Relatively Speaking

At the Brooke Atkinson Theatre 256 West 47th Street. The play opened on October 20, 2011 and has an open run.

John Turturro is making his Broadway debut as a director. John has appeared in over sixty films. He won an Emmy for his role in Monk.

Relatively Speaking is made up of three plays. "Talking Cure" by Ethan Cohen. Ethan along with his brother have made fifteen films. "George is Dead" by Elaine May. She had a successful partnership with Mike Nicholas. Elaine won a Drama Desk award for "Adaptation" She was also nominated for a Oscar for "Heaven Can Wait" and "Primary Colors". Honeymoon Hotel" by Woody Allen. Woody has spent most of his career as a film maker and has just completed his 43rd film.

There is a fifteen actors appearing in various role in the plays. After "Talking Cure" there is a four minute intermission and then after "George is Dead" there is a fifteen intermission.

"Talking Cure" is about a psychologist (Jack Kravits) in session with his patient (Danny Hoch). Each time the lights go out and back on again it's another session. The last scene is his parents (Allen Lewis Rickman) and (Katherine Borowitz) waiting for dinner guests and the conversation that goes on. This is the part trying to explain why he is the way he is. It wasn't funny and and by now who cares. The set was in a metal cage. His parents scene was in there dinning room. There five actors in the play and it lasted thirty minutes.

"George is Dead" is about Doreen (Marlo Thomas) dead husband. She goes to her nanny daughters Carla (Lisa Emery) apartment. She has no where to go and no one to turn to. Doreen is a shallow, dipsy women who has been catered to her whole life. Carla has her own problems with her mother (Patricia O'Connell) and her husband Michael (Grant Shaud). Carla takes over arranging the funeral. It ends at the funeral home. Marlo is good as a women whose world has just fallen apart. Lisa is solid as the women holding on by a shoe string. There are six actors in the play and it lasted an hour.

Honeymoon Motel is about Jerry Spector (Steve Guttenberg) and his bride Nina (Ari Graynor) arriving a tacky motel which happens to have bridal room. Nina is hungry so they order pizza. Things aren't what they seem to be. Jerry is the stepfather of the groom (Bill Army) and he has run off with his stepson's fiance at the wedding. This is a slap stick comedy at it's worse. Some of the skits were funny. But it just silly. The first person to appear is Jerry's friend Eddie (Grant Shaud) who said he spotted Jerry's car. Jerry's wife Judy (Caroline Aaron) comes to the room. Then Nina's parents show up, Fay Roth (Julie Kavner) and her husband Sam Roth (Mark Linn-Baker). Jerry shrink Dr. Bill (Jason Kravits) makes an appearance so does The Rabbi (Richard Libertini). Finally the pizza man Sal Buonacotti (Danny Hoch). How they all found them is amazing. Well except for the pizza man, who set's them all straight on things ."Sure" Julie Kavner was funny and so was Richard Libertini. Steve Guttenberg kept making these weird expressions. Who would want to run off with him looking like that. There are ten actors in the play and it lasted about an hour.

The best play was "George is Dead" I could see them making a full play out of the the story line, based on the daughter.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.