Becky Shaw

Yesterday was a nutty day.  I went to see Josh play basketball in Soho and then hopped on a cab up to East 75th Street to watch the girls play ball and then hopped in another cab to have dinner with Fred and see a play.  Woah. 

Becky Shaw, which has opened to great reviews, is the latest production being put on at Second Stage Theatre.  As always, Second Stage, has solid actors.  Actually a few of the actors in this production were fantastic, particularly the people who play Max, Suzanna and Susan. The stage set is great and continually changing.  I also love the intimacy of the theater.

The play is really about Max.  Max and Suzanna grew up together.  Max moved in with the family when he was 10 years old.  Their relationships is one of a brother and a sister but there is something else there. We meet both characters in their early 30's after Suzanna's father has just passed away.

Max is surly and dry yet his own personal family history has made a scar on his ability to have relationships.  He takes care of Suzanna and her mother, Susan, particularly now that she has lost her husband.  Soon after her father dies, Suzanna marries a starving writer, Andrew with a big heart that is interested in fixing everyones problems.  Max can't stand him.  Andrew sets up Max with Becky Shaw who is a fundamentally flawed person, maybe or maybe not like Max and everything starts to unravel.

I loved the first act.  Laugh out loud lines.  Smart, clever and fast paced.  The second half I didn't love as much.  I found myself rooting for Max and the ending didn't end up as I had hoped.  Yet the play really does force everyone to confront personal issues head on.  Perhaps the end is more realistic and more like real life than a perfect ending. 

But, what can I say, I do like the perfect endings.