Play-full Saturday

Usually I don’t have the energy or the concentration level (I am a child of the 80s) to sit through two plays in one day. But today’s picks both happened to be 90 minute, intermission-less one acts. So I thought, what the hell. It’ll be like sitting through one 3-hour play with a 4-hour intermission. First on the agenda, the off-Broadway production of The Understudy.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar has certainly come a long way from Saved By the Bell. For a dude who’s never acted onstage before, he’s surprisingly natural and confident. It also doesn’t hurt that he looks hot in a tight T-shirt and jeans. Rebeck’s written a tight, accessible modern-day farce. Justin Kirk and Julie White are expectedly excellent, but seem to be in a casting rut. Both are portraying characters we’ve seen them play many times before. And though I thought White’s performance in Little Dog Laughed was sensational, some of her shtick here seems a bit over-the-top for the intimate Laura Pels Theatre.

Intense doesn’t begin to describe Mamet’s Oleanna, the second half of our theatre double header. I sometimes find Mamet-speak a bit too contrived, and to some extent, that was the case here. I’m not filing for my MENSA card anytime soon, but it took me the first fifteen minutes of the play for my brain to wrap around those rhythms. I mean, I’ve never really heard anyone speak that way, let alone a self professed “stupid” student. Others around us were not as patient as I and obviously not open to giving the play a chance. Their audible sighs and impatient watch gazing spoke volumes.

Overheard behind me as we were leaving the theatre (for full effect, speak out loud with an exaggerated Jersey accent): “I hated everything about it - the acting, the set. Terrible.” Usually, I’m pretty respectful of people’s opinions. But this lady was hemming and hawing within the first five minutes. It was obvious her party had purchased tickets to see movie stars, Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles, and didn’t even consider whether the play would actually appeal to them. Mamet is not Disney. If you don’t want to think, go see Mamma Mia! (I seem to be on a MM bashing tirade lately, huh? For the record, I enjoyed the movie.)

Actually, I was happily surprised at the quality of Pullman and Stiles’s (good name for a steakhouse) work. Stiles especially, since I’d seen her in Shakespeare in the Park years ago and was, well, let’s just say that I was not impressed. The play raised some interesting questions about power, manipulation and sexual politics, but it’s definitely not something I’ll ever need to see again - except maybe with some stunt casting. How about Brangelina? Or maybe Travolta and Fanning (good name for a Western wear outlet). It’s a great academic piece and the play's final confrontation, as played here, is worth sitting through the somewhat slow-paced opening.

I’d also love to plug GoSushi on 52nd (I think) and 8th. It’s cheap and yummy and they give huge portions. It’s also great for people watching, especially the gay hipsters smoking outside next door at Vinyl - another Hell’s Kitchen favorite of mine. And while you’re in the Gay-borhood, stop by the totally over-priced, but fun Delphinium Home store on 45th and 8th. You can always find some kitschy, clever stuff that you can then go online and order for much cheaper. I’m totally getting one of the bamboo Umbra bath mats - which, by the way, was actually the same price in the store as online. Go figure.