Speed-the-Plow
Things I liked about Speed-the-Plow, in preferential order:
1. Raul Esparza's fiery and funny performance. He is far and away the best part of the show. Somebody give this man a Tony for chrissake. This is worth seeing just for him.
2. Elizabeth Moss and Jeremy Piven, who are both also phenomenal, if not as absolutely pitch-perfect as Esparza. Piven is strong as always. Moss completely demonstrates her talent as a first-rate actress, but suffers from a character who is the least compassionately - or skillfully - drawn in the play.
3. The direction, which maximizes the biting energy of the play and creates a thrill ride for the audience.
4. The play itself. The above elements make for fun theater, but ultimately, the play is a little anemic and spends far too long indulging in (and mocking) hippie-dippy philosophy. Also, David Mamet's distaste for women reads a little too loudly in the script. Nevertheless, it's fun theater that's very well acted.
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2 comments:
Piven keeps coming up with more and more hair - maybe it improves his acting chops. He looked nothing like that when he was on Ellen's sitcom.
I guess it's just me, but I didn't think Esparza nailed Mamet's rhythms as I would have liked him to. I didn't think his lines were landing right. I thought Piven was great, and Moss was pretty good in a very thin role, but Esparza seemed to rush his lines, and his emphasis seemed to be in very odd places. Maybe I have too rigid a conception of the play, but I was a bit disappointed. I also remember feeling the same way after seeing him in Pinter's "The Homecoming" last year. He's a very talented guy, don't get me wrong--but Pinter and Mamet require a specific kind of attack.
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