GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR; Play It Again, Sean — Review
6 / 10
A neurotic hypochondriac, possibly suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Schizophrenia, and definitely suffering from the weight of his intellect, Levant is a fascinating figure, portrayed by Hayes in a mannered, hand-wringing performance that’s as full of tics as it is charged with pathos. He enters Rachel Hauck’s clever set, which finds the common ground between padded cell and soundstage, and immediately blows the rest of his castmates’ stiff deliveries out of the water. Not to be too hard on the ensemble who, to their credit, are doing their best with a wooden, unoriginal script and Lisa Peterson’s farcical direction. Again and again, we learn that a star’s entourage might not have their best interests at heart, that talent is burdensome, and fame is a prison, et cetera. And creaky exposition fills us in on the man’s bonafides—though it is nice to learn about this icon of mid-century American culture
