Gotham Gal: After the Fall

I got to see After the Fall last night which is playing right now at the Roundabout Theater. I was excited to see Peter Krause who is terrific as Nate on
Six Feet Under on HBO, Sunday night. His character last night, who is certainly a different character, was not played so differently. I did not love his performance but there were moments where I really liked his performance. Very uneven. He did seem to feel comfortable and enjoy himself on stage so I hope he can continue to find roles that might help him develop on stage. He is awful cute.

The play was written by Arthur Miller in 1964. This play is a supposed play about himself, his life prior to marrying his last wife. The entire play takes place in an airport terminal, circa 1962. The scenery is actually well used, modern and sparse. I liked it. He is about to pick up a woman he met overseas at the airport, that is the present tense. The rest of the play goes back in time about his uncertainty of past relationships ending in divorce, relationships with his parents that appear to have lots of baggage and his question to himself of is he capable to having a healthy relationship. His past relationships all seem very unhealthy. He is in his own world. He doesn't communicate with his spouses. He doesn't communicate with his friends. At least he isn't sure he does and his wives obviously don't think he does. Also, there is the underlying theme of this character, who is a lawyer, being involved with the Commie craze of that time. His friends and firm are being subpoenaed to talk about their Communist beliefs.

The play is a bit all over the place. Some of the scenes go on way too long! The play is 2 1/2 hours when it could really be 1 1/2 hours but again, it was written by Arthur Miller so I am not sure that liberties can be taken. Although it would have been nice. The best thing about this place was watching Carla Gugino as Maggie, who is supposed to be Marilyn Monroe. She was absolutely amazing! I'd love to see her again and again in other other productions. She lit up the stage and her acting is superb.

I read a little bit of Arthur Miller's bio this morning. He ends up marrying a third time, happily, because he is still married to a European photographer ( I believe her name is from Danish descent) since 1962. He is still writing and lives in Connecticut.

I saw the Crucible last year which was also an Arthur Miller play and fantastic. This particular play, After the Fall, is worth missing.

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After the Fall

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