3 / 10
“Gin Game” hasn’t stuck around this long for nothing, of course; there are flashes of insight and poignance even amid the ugliest moments. “I guess we just lived too long, Fonsia,” Weller muses, shortly after playing perhaps his cruelest trick on her. Perhaps Mr. Howard and Ms. Winger, whom I trust get along a lot better in real life than their characters do here, are finding some catharsis in this emotional torture; as a viewer, I certainly did not.
8 / 10
David Blum does what all wise directors do when gifted with such solid performers: he gets out of the way. Ashley Basile’s pop-up set features the basics: a card table, two chairs, and a swinging loveseat (this last bit might not even be strictly necessary). She has placed little dressing areas off to each side for the actors to change, extending the performances to the transitions as we see each character prepare for their next encounter, with anticipation or dread (Michael Schaffner’s costumes offer a clue, like armor for senior citizens going into battle). Sarah Woods keeps the lights at a contemplative dim for these transitions, while Bart Fasbender underscores them with the sound of a visiting choir, a bit of tinny overkill that nevertheless underscores the indignity of their situation.
Debra Winger and Arliss Howard star in a unique new production of D.L. Coburn’s The Gin Game at New York’s iconic Housing Works Bookstore. Directed by David Blum, this revival transforms the store into an intimate theater where audiences sit just feet away from the action. Check out what the critics are saying about the new production...
This summer, Debra Winger and Arliss Howard will star in a unique new production of D.L. Coburn’s The Gin Game at New York’s iconic Housing Works Bookstore.
| 1977 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1997 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 2015 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
