James Wicker News

What did our critic think of IT’S ONLY A PLAY at The Bent?

Up next for Theatre 40’s current season, Terrence McNally’s It’s Only a Play opening March 23, 2023. Larry Eisenberg directs the cast of Todd Andrew Ball, Peter Bussian, Fox Carney, Joe Clabby, Cheryl David, Mouchette van Helsdingen and Jeffrey Winner. Larry was most gracious in carving out time to give serious thoughts to answering my queries.

Nathan Lane returns to Broadway this season in the new play Pictures From Home! Last seen on Broadway in 2019 in Gary: the Sequel to Titus Andronicus, Lane has had an extremely diverse career, spanning over 30 years. Take a walk down memory lane with highlights from The Producers, Guys & Dolls, The Addams Family, Angels in America, and more!

George Street Playhouse (GSP) continues their successful season of in-person performances with 'It’s Only A Play' through December 19.

The cast has been revealed for The Fugard Theatre's South African premiere production of Terrence McNally's hilarious Tony Award winning farce IT'S ONLY A PLAY.

The playwright nervously awaiting the make-or-break review on opening night has been the setting of many stage and movie scenes. But in this play, McNally runs with the idea, taking no prisoners across two acts boasting almost as many Broadway name-drops as punch lines, all delivered with perfect comic timing by a cast of talented actors who know how important it is to both give and take with each other as the wide range of human emotions overcomes the a?oestarsa?? who hope and pray this play will revive their struggling careers. And all the while, the laughs abound non-stop.

Hillbarn Theatre, the Peninsula's premier theatre company, continues its 2019a?"20 season with Terrence McNally's satirical farce, It's Only a Play. Hailed by Entertainment Weekly as a?oehilariously, sidesplittingly funny,a?? It's Only a Play will perform at Hillbarn Theatre (1285 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City) October 10a?"27, 2019. The performance schedule is as follows: Thursdaysa?"Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Press night for It's Only a Play will be on Friday, October 11, 2019. Single tickets range in price from $27a?"$60 are available now by calling 650-349-6411 ext. 2 or visiting www.hillbarntheatre.org.  

It's the opening night of The Golden Egg on Broadway, and the wealthy producer Julia Budder is throwing a lavish party in her lavish Manhattan townhouse. Downstairs the celebrities are pouring in, but the real action is upstairs in the bedroom, where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to await the reviews. Performances run April 26th thru May 12th, 2019 at Little Theatre Off Broadway, 3981 Broadway, Grove City, Ohio. For reservations/more info visit: http://www.ltob.org or call 614-875-3919.

Nathan Lane has returned to Broadway this season in the new play Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus. Lane has had an extremely diverse career, spanning over 30 years. From comedic musicals, to heart-wrenching plays, to screen work, voiceovers, and much more, Lane has become a household name.

The second production of Pride Films and Plays's 2018-19 season will be IT'S ONLY A PLAY, by Terrence McNally. McNally is arguably Broadway's most prolific gay male playwright, with 20 Broadway credits to his name, plus many other plays produced off-Broadway.

It's the opening night of The Golden Egg on Broadway, and the wealthy producer Julia Budder is throwing a lavish party in her lavish Manhattan townhouse. Downstairs the celebrities are pouring in, but the real action is upstairs in the bedroom, where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to await the reviews. The group includes the excitable playwright; the possibly unstable wunderkind director; the pill-popping leading lady, treading the boards after becoming infamous in Hollywood; and the playwright's best friend, for whom the play was written but who passed up this production for a television series. Add to this a drama critic who's panned the playwright in the past and a new-in-town aspiring singer, and you have a prime recipe for the narcissism, ambition, childishness, and just plain irrationality that infuse the theatre-and for comedy. But don't worry: This play is sure to be the hit they have all been hoping for.

It's the opening night of The Golden Egg on Broadway, and the wealthy producer Julia Budder is throwing a lavish party in her lavish Manhattan townhouse. Downstairs the celebrities are pouring in, but the real action is upstairs in the bedroom, where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to await the reviews. The group includes the excitable playwright; the possibly unstable wunderkind director; the pill-popping leading lady, treading the boards after becoming infamous in Hollywood; and the playwright's best friend, for whom the play was written but who passed up this production for a television series. Add to this a drama critic who's panned the playwright in the past and a new-in-town aspiring singer, and you have a prime recipe for the narcissism, ambition, childishness, and just plain irrationality that infuse the theatre-and for comedy. But don't worry: This play is sure to be the hit they have all been hoping for.

Neither Douglas Clarke's lavish set nor Marie Quinn's Broadway-bright lights, neither Connie Furr Soloman's classy and colorful costume design nor a cast comprised of some of the Valley's thespian luminaries can save Terrence McNally's snarky snipe at Broadway, IT'S ONLY A PLAY, from its weak legs ~ currently Phoenix Theatre's featured production, running through February 11th.

Written by Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, It's Only a Play is a celebration of theatre at its best and theatre people at their not-so-best. The show takes place on opening night of Peter Austin's new play. At the home of his wealthy producer, Peter is joined by his best friend, the show's aging starlet, the director, and a drama critic, as the unlikely group anxiously awaits the late-night newspaper reviews. It's Only a Play promises kooky characters and big laughs in a rare comedy that's as smart as it is funny!

Written by Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, It's Only a Play is a celebration of theatre at its best and theatre people at their not-so-best. The show takes place on opening night of Peter Austin's new play. At the home of his wealthy producer, Peter is joined by his best friend, the show's aging starlet, the director, and a drama critic, as the unlikely group anxiously awaits the late-night newspaper reviews. It's Only a Play promises kooky characters and big laughs in a rare comedy that's as smart as it is funny!

Written by Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, It's Only a Play is a celebration of theatre at its best and theatre people at their not-so-best. The show takes place on opening night of Peter Austin's new play. At the home of his wealthy producer, Peter is joined by his best friend, the show's aging starlet, the director, and a drama critic, as the unlikely group anxiously awaits the late-night newspaper reviews. It's Only a Play promises kooky characters and big laughs in a rare comedy that's as smart as it is funny!

Written by Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, It's Only a Play is a celebration of theatre at its best and theatre people at their not-so-best. The show takes place on opening night of Peter Austin's new play. At the home of his wealthy producer, Peter is joined by his best friend, the show's aging starlet, the director, and a drama critic, as the unlikely group anxiously awaits the late-night newspaper reviews. It's Only a Play promises kooky characters and big laughs in a rare comedy that's as smart as it is funny!

In March, New Conservatory Theatre Center presents the regional premiere of Terrence McNally's It's Only a Play, in a newly revised version which marks McNally's eleventh production at NCTC. It's opening night of Peter Austin's new Broadway play, and while at the producer's penthouse for a lavish party, he anxiously awaits the play's reviews. With his career on the line and celebrities pouring in downstairs, he huddles upstairs with the producer, director and star of the show. This gleefully bitchy and affectionate (Entertainment Weekly) love letter to the theatre is the perfect setup for backstabbing comedy.

Theatre Tallahassee's version of It's Only a Play, directed by Matthew Watson, gives us as audience members the opportunity to observe the angst, ecstasy, exhaustion, and a multitude of other emotions of a group of people with various motives to care about the production's outcome.