visit; the cast, music and dancing were the only assets in the trite "KPOP"; Except for a noteworthy performance by Matt DeRogatis almost everything was wrong about the last revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"; and the late Douglas McGrath gave an immensely likable performance in his last show "Everything's Fine" which was cut short by his untimely death. 

PHOTO CREDITS IN ORDER:

Daniel J, Vasquez

Joan Marcus

Todd Ceveris

Matthew Murphy

Joan Marcus

Marc J. Franklin

Emilio Madrid

Richard Termine

Carol Rosegg

Joan Marcus

Julieta Cervantes

Joan Marcus

Emilio Madrid

Matthew Murphy

A Christmas Carol Live

Joan Marcus

Evan Zimmerman

Joan Marcus 

Julieta Cervantes

"The Bandaged Place-- A Strikingly Powerful New Play

      By Joseph Cervelli

"The Bandaged Place" at the minuscule Black Box Theater is not an easy play to sit through. If you have ever been a victim of physical abuse by a significant other you will find what transcends here to be a disturbing experience. Yet, that does not mean that this strikingly powerful play by Harrison David Rivers is anything less than superb with realistically acted performances that can have you close to tears and movingly directed by David Mendizabal. 

Jonah Irby (Jharden DiShon Milton) has gone through a horrifying experience that leaves him physically and emotionally damaged so badly that has him not wanting to leave his apartment despite a restraining order. His boyfriend Ruben Torres (a perfectly menacing Anthony Lee Medina) we are told in a fit of rage has broken his knee and later to discover had done more. We don't see Ruben right away but when he eventually appears whether in real time or a few dream like sequences his serpentine movements along with the ominous sound design by Mauricio Escamilla is chilling. Jonah has a feisty eight year old daughter Ella (a very fine and believable Sascha Manuel) whom he had with a friend back in high school. Manuel alternates the roles on other days with Phoenix Noelle. Ella's mother takes off leaving her daughter with Jonah who is was too young to take care of her so goes to live with Jonah's strict grandmother Geraldine Irby (an exceptionally fine Stephanie Berry). Jonah also lived with Geraldine when his own mother and boyfriend disappeared. Both he and his grandmother have always had a very contentious relationship which explodes with some unkind statements by Jonah in the latter half of this one act play. 

Ella has a wonderful relationship with her gay dance instructor Sam Yates (a first rate Jake Ryan Lozano). Jonah has started to leave the apartment but always late or forgetful in picking up his daughter from dance class while he himself is a member of a Harlem dance company. His being neglectful of going for his daughter  causes a kind of rift between him and Sam when the latter  suggests he needs to be more attentive to his daughter's needs. It is no surprise what exactly is going to eventually transpire between both men. 

There is a great deal that goes on in this play. And something that occurs before the ending that might have your heart pounding. What really stands out are the memorable performances. Jonah is an emotionally and physically broken man whom Milton conveys ideally. He is almost always in a dazed like condition As much as he wants to stay away from his psychotic boyfriend he is still in love with him. And when he says over the phone he will always love him you don't but somehow do understand. There is a very pertinent and transfixing dream like sequence where both Jonah and Ruben do a kind of danse macabre with each trying to take control over the other. It is an exhausting number and both actors are quite outstanding under the fight director Rocio Mendez's and choreographer Tislarm Bouie's guidance

Berry is a treasure as Geraldine who is exhausted from trying to control her granddaughter and make her a better person while trying to get her grandson to be more relevant in his daughter's life. She recites a prayer which is so effective while staring at one of two mirrored walls (scenic design by Wilson Chin.) One wall represents the dance studio and the other is above the bed on the other side of the stage. The meaning seems to be that the characters appear to be in an inescapable situation until they have the fortitude to make that change. 

"The Bandaged Place" is one of the best plays of the season, thus far. 

PHOTOS: JOAN MARCUS

Tickets are available at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre at 111 West 46th Street. Closing date is December 18. 

Gabriel Byrne Walking With Ghosts--Lovingly Personal Memoir

      By Joseph Cervelli

The very fine stage and film actor, Gabriel Byrne, is transfixing in his beautifully crafted and deeply personal one person show "Gabriel Byrne Walking With Ghosts" at the Music Box Theater. The Music Box is a perfect venue for a solo show--intimate enough to be enveloped into the world of the performer. 

He may be the only person on stage yet there are enough characters in his life he so tenderly and expertly conjures.  You easily envision the cast of so many which made an indelible (for better or worse) effect on his life. 

When he states he feels like "an intruder into the past" you never feel he is at all. He brings forward those he calls ghosts whom he shares with the audience. 

He starts right at the beginning discussing his parents and his early childhood in Ireland. While this might sound like you have heard stories about dealing with harsh conditions before, he has a frolicsome quality so even the difficult times become illuminating in their own way. 

He speaks of one particularly vicious teacher at the Christian Brothers school in which he being a poor math student was lashed on his hand repeatedly with a cane used for beating. Bryne vividly recreates the swishing sound. While the show utilizes sound effects this is one he wanted to relive and have the audience feel the horror of what was inflicted on him by this teacher who did not belong in a classroom.

Yet, after some troubling details along with one described and another with a classmate drowning, suddenly you hear carousel music and hanging lightbulbs suddenly appear for he is at a carnival. Like any youngster the bleak moments of a childhood can suddenly be forgotten even for a short when they find some joy and in this case by discovering the sights and sounds of a carnival. Life becomes easier. 

He was very close to his grandmother who brings him to his first movie. He recreates that scene so vividly.  Suddenly the lights  (expert lighting and effective scenic design by Sinead McKenna) dim as the MGM lion roars and he crumples up in fear. 

The show has such a universal appeal. We can all vividly remember being taken to something that thrilled us not forgetting both what it was and who took us to see it. 

Gabriel decides to join the seminary where he tells a horrific tale about being seduced by a priest.  How he handled this years later shows what a kind and compassionate man he is. Not many would have been so thoughtful. 

After leaving the seminary he becomes a dishwasher and toilet attendant before joining an amateur theater group. 

Bryne has a unique ability to go from seriousness and tragedy (his heartbreaking tale of his beloved sister is a prime example) to being frolicsome. The solemnity we have come to know in so many Irish  novels and plays is met here with the humor that he needs to get through the difficult times. He has a delightfully puckish quality that frequently appears. 

He tells a hilarious story about trying to give great depth to one line he has to say "This Way Please" in a television play. He is so thrilled given this opportunity he treats it like he was quoting a famous line from Shakespeare. Of course, it does not go over well with the director. 

The only actor (other than an aside to Al Pacino) that is mentioned is Richard Burton who was his idol. They spent a good amount of the time when not filming drinking. Byrne realized that he loved the alcohol until he correctly realizes it "betrayed" him. Sadly, the extraordinarily fine actor Burton did not and passed away at the untimely age of 58. Burton's take on fame which I read in his diaries years ago still makes quite an impact especially the way Byrne tells it. 

With Lonny Price's compassionate direction and the simply astonishing Byrne we travel with him on his emotional journey and feel honored to do so.

PHOTOS: EMILIO MADRID

Tickets are at The Music Box Theater 239 West 45th Street.

Chester Bailey--Intriguing and Superbly Acted

     By Joseph Cervelli

Before the intriguing and exceptionally well acted (a standout performance by Ephraim Birney playing with his real life dad Reed Birney) "Chester Bailey" begins you hear the first two verses of the classic "Haunted Heart" by the popular singer of the late 30's through the 50's Jo Stafford. The memorable lyrics fit the mood of this new work by Joseph Dougherty at the Irish Repertory Theatre.

The action takes place in a hospital room in 1945 on Long Island. The always excellent set designer John Lee Beatty utilizes a turntable stage to create other locations. I especially was taken with what looks convincingly like overhead steel beams representing Penn Station. 

Ephraim Birney plays the title character, a good looking young man in his 20's, mostly in his hospital room.  Interestingly in a few scenes  you don't quite see his hands for the pajamas and robe seem a bit overlong. There is a reason for this. The other character in the play is Dr. Philip Cotton (an always perfect Reed Birney) a psychiatrist who is assigned Chester's case. 

Right from the onset you find Chester very likable young man wanting to enlist in the army during wartime. But as he tells it, his parents were very much against his serving  and his dad got him to work as a riveter in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He was despondent when he was convinced his girlfriend dropped him only because he was not in the service. We really don't know the real reason for her breaking up with him if indeed that was. But Chester likes to convince himself so. Unfortunately, a horrific violent  incident takes place at work and the young man loses his hands, one ear and becomes totally blind something which Chester refuses to believe. This is what makes this play so compelling. How could Chester even try to live any kind of life he he refuses to believe that he is now incapable of his once normal life. He spends the time convincing the Dr. Cotton that he can see and still has hands. The young actor is amazing at the resilience he puts forward in the character. There is once scene near the end when he lets out a kind of primal scream that is heartbreakingly real. 

At the same time, Cotton has his own issues. Married with one daughter he finds out about his wife's infidelity. He also has fallen in love with the director of the hospital's wife. He wants there to be more but knows it is just an affair. He appears to be a very unhappy man and what makes him feel even worse is his inability as a doctor to convince Chester that he indeed has been severely damaged. Until that happens he cannot help him. There are various techniques he uses to convince Chester to accept his fate which don't work. 

Beautifully directed by Ron Lagomarsino he is able to show how much alike these two men are in terms of personal relationships and emotions. When the doctor makes a debatable decision at the play's conclusion, you are not sure if it is in the best interest of his patient. But certainly one that will remain with you.

Ephraim Birney is so effortless in his portrayal of this conflicted soul who  beams as he thinks about the young woman he saw working at Penn Station and then the anger when the reality of his condition is somethingwhich he will not accept.  His mood changes are so convincingly done. 

As always the very fine Reed Birney shows his emotion in a more low keyed fashion. There was one moment that was very easy to miss. He was thinking about one romantic time with his superior's wife and just has a bittersweet smile with his mouth slightly open thinking about that special time. 

This is a slow moving play but never dull with both monologues and dialogue between both characters, but the two actors make it work completely. I especially look forward to more stage roles for the younger Birney. He truly is unforgettable. 

Photos: Carol Rosegg

Tickets are available at the Irish Repertory Theatre 132 West 22nd Street.