I assume that every review I write, even the positive ones, will result in a few nasty emails. Theater people are a curious breed and many will call you all sorts of terrible things for complimenting their hair when the play was so obviously about their shoes. Still, I had no idea that my one sentence review of Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels would set off an avalanche of angry phone calls, ugly emails, and grumpy comments. Most took issue with my style while ignoring the substance of a gimmicky little post which was every bit as complementary as it was caustic.
Here’s a link to the original but there’s no point in not quoting the whole thing
The cast is ideal, the direction is thoughtful and the costumes are absolutely fabulous but
what in the hell kind of cleaning products were being freebased when the playfinding committee scheduled this pointless obscurity to appear on Theatre Memphis’ Lohrey Stage?
It’s sad that I need to break things down like this but for those who can’t see the steak for the parsley, this single sentence is what we in the business call a mixed review. Miraculously, its deliberate lack of subtlety doesn’t preclude nuance. Many things about the show are obviously quite good and I don’t even question the validity of staging such a trifle. I do however question the judgment behind putting this third rate tripe by a first rate wit on the big ‘ol Lohrey stage.
Before Playhouse on the Square opened its new state of the art facility in Midtown last week the The Lorhey stage was the Boardwalk and Park Place of theatrical real estate in Memphis. With Hotels even. And it’s still Marvin Gardens, at least and there are very good reasons why seasons are chosen by committee rather than fiat. As it turns out I owe Theatre Memphis’ playfinding committee a huge, huge apology. Sorry guys. I now know that you had little or nothing to do with picking Fallen Angels. If my grapevine can be trusted—and considering the vast and varried outpouring of juice I’m very sure it can be— this show was presented to them by the powers that be as more of a fact than an option. Here’s the back story
