Excerpts from the reviews
“The play is an odd, intermittently amusing exercise shot through with hints of rueful feeling and unspoken regret. . . . Mr. Tavares brings a note of worried grandiosity to his Robert, and T. Ryder Smith adroitly explores the innocent narcissism of John. The men’s vulnerable egos are nicely matched. There’s dry humor in their delicate one-upmanship, affectionate backstabbing, and guarded mutual criticism. And the production delivers a few uproarious bits . . . Barry creates a surprisingly somber, muted production that’s like an elegy.“ – Bob Campbell, The Newark Star-Ledger
“Listless . . . A throwaway production . . . What is needed to make the old script work is a reinterpretation by a visionary director and, of course, a pair of marvelous actors. Here, the actors have their moments and seize them, but more so in individual turns than in interplay . . . Zippers get stuck, phones don’t ring on cue, cigarette lighters don’t light. Mr. Tavares and Mr. Smith negotiate these blunders with aplomb . . . What’s missing here is a center . . . “ – Alvin Klein, The New York Times
“A grand homage to the profession. I relished the cat-and-mouse interplay between Tavares and Smith. . . . The play proves itself a veritable romp for these two gifted actors who are able to cope not only with a complex physical assignment – including many and fast costumes changes – but with the task of bringing a vivid transparency to roles that ask for a eventual reversal of psychological dependency. . . Smith does remarkably well as the less-hammy actor who progresses from raw to routine to downright respectable in the course of his duress-filled career.“ – Simon Saltzman, Morris County Daily Record
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