Setting The Scene
February 2nd, 2007 by Lola
For those of us below the 35+ television viewer demographic, Tony Shalhoub is not exactly a household name. Same for Patricia Heaton, though her foray into the world of breast lift surgery was well-documented in the pages of Us Weekly or People a few years ago. Both are immensely talented actors who have racked up multiple Emmys - Shalhoub for his turn as an OCD San Francisco detective Monk, and Heaton for putting up with Ray Romano’s nasal drivel for nine seasons (nine seasons!). But now, my glamour pusses, they are co-starring in The Scene, an Off-Broadway play that merits even the youngsters’ attention.
Running through Feb. 11, The Scene centers on out-of-work actor Charlie (Shalhoub), who finds himself smack in the midst of a midlife crisis and foolishly betrays his high-power TV producer wife (Heaton). Ingénue Anna Camp plays a love-to-hate-her dumb blonde who philosophizes well beyond her mental capacity, and Christopher Evan Welch, my newest tall drink of water, rounds out the superb cast in a scene-stealing supporting role.
I attended the play on a chilly Saturday, flailing an “I’m your biggest fan!” wave at Shalhoub as he approached the 2econd Stage Theatre on 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue. After biding my pre-theater time with a delicious cocktail from Scott, my bartender friend at Zuni, a surprisingly (pleasantly) uncrowded restaurant on Ninth Avenue, I made my way back to the theater for the 8 p.m. curtain. As I entered, the theater, an usher handed me an orange rubber bracelet à la Armstrong (they still make those?), saying, “This represents our need for great living American playwrights.” Perhaps 2ST has one on its hands.
Anyone who’s lived in New York will appreciate playwright Theresa Rebeck’s inside jokes about the city’s cannibalistic, superficial party scene. The dialogue crackles with wit and sass as Rebeck manages to avoid most of the obvious cliché pitfalls that befall any writer taking up a.) midlife crises, b.) New York’s post-Bushnell social scene and c.) out-of-work actors. Shalhoub and Heaton lead the all-around strong cast with an impressive fervor that again proves they are much more talented than the one-trick ponies that frequently litter today’s television landscape.
Even as the mostly comic play turns darker and Shalhoub’s character spirals further inward, each of the 135 minutes spent with Rebeck’s characters is a pleasure. If nothing else, The Scene is good for a knowing laugh among us savvy socialites who have learned the ropes in New York’s glittering social stratosphere… and lived to tell.
February 3rd, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Shalhoub is an excellent actor. From being just a tiny bit OCD myself, his character in Monk is quite fascinating and true to the concept as far as I understand. Good to know he’s doing intersting stuff outside of TV as well.