Small Engine Repair

[jbm2]

Posted: 11/1/13 at 11:11pm

This started previews a couple of night ps ago- has anyone seen it?

[jbm2]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 1:20pm

Anyone caught this yet?

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 1:52pm

I went last night and didn't care for it. It raises some questions about class as well as the dangers of social media/the "plugged-in" generation, but it never really goes anywhere. There's a reveal in the middle of the show that I could see coming from a mile away, and it takes a somewhat bizarre twist towards the end that I found somewhat upsetting.

The acting ranges from serviceable to downright poor (many of Keegan Allen's lines got laughs, and I got the feeling it was from how bad his delivery was), and I never really cared about any of the characters on stage. It's only 70 minutes, but I was ready for it to be over long before that. I'd say skip it.

[Owen22]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 2:27pm

How sexy is Badge in this play?

[After Eight]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 8:48pm

A grotesque, embarrassingly bad play. Three thirty-something losers with the maturity of eleven year olds and the combined IQ of a turnip, meet in a dingy repair shop to talk about sex, booze, and the childhood they've never outgrown. They all possess the same speech tic: trying to cram the word "f-------g" as many times as they can into every sentence they utter. Suffice to say the badinage is less than scintillating. Anyhow, a fourth person arrives and things turn ugly.

I agree with Broadwayguy about the acting. But let's face it: who could do anything with these preposterous characters and the idiocies they spout?

[jbm2]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 8:51pm

Wow- I am in town this weekend and got a ticket for this on TDF. I almost want to take it as a lose and see something else.... Don't want to waste a Sat afternoon on this.....

Does anyone have anything good to say about this?

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 8:56pm

You want to cancel your plans based on two bad reviews on a theatre chat board? You might want to rethink that. And also, although I have nothing against him, it is well documented on here that AfterEight hates almost everything. So take it with a grain of salt.

[jbm2]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 9:13pm

Thanks Matt
I was looking at the comments from my phone and didn't see who was making them.
I'm going
I usually really enjoy MCC

[HBBrock]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 9:36pm

I really enjoyed this on Tuesday. The set was awesome, and while the play started off a little slow - the second half was excellent. I would easily recommend this and already have.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 11/7/13 at 11:16pm

Cool, a negative After Eight review, I'm in for a good time!

[PJPan]

Posted: 11/8/13 at 1:15pm

Saw it two nights ago. Overall, at least a stronger showing than "Really Really" last season.

For a little too long, it seems like a "rrrrr f***, rrrr technology" play. A lot of the f***s seeemed to be for the sake of saying it, and this is coming from someone who says it more often than I should. The action for me doesn't pick up until after Keegan Allen's character's story. Then I was finally paying attention, and without giving away any spoilers, you finally understand why they're all there. I don't know if it's smart to have payoff so late in the game, but at least you realize why most of the first 30 minutes happened. You just have to wait a while.

Speaking of performances, Allen was...not bad, but very average, like a kid in a high school play being tasked with doing drama for the first time. James Badge Dale and John Pollono were fine for their parts, with Dale sliding into character a little easier.

For me, the standout was James Ransome whom I think I could watch in almost anything. I remember him from years ago in "Ken Park" and recently in "Sinister" - has a really interesting, quirky, fun stage presence and he completely stole the show.

All in all, not a bad offering but I was very glad of the short running time. They could've cut out another 5 minutes and I wouldn't have minded.

[little_sally]

Posted: 11/9/13 at 11:10am

I saw this earlier in the week and went in with very, very low expectations and ended up really liking it. Sure it does start off slow but I think it pays off in the end. I definitely recommend it.

[jbm2]

Posted: 11/9/13 at 7:11pm

Just saw it- not what I expected.
The longer I think about it, the more I liked it.

Keegan Allen was awful- just wish they could have found a stronger actor for his role.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/9/13 at 3:28pm

I saw this over the weekend and I had a blast. The writing style is certainly not for everyone (I don't think I've ever heard so many "f*cks" in a show...and it's only 75 minutes long) and at times the dialogue doesn't feel so natural, but overall, I thought it was a wickedly funny. In fact, the roughness around the edges made it all the more endearing to me. Sure, you can see some of the twists coming from ten miles away, but the way they unfold isn't as predictable. And they don't feel superfluous or like they're just thrown into the mix for shock value. I was wildly entertained, and I think the rest of the audience was as well, as a good 80% of them jumped to their feet for an instant standing ovation (as I've mentioned, a rarity off Broadway lately). The cast is mostly good, though Keegan Allen is certainly the odd man out here. James Badge Dale, James Ransone, and John Pollono (also the author) are each great though; even when the writing falters, their commitment to their characters never does. In particular, I thought James Badge Dale was sensationally good; he has some scary-good comic timing.

I'd absolutely recommend it, but like I said it's not for everyone. I'm so glad I saw it; a worthy last-minute addition to my 2013 theatergoing experiences.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 12/10/13 at 2:59am

Once again, WickedRocks nails it. I saw it on Sunday and came away with the same experience. A fun time. The social media stuff was hilarious...

[newintown]

Posted: 12/10/13 at 10:27am

I enjoyed it very much. Although it starts like a million plays we've seen before since 1970, it takes some terrific bizarre and over-the-top twists and turns eventually, making it very entertaining.

[macnyc]

Posted: 12/16/13 at 9:47am

I saw Small Engine Repair last night after a friend with exquisite taste in theater called it a don't miss. I'm a bit baffled by that assessment, given what she's liked in the past, but if you have the right frame of mind, it's very enjoyable.

My favorite theatergoing experiences have been cases in which you're brought into a microcosm that you wouldn't have much knowledge of otherwise. In this case, we're brought to Manchester, New Hampshire, which the characters refer to as Manch-Vegas. (There's a clue right there of what you're in for!) Basically, as other posters have said, there are these three lower-middle-class guys, approaching 40, who used to be close friends years ago but have grown apart. They're pretty much losers, although one of them has a business repairing lawn mowers and such (and serves as the setting for the show, and yes, the set is awesome). Their dialog is very funny, with lots and lots of f-bombs. It's kind of like a trashier Glengarry Glen Ross, you might say. That's the dynamic. Misogyny abounds, and probably some homophobia too! One of the characters is into social media, and that plays a big role in the plot. There is also quite a bit of violence.

I thought the acting for the most part was terrific. Posters have complained about the Pretty Little Liars guy, but he didn't bother me at all. I thought he did fine as an rich and entitled frat boy (maybe he's been improving as the run goes on).

In an odd way, Small Engine Repair puts me in mind of The Curious Case of the Watson Intelligence. Both examine the effect of technology on human relationships. The two plays come at it from different angles, one very crude (Small Engine) and the other lofty and theoretical (Watson). Because I really didn't understand Watson and the points it was trying to make, I'm going to say that Small Engine was the more successful!









Updated On: 12/16/13 at 09:47 AM