The Good Doctor (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)The cream of the Broadway Theatre Archive, this production has it all--the stories of Anton Chekhov, Neil Simon to mold the stories into exquisitely timed and hilarious theatre, and a cast that is hard to duplicate. Starring Marsha Mason, who plays everything from a maid to a lady of the night; Ed Asner who is a terrific, blustering general; and Lee Grant, who ranges from a wily and assertive employer to a wild woman with a "nervous disorder," the production also includes Bob Dishy, who has an elastic face and expressive eyes, starring in "The Sneeze" and "The Seduction," and Gary Dontzig as the "Drowned Man" and a 19-year-old son about to be introduced to sex for the first time.
The seven Chekhov stories which become one-act plays here are filled with dry humor, surprise endings, and clever common people in confrontations with "superiors" which end in absurdity. "The Sneezer" cannot apologize enough to the general who is his boss at work, then believes that he himself has been humiliated. In "The Governess," an employer (Grant) tricks a subservient governess (Mason) out of 80% of her pay. "The Seduction" shows a man-about-town (Chamberlain) using a husband as the conduit for his seduction of the man's wife, a story with a twist at the end. "The Drowned Man" (Dontzig) claims to be in the "maritime entertainment business" and will "drown" for a small fee. "The Defenseless Creature" gives Grant her star turn, and she is hilarious as the clever wife who wants money from a banker (Chamberlain), threatening him with a curse if he refuses. In "The Arrangement" a father takes his shy, 19-year-old son to a house of ill repute, then realizes that the son will no longer be a boy.
The most stunning episode is "The Audition," and anyone interested in acting would do well to study Marsha Mason, who is magnificent here. Playing the parts of all three sisters from the conclusion of Chekhov's The Three Sisters, she is sensitive, bursts into tears on cue, then becomes rational and straightforward. As Mason convincingly plays the three different roles, one witnesses a truly great acting moment. Each of the scenes is beautifully produced and sensitively acted, and the viewer comes away from the production awed by Chekhov's writing, Simon's dramatic sense, and the ensemble cast's incredible talent. Mary Whipple


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Lanford Wilson's Fifth of July (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)Lanford Wilson is the modern day Chekhov, and while "Fifth of July" isn't the absolute best example of this, it comes pretty darned close. The only thing really out of place is William Hurt as Kenneth, here portrayed by Richard Thomas. Throw away all preconceptions of Thomas's from his most famous earlier work (involving a family drama), and you'll find yourself very satisfied with his performance, as he is able to play the typically reserved, held-back Wilson-esque character of Kenneth with greath verve and conviction. He seems to be having so much fun, always smiling and giggling, but you can see in Thomas's performance that there's deep emotional baggage stirring, and even though William Hurt would've been able to more thoroughly convey Kenneth's complex character, Thomas does a very good job and it doesn't affect the quality of the production at all. Just don't stare directly at that mole-thingie on his face!
Swoozie Kurtz won the Tony for best actress, and you can see why clear on screen. Gwyneth Landis is one of the great characters of stage. . . outrageous, yet not Roberto Begnini level crazy. It's very pathological (the good meaning) and motivated. You'll enjoy it very much.
The production also features great performances from Jeff Daniels as Judd, and looking back now, after all the comedies that he's become so well-known for, you'll realize that he's an even better dramatic actor (on Stage and Film). He and Thomas seem to have a good affinity. The rest of the cast, save Cynthia Nixon, is from the Broadway cast, and they're all excellent.
Speaking of Cynthia Nixon, even at such a young age, she gives a truly excellent performance as June Talley, the last of the Talleys. Her part really isn't a large one . . . she's a supporting character, but she fulfills much more than her supporting part offers, and her eyes are magnetic, if not hypnotic in their intensity. She's young and naive, yet still she possesses
a great sense of maturity, and her ending speech, about how she is the last of the Talley's, is great. If you're a fam of the Talley Trilogy, you'll very much like the little resonances here and there in "Fifth of July."
I don't think "Fifth of July" would be as enjoyable for younger people as opposed to older ones. The subject matter alone dictates that, so if you're reading this now, you're probably be just fine. If you lived during the turbulent Sixties, then this production will definately be of interest to you. If you're a fan of good drama, not matter the medium, you'll find a lot to enjoy in "Fifth of July."
If you're a fan of Lanford Wilson, and have seen or read "Talley and Son," and "Talley's Folly," the other two plays in the Talley Trilogy, then this is a no-brainer. We're very lucky that finally, Wilson's great works have begun to emerge into the video mass media. Now many more people can experience his magic.
Bravo!!!

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College friends, who once agitated for a better world, find themselves looking for a way to revive their dreams in Lanford Wilson's acclaimed Broadway play. Set in the American South in the post-Vietnam era, this television production stars stage and screen's Richard Thomas and Swoosie Kurtz recreating her Broadway role, which earned her the 1981 Tony Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play.

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