Review: ‘Love, Love, Love’, is that truly all you need?

Kenneth (Richard Armitage) and Sandra (Amy Ryan) are 19 when they meet in 1967, in a small London flat of Henry (Alex Hurt), Kenneth’s older brother. Sandra quickly forgets that she is on a date with an “old and conventional” Henry, and finds that she has much more in common with the Rock and Roll and marijuana loving Kenny. But most importantly, he immediately supports Sandra’s desire to run away and to never stop enjoying the summer of love and freedom.

But much like the seasons change, people’s lives move on. In act two, we see Kenneth and Sandra spending the autumn days of their love in a spacious house expensively furnished and decorated with paintings, in the company of the fruit of their marriage, Jamie (Ben Rosenfield) and Rose (Zoe Kazan). What else can one dream about? Yet restless husband and wife fight at their daughter’s birthday causing much pain to their children and much laughter to the audience.

photo by Joan Marcus

Playwright, Mike Bartlett, doesn’t hold back his sarcasm aimed toward each of the characters. In “Love, Love, Love” he shows the family members with all their flaws, all their suppressed and voiced desires. In a three-act show we get to see how free-spirited children of the 60s transformed into money making self-involved adults, and how parenting and relationship decisions backfire at Kenneth and Sandra.     

Directed by Michael Mayer, the talented actors bring out dynamic and enjoyable performances. Amy Ryan is impressive in covering a person’s lifetime; with ease she plays a 19-year old, 43-year old and 63-year old Sandra. Zoe Kazan is equally memorable as both teenager and as a 37-year old woman. Both female characters are pushing the story forward and are more outspoken, where Kenneth and Jamie, father and son, are more like followers. With that said, both Richard Armitage and Ben Rosenfield make a great father-son team, supporting of each other but dysfunctional in the third act of the play.

“Love, Love, Love” is a story about generational differences shown through one nuclear family. Much of the comedic effect comes from the difference between parents and children, with parents jokingly dancing through life and the kids’ lives filled with drama. Mike Bartlett raises some very down-to-earth questions: how much freedom should parents give to their children, how open should they be about their relationship in front of them? Should parents sacrifice everything for the well being of their kids? These bitter questions about life come sugarcoated in a smart and fast-moving comedy, which makes them easy to swallow and take some time to digest after the show.      

"Love, Love, Love" runs through December 18^th in Roundabout at Laura Pels Theatre at 111 West 46^th st, New York. For more information on the Roundabout Theatre Company and tickets visit: http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/Love-Love-Love.aspx    

Review: ‘Heisenberg’, the human particle collider

When two people meet and fall for each other, the entire world around them fades out and virtually stops existing. This happened with Georgie (Mary-Louise Parker) and Alex (Denis Arndt) quite literally: there are just two of them in the play and there is no scenery in the production directed by Mark Brokaw, just the text and the actors. There are two chairs and two tables on the stage of the Samuel J. Friedman Theater, the space is narrowed by the tribune of 200 seats.

photo by Joan Marcus

A fine play by Simon Stephens, it explores unbeaten paths of mature people’s romance. At least one of them, Alex, is an age that is rarely associated with sexual activity and bold romantic gestures. He is a quiet Irish butcher in his seventies when he meets Georgie, a forty-something hyperactive and talkative American. She surprises him with a kiss on his neck at the railway station in London and tracks him down at work, turning the chance encounter into a persistent courtship.            

Mary-Louise Parker spices her performance with quite a bit of edgy neurotic movements, which adds a layer of danger and vulnerability to this “lonely woman in her 40s” character. Is she insane? Is it just a creepy way to flirt? Is she a threat to an honest, working man? You keep asking all of these questions while being unable to take your eyes off the nuanced performance of Parker. The play answers some of the questions, but it is less about the plot and more about the observation of two human beings falling in love.

There is neither explanation nor a hint in “Heisenberg” on why the play is called so. Presumably it is named after the physicist, Werner Heisenberg, one of the key pioneers in quantum mechanics and the creator of the "uncertainty principle". This principle states that scientists influence the behavior of a particle by just observing it. To eliminate the human impact, elaborate machines such as particle accelerators are created.

Thinking of the name of the play in this way brings us to the meta-level of theater. It is impossible to take the observer out of the equation; depending on who is watching, the piece of art alters its meaning. In this context, it seems appropriate that two audiences are seated opposite each other and you can't help but glance into the void of the orchestra from time to time, like in the mirror. This is quite a unique experience and as much as the play is captivating, the point of view offered is mind-blowing. 

The seating arrangement was created to mimic the intimacy of the off-Broadway production of "Heisenberg", which ran on Stage II of New York City Center from May to June 2015. And the effect was achieved, at least for those sitting up close. But what's even more remarkable, this production created the "theater machine" where the fourth wall is a metaphorical mirror. Between two walls of eyes, two particles, Georgie and Alex, collide and we are privileged to watch their interaction in a controlled environment, with obstacles such as other characters and scenery removed. Although the engineering of this "collider" is brave, there is hardly anything revolutionary in this set up. My favorite off-Broadway production last summer, "Peer Gynt", directed by John Doyle ("Color Purple") transformed the Classic Stage Company's venue into a 360-degree amphitheater.  I must say, though, that on a scale of Broadway theater the effect is blown up at times, especially when considering the intimacy of "Heisenberg".        

Elaborate minimalism, intimate and non-banal love story, layered performances – here are just a few things for which “Heisenberg”, produced by Manhattan Theatre Club, is worth seeing. The intimate audience configuration allows for the rare experience of watching a performance up close without looking up actors’ nostrils, so I would definitely recommend getting a seat within the first few rows on stage.       

Heisenberg opened on October 13^th and runs through December 4^th in the Samuel J. Friedman Theater. More information and tickets are available at http://heisenbergbroadway.com/tickets/.