Downstairs

Downstairs is play at the Cherry Lane Theatre located at 38 Commerce Street. It runs one hour forty five minutes with no intermission. The play closes on December 22, 2018.

Tyne Daly made her Broadway debut in That Summer-That Fall in 1967. She is known for the television role as Detective Mary Beth Lacy in Cagney and lacey (1882-1988). She won for Prime Time Emmys for the role. In 1989 she won a Tony Award for Gypsy (1990) and was nominated for two Tony Awards for Mother and Son (2014) and Rabbit Hole (2006).

Teddy (Tim Daly) is in the unfurnished basement of his sister Irene (Tyne Daly) home. He has a shirt on and underpants. Teddy puts water in the coffee and eats some cereal with no milk. He uncovers the computer and uses it.

Irene comes down the stairs to the basement insisting Teddy put on some pants. She tells him her husband Jerry (John Procaccino) wants him to leave.

Teddy tells her someone in the office is trying to kill him and tells her about the incidents. He doesn’t say if he’s on leave or fired from the office. There is a project he is working on.

We find out about their childhood. The father left and the mother was unstable. Things were not good for them. He tells her the computer is working she says it’s broken.

Teddy tells Irene, Jerry is a demon.

Jerry is a control freak. Irene pretends she is happy.

Jerry comes down and gets into an argument with Teddy.

Teddy leaves.

Irene goes down in the basement after Teddy left. She finds a sticky pad with notes Teddy had written on. She goes on the computer. Gerry comes down. He sees her on the computer and makes remarks about her brother. She gets up and he sits down at the computer deleting things. He threatens her. We hear pounding at the door. Again he threatens her and she says I don’t think so.

Next thing Teddy is in the basement with Irene. She tells him it is ok to stay. John was arrested and won’t be out for a long time!

This is an interesting play about how our lives as adults are influenced by happens to us as children.

We get little information on some things like why Jerry was arrested. Given the fact Irene told Teddy that John said he didn’t want children with her, sex yes children no. I came up with that he was on the computer doing something with child porn? But that’s my opinion.

The cast was outstanding.

Narelle Sissons set is impressive

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.