Too Much Sun – Location, Tickets, Review
In 2012, the Vineyard Theatre achieved theatrical nirvana for an Off-Broadway theater, a transfer to Broadway with The Lyons, a play written by Nicky Silver, directed by Mark Brokaw, and starring Linda Lavin.
No doubt hoping for a similar outcome, the Vineyard got the gang back together and produced Too Much Sun, a play written by Nicky Silver, directed by Mark Brokaw, and starring Linda Lavin.
In Too Much Sun, Lavin plays Audrey, an aging actress. Despite years of success, she has lost her home and fortune (unclear how) and decided her life’s work is absurd (unclear why). She absconds from a production of Medea in Chicago to her daughter’s house on Cape Cod.
There her daughter, Kitty (Jennifer Westfeldt), responds to this unexpected intrusion with vigorous snacking. Her daughter’s husband, Dennis (Ken Barnett), responds in a less conventional way, he has an affair with their neighbor’s son, Lucas (Matt Dickson).
Per the family drama formula, once everyone gathers, pressure builds, secrets spill, and the characters and the audience share a few laughs and learn a few lessons. Except here, the laughs are anemic, if not mocking, and the lessons are nonexistent.
Audrey is self-indulgent and irresponsible, yet, with one tale of past tragedy she is absolved and closer than ever to Kitty. Kitty, no saint, matches her husband’s infidelity and conceives a beautiful baby and an improved outlook on life. No such luck for Dennis, however, his extramarital affair results on professional ruin and personal despair for him and Lucas. Their neighbor, Winston (Richard Bekins), seemingly nice but a little racist (he can’t understand a word his maid says “she doesn’t use consonants”) and abusive (as accused by Lucas) ends up the happiest of all, despite arguably causing the most pain.
Too Much Sun wasn’t all bleak though, Matt Dellapina as Audrey’s agent’s assistant/wannabe rabbi was a humorous delight and adorable in a too small, red, plaid robe.
We predict Too Much Sun will not be heading to Broadway but we also concede that we’re not the target audience for a production bent on forgiving the sins of past generations and erratically punishing the current.
TICKETS
$80 – $100 (Purchase tickets from OvationTix, the official online ticket seller for Too Much Sun)
DATES
Extended through June 22, 2014
LOCATION
Vineyard Theatre
108 East 15th Street
New York City
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RUNNING TIME
Approximately 2 hours 5 minutes, one intermission
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Written by Nicky Silver
Directed by Mark Brokaw
Featuring Ken Barnett, Richard Bekins, Matt Dellapina, Matt Dickson, Linda Lavin, Jennifer Westfeldt