Rose’s Dilemma

Last night we went to see Rose’s Dilemma which is the new Neil Simon play at the Manhattan Theater Club. This is the play that Mary Tyler Moore walked out on. So far, this season, I have not been thrilled with the productions that MTC is putting on. Although, I certainly take my hat off to Neil Simon to continue to put out plays but this one was not so great.

I have yet to figure out what Rose’s Dilemma was. Is it that she wants her dead husband back? Is it the issues with her daughter/companion? Is it that she has to actually make money to continue her life style and how she should go about that? The whole story was a bit convoluted. There was a gap in the character development.

Regardless, there were some funny lines. The scenery was really great. The acting was pretty good too. I really thought Lynne Meadow, who directed this production did a good job. The main character was played by Patricia Hodges (I assume this was going to be Mary Tyler Moore’s character). Patricia was good regardless of the content. I really liked David Aaron Baker. He played the young writer. Maybe I liked his character more than the others.

My husband actually slept through the entire play. He woke up at intermission and asked if we should stay or go. I sort of wanted to see the conclusion and he was happy to sleep through the 2nd half too. In general, he tends to take small catnaps at even the most fantastic shows, but this one, he didn’t even attempt to stay awake. Maybe I have just have a higher tolerance for trying to find the bright spot in any production. There were some bright spots in this production but I wouldn’t race out to the box office for tickets.