The Playgoer: REVIEW: From Doris to Darlene (Time Out)

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

REVIEW: From Doris to Darlene (Time Out)

My review in Time Out today: Jordan Harrison's From Doris to Darlene. At Playwrights Horizons.

For me this play prompted the question: are some ideas--no matter how interesting--just impossible to dramatize?

I'd also like to say that my favorite moment in the play was when the Phil Spector character lit up and some old guy in the 5th row said at full voice: "I sure hope he puts out that cigarette!"

Onstage smoking bans--they're real, folks, and they're coming.

Addendum: Damn! Rob Kendt--who was sitting behind me that night--beat me to it. He also offers a different take on what was said, the gender of the speaker, and even on the play itself! As with all things, there is no one truth...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I shared this with Rob Kendt, but I thought you might find this amusing, too:

At the New Reperoty Theatre in Boston, I was attending "Frozen" in which one of the characters repeatedly smoked on stage. Midway into the first act, a woman in her fifties or sixties sitting two rows behind me in the orchestra section started audibly groaning and mumbling. I did the standard, turn and look over the shoulder glare a few times, with limited impact apparently. As tension built and another cigarette was lit, the audience member shouted to the actress onstage, "Put it Out!" Much shushing ensued and thankfully intermission came soon thereafter, at which point I confronted the offending audience member. Telling her that it was NEVER acceptable to shout at the actors onstage (this wasn't Rocky Horror!), I and now a supportive mob gathered to tell her we were neither amused nor willing to let her continue. She complained that smoking kills, and her husband who was with her spoke of lung cancer issues. I said to her regardless of her beliefs, she didn't have the right to ruin the play for the rest of us, she could leave, send a letter of complaint and even demand a refund (which I practically guaranteed her that the theatre would grant - afterall, they wouldn't want the negative publicity). Many of my fellow audience members came to my aide, mentioning the notices in the lobby about smoking and in the program. Thankfully, the lady left the theatre at intermission. Later, I heard that the incident was mentioned in the stage manager's nightly report and I was identified as "a supportive audience member". To this day, when I see that actress who is a friend of mine, I shout "Put it Out" instead of "bravo" after her performances and we both have a laugh!

Anonymous said...

Good for you, Jeff P! More power to you!