Review Roundup: LIVES OF THE SAINTS Opens Off-Broadway

Lives of the Saints, a world premiere collection of delightfully funny and unforgettable short plays by David Ives (All in the Timing, Venus in Fur) and directed by Tony Award winner John Rando (All in the Timing, On The Town, Urinetown), opens tonight, February 24, at Primary Stages at The Duke on 42nd Street.

Lives of the Saints features Arnie Burton (Peter and the Starcatcher, The 39 Steps), Carson Elrod (All in the Timing, The Explorers Club), Rick Holmes (The Threepenny Opera, Peter and the Starcatcher), Kelly Hutchinson (Desire Under the Elms, Don Peyote) and Liv Rooth (All in the Timing, Venus in Fur).

Lives of the Saints includes scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Anita Yavich, lighting design by Jason Lyons, sound design and original music by John Gromada, wig design by Tom Watson, and casting by Calleri Casting.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter: Unfortunately Lives of the Saints, despite being expertly performed by its five-person ensemble and smoothly directed by John Rando, is a disappointingly disjointed evening that offers far fewer genuine laughs. Featuring six short one-acts - a mixture of older pieces and three world premieres - it represents a disappointment from the playwright, who has achieved great success with his theatrical adaptation of Venus in Fur.

Marilyn Stasio, Variety: In "Lives of the Saints," David Ives has gone from Venus in Furs to Polish Church Ladies in Housedresses. Those dear old things show up in the title piece, which ends this evening of one-acts on a heart-tugging note that's a surprising departure from the tongue-twisting brain teasers on the rest of the bill...There's a unity of tone to the entire production, for which helmer John Rando...deserves full credit...Nonetheless, the first act, which is entirely given over to tricky wordplay, is a disappointment. All good ideas, to be sure, but so overworked they strangle the comic conceit. The only fully successful entry in this act is "Soap Opera," a grand display of Ives's facility with language and his innate sense of comic absurdity. Again, it's about the transformative power of words and the pure fun of manipulating them...Overall, the show is a mixed bag, but still catnip for anyone who appreciates the wizardry of this amazing wordsmith.

Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News: Waiting for laughs to land and sparks to fly in "Lives of the Saints" requires the patience of a you-know-what. Yes, bright moments come and go on occasion in these six mini plays. But you want - and expect - a lot more from David Ives ("Venus In Fur"), a wildly witty writer, and John Rando ("On the Town"), a director with 20/20 vision for comedy...The show is a mixed bag, but when it comes to this versatile ensemble, it's all good.

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