If I Forget Previews

[WhizzerMarvin]

I caught the first preview of If I Forget tonight, and this new play has a lot going for it. I thought it was much better than The Language of Trees and especially The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin, so if those past works have you hesitant, don't be. Levenson has really grown since those previous works.

That's not to say that If I Forget couldn't use some tightening, because at 3 hours it's just 15 minutes too long, but I think there are some obvious spots to make some quick fixes and this play will be good to go. There's a scene near the end where all the family gathers around the dining room table and I thought it would finally burst from The Humans into full on August:Osage County; the powder keg is set and lit, but the blast could really be much greater. 

The actors are all wonderful, but Jeremy Shamos, Kate Walsh, Maria Dizzia, Tasha Lawrence and Gary Wilmes especially shine. It's definitely an ensemble piece, but folks buying a ticket to check out Walsh on stage won't be disappointed. Shamos is like a Santino Fontana to me- completely underrated and an asset to any production in which he appears. He's in fine form here as a professor of Jewish studies who is working on a controversial book about the relationship between modern (circa 2001) American Jews, Israel and the Holocaust.

There's some nice thought provoking stuff going on, as well as some good, old-fashioned Other Desert Cities-style family melodrama. A portion of the conversation revolves around the Gore/Bush election and a lot of it echoes what is happening today. With something so timely about a scary political climate and the state of Judaism in America (and Israel) I can't imagine someone not thinking about transferring for this in the fall. There was a moment were Shamos was going on a diatribe about Bush and his cronies and when he got to Donald...Rumsfeld he paused ever so slightly after "Donald" and the name alone sent a gasp through parts of the audience!

Roundabout seems to have found a good groove with their Pels programming lately: The Humans, Significant Other and now If I Forget.   

[@z5]

Nice- definitely looking more forward to this show after reading this. 

Wonder if it's gonna end up on broadway sometime soon like Humans an Significant Other. I'm sure Kate Walsh can definitely sell a decent amount of tickets.

[Marianne2]

Thanks for the review.  I'll admit,  I did buy a ticket mostly because of Kate Walsh.  I saw her in Dusk Rings a Bell at the Atlantic Theatre company a few years ago and enjoyed her performance.  And I agree about Jeremy Shamos.  I thought he was excellent in Noises Off last year. I'm now looking more forward to seeing this. I don't have tickets until March though. 

[BroadwayGuy12]

I was also there last night and echo much of what Whizzer said. Some very strong acting and writing, and I think this will really become something with some tightening up. The 3 hour run time was unexpected, but I never found myself getting restless throughout the evening.

I also noticed the slight pause that Shamos took before saying "Rumsfeld," a moment that brought the political parallels into sharp focus. And I was struck by a conversation between Shamos and Dizzia's characters, in which he's berating her for voting for Bush as she points out that he threw his vote away by voting for Nader, to which he replies "I never thought Gore would lose."

The set is very reminiscent of The Humans; it's a cross-section of a two-story house with action happening on both levels.

[BroadwayBeebe]

Saw this piece last night and really liked it a great deal. The writing was really smart and interesting and the entire cast gave really full and convincing performances. We were told in a preshow discussion that they had cut 20 pages that went into effect last night and that last night the play had a new ending. I would love if someone could private message me about what the ending was during the first week of previews. Really solid all around and Shamos was the the true star of this piece all the way. I would be surprised if this didn't transfer in next season.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

What was the running time last night?

[BroadwayBeebe]

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "What was the running time last night?

 

It Was over at 10:10 last night. A solid 2 hours and 40 with intermission, but it never felt long. 

 

[macnyc]

I saw the show Friday night and I didn't understand the ending at all. So I'm glad it's been apparently changed.

This is the ending I saw:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Jeremy Shamos' character is upstairs, sitting on the bed, and he's reading a text message that he had received from his daughter (I guess a few months ago) when she was in Israel and apparently had a nervous breakdown. As he's reading her words aloud, the actor playing his father, a stroke victim, comes out of a comatose state and begins saying the words along with Shamos. Then Shamos drops out, and the father continues the monologue by himself.

I was guessing that the playwright was drawing a parallel between the father's WWII experience of freeing the concentration camp victims and the young girl's experience in the Holy Land, but I'm still confused. I wish I could read the monologue now. It wasn't making too much sense to me while I was listening.

 

[BroadwayBeebe]

Thanks for Sharing that macnyc! It's slightly changed from what you saw, but the ideas are all still there.

The ending as of last night was like this to the best of my memory

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

While the three siblings are having the very last dinner conversation at the table they come to the conclusion that they will indeed sell the store. Just as all three raise their hands in agreement we hear noise followed by the shouting of "No! No! No!". The father has awoken from his state and starts staggering into the dining room at Shamos as the other two sisters try to contain him and help seat him at the dining room table. They settle him down and he sits at the table with his head down on the table as the two siblings also grab seats at the table as well as Ellen. Shamos retreats upstairs and begins packing his belongings. Soon Joey goes upstairs and begins questioning what all the yelling was about and why they are selling the store when it was promised to him and Abby. Shamos tries to dismiss him, but they end up sitting on the bed together. He questions that if the store is gone how will anyone remember the store and what happens when the last person who remembers or cares about something is gone. He finally asks him to tell him the truth about what happened to Abby that night in Israel. Shamos begins telling the passage and the three women seated downstairs begin to overlap him in telling the story of what seemed like a parable she was reciting. Soon Shamos drops out and the three women alone continue the text. Finally, The father lifts his head off the table and delivers the final line of her text which I recall being something along the lines of " In the end everything falls into the earth and becomes dirt and everything there is was once dirt."  I too was slightly confused by the last passage of text, but from what I gathered out of it was the ideas that those who turned on their own would be stoned and would pay a great price for their betrayal which was in reference to Shamos's character and that the store had one been just a patch of dirt and could soon return to that, but that a patch of land could mean so much to one person.

 

[macnyc]

That's a lot to pack into the ending. No wonder I was confused!

Also, in my recounting of the ending, I forgot to include that Joey was talking with his uncle, the same as how you describe it.

[kjck89]

I really loved the story, the actors, and set design of this play. It is a great mix of drama with just the right amount of humor to ease heavy topics. There is great chemistry between the actors, and even if Kate drew you in, I think you will leave the theatre in awe of the whole ensemble. One note, I sat in the front row but I would recommend being a few rows back as my neck was a little sore because there are a few scenes upstairs which is high up on stage. Run time is 2.5 hours but I was completely immersed and didn't notice.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

I thought it was good.  A solid B.  It could definitely have used a few more rewrites and revisions to reach its full potential. The first act dragged a bit and could benefit from some cutting and fine-tuning.  I thought act two was much better.  

The performances are all exceptional, particularly Jeremy Shamos and Maria Dizza.

[sondmon]

I see on TDF that there is a Thursday matinee this week but it is not listed on the Roundabout website. Anyone have any details on this?

[bwayphreak234]

I saw this this afternoon and absolutely loved the play. This is such a powerful and relevant piece of theatre that is full of truly great performances from everyone in the cast. I'm a huge fan of Kate Walsh, and I thought she was absolutely magnifieicant in this. I have no qualms whatsoever. I would love to see this transfer in the fall. I, personally, enjoyed this way more than The Humans. 

[everythingtaboo]

Saw it this afternoon and agree it was quite good. Cast is uniformly strong, and Kate Walsh was a real scene-stealer. (Truth be told, me and my mom are huge fans of hers, so she was a selling point.) Great mix of humor and drama, and it moved pretty quickly. There was some fumbling with the lines, but seeing as the running time keeps getting shaved, it's understandable. Jeremy Shamos' monologue and ensuing argument towards the end of act one was quite powerful, but I loved how it tied into his final lines with his sisters. All in all, quite relevant to today but still timeless.

[sondmon]

I just caught this tonight and thought it was phenomenal. I really hope this transfers to Broadway next season, though I'm not sure it will as Brantley didn't review it and it is kind of similar to The Humans from what I hear.  It was funny and serious at the same time and really explored many of the topics related to jewish identity. Kate Walsh stole every scene she was in and got tons of laughs. Shamos, Dizzia, and Bryggman were all excellent especially Bryggman's speech at the end of Act 1. I can't say I understood the ending entirely but I didn't think it detracted from the evening.

[Marianne2]

I saw the matinee today. I agree that it was a great show. Maria Dizzia was out, but I didn't feel cheated getting her understudy. It made me laugh, but also left me feeling sad for the family.  It was nice to see Jeremy Shamos in a show like this after seeing him in Noises Off.