I WAS MOST ALIVE WITH YOU at Playwrights Horizons

[wolfwriter]

I've been trying to remember the last time I hated something as much as I hated this amateurish new play by Craig Lucas. Even Lois Smith, who is wasted (like the rest of the cast) can't help this.

This is not a play. It's an idea that hasn't yet become a first draft, let alone something worthy of a full production.

It's as though Mr. Lucas thought about going to a therapist and decided not to bother. Instead, he put this interminable load of exposition, on stage.

The play is told in spoken English and ASL and also "shadow-signed" by actors located above the action on stage. I love the idea of this and wonder why every performance of every play isn't signed, but here, it's nothing but a gimmick because there is no substance to the proceedings.

Kudos to all the actors for learning to sign.

The gist of the story is a lot of bad things happen to someone and I guess Mr. Lucas wants us to see how that affects those around the individual and how it affects his faith or lack thereof, in God. All of this is portrayed in an unrealistic, absurd melodrama that is utterly pointless.

This is a lazy piece of writing and a waste of an evening.

(My companion liked it and audience applause was a bit more than polite. I would have left at intermission, otherwise)

 

[JBroadway]

I can't speak about the play yet because I have yet to see it, but I'd just like to throw out there that I have 3 separate friends who attended these first couple previews and absolutely loved the show. One said it was among the best things she'd seen at PH recently. Another said it made her cry. 

 

[haterobics]

JBroadway said: "Another said it made her cry."

To be fair, it sounds like it almost made wolfwriter cry, too.

[Square Peg2]

I'd love to hear more thoughts on I Was Most Alive With You - trying to decide whether to fill my final slot in my upcoming trip with this one or The Nap.

[wolfwriter]

haterobics said: "JBroadway said: "Another said it made her cry."

To be fair, it sounds like it almost made wolfwriter cry, too."

Ha. Very close, Haterobics.

I grabbed tickets for this as soon as I read the description. I was intrigued that it was opening theater to those who don't often get the opportunity to participate on stage or in the audience.

Maybe Craig Lucas' work is just not my thing. Still, I'm glad ASL was worked into the story and hopefully, it will be, more frequently, so that it's no longer "different" or "special" and just becomes a common thing.

[LarryD2]

I liked Craig's early plays (PRELUDE TO A KISS, RECKLESS), and of course his contribution to THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, but I can't think of the last new work of his I actually enjoyed. It was probably something he wrote in the nineties...

[theaterdarling]

wolfwriter said: "I've been trying to remember the last time I hated something as much as I hated this amateurish new play by Craig Lucas. Even Lois Smith, who is wasted (like the rest of the cast) can't help this.

This is not a play. It's an idea that hasn't yet become a first draft, let alone something worthy of a full production.

It's as though Mr. Lucas thoughtabout going to a therapist and decided not to bother. Instead, he putthis interminable load of exposition, on stage.

The play is told in spoken English and ASL and also "shadow-signed" by actors located above the action on stage. I love the idea of this and wonder why every performance of every play isn't signed, but here, it's nothing but a gimmick because there is no substance to the proceedings.

Kudos to all theactors for learning to sign.

The gist of the story is a lot of bad things happen to someone and I guess Mr. Lucas wants us to see how that affects those around the individual and how it affects his faith or lack thereof, in God. All of this is portrayed in an unrealistic, absurdmelodrama that is utterly pointless.

This is a lazy piece of writing and a waste of an evening.

(My companion liked it and audience applause was a bit more than polite. I would have left at intermission, otherwise)

"

Saw this two or three years ago at the Huntington with Lucas directing and it does not sound like anything has improved. You make the exact same criticisms I had at the time, with emphasis on  cannot remember when I hated something as much,  a lazy piece of writing and a waste of an evening. Or in my case, a waste of half of an evening because I did leave at intermission. (Prior to this, the last time I left a show at intermission was in 1983 after the first act of "Isn't It Romantic.", Caveat Emptor.

[Synecdoche2]

wolfwriter is exactly on target here. Just dreadful.

[little_sally]

This is kind of a mess. There's so much going on on stage that it's overwhelming, and while the shadow cast is a nice idea, it doesn't add anything to the play. Everything just played out like melodrama, and sometimes it even verged on camp for me.

[lightguy06222]

Just to provide the opposite end of the spectrum:

 

I REALLY enjoyed it!  AND I tend to hate alot of what I see lately.....

I thought it was one of the best shows at playwrights since FAMILIAR.  

(I absolutely hated FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY.... THIS FLAT EARTH was mediocre and slow, and LOG CABIN was difficult to sit through.....  ALSO disliked AUBERGINE, and INDIAN SUMMER.....)

The writing was simple.  But the characters were three dimensional, and I genuinely cared about the story.  I didn't love the framing device of "two writers in a room trying to figure out what to write about". But the actually STORY that was being told I was into.  I genuinely cared about the deaf son, his relationship with his family, and his relationship with the boyfriend.  I genuinely cared about act two.  

 

I cried in the silent scene between the father and his deaf son.

I thought the ending was beautiful and brilliantly staged.  I thought the final blackout was perfectly timed.  I thought the whole POINT of the story was lovely.

 

HIGHLY recommend this play, after a bunch of flops at PH.

[bwayphreak234]

I'm with lightguy on this. I found this play to be deeply moving, intensely thought-provoking, and extremely well written, directed, and acted. I was absolutely riveted the entire time, and I loved the build up of tension. When intermission came, I was actually mad because I just wanted them to keep going. I also highly recommend this.