I saw The New Century last night. It's a group of 4 plays written by Paul Rudnick. The show is at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre in Lincoln Center.
The first piece with Linda Lavin and the third piece with Jayne Houdyshell are both very, very funny (though the third does have some touching moments). The second piece doesn't quite work and the fourth piece has some very funny moments but falls apart (in my humble opinion).
Miss Lavin looks wonderful as the best mother in the entire world, bar none because of her work with P.L.G.B.T.Q.C.C.C. & O. (Parents of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning, Curious, Creatively Concerned & Others). That woman can milk a laugh like a pro (of course she is a pro).
Peter Barnett, who has done his role in the second piece before is very funny as Mr. Charles, Currently of West Palm Beach (he plays a very, very, very, very, very, very GAY!!!!!!!!!! man with a public access cable show) but the piece is too long and wanders too much. The running gag of Shane is cute once or twice but it stops being funny after the 4th or 5th entrance. When Paul Rudnick is on (as in the first piece and the third piece) he is wonderfully funny. He's bright and sharp and right on the mark. But things like Mr. Charles just seem tired and full of stereotypical characters and dialogue that he's trying to puncture.
The third piece (with Miss Houdyshell) is another monologue about a woman from Decatur, IL whose life is crafts. She's talking to the Junior Chamber of Commerce about the importance of crafts to America. There is a side issue about her son who was "special" and moved to New York. There are some very touching and sweet moments to temper the humor. Houdyshell is a marvelous actor and I'm glad she's getting noticed.
The fourth piece brings everyone together in a maternity ward (don't ask how) and for a while it's very funny. Then Rudnick knows he has to end it and it doesn't really work. We go back to the Palm Beach public access show and everything falls apart. It's not staged well and it's one of those times where what is written looks very funny on paper but when it gets put on stage it seems to wither away. I felt like the performers were working too hard to sell the material. I thought if they just cut the Mr. Charles sketch and did the other three they would have a good evening (and wouldn't need an intermission) but then the last play would have continuity problems because Mr. Charles would not have been introduced. I'm not sure how to fix it, but then that's why I'm not a playwright.
I did have fun though and do recommend the piece. I don't know how well it will do but the Newhouse is a nice, intimate theatre and the price was right (TDF $26) so I'm not complaining too much.
