VIEWPOINTS – THE LAST MATCH and ACTUALLY: A pair of skillfully written and staged plays by Anna Ziegler (but is that enough?)

These are exciting times for playwright Anna Ziegler. This fall in New York, a pair of her plays are receiving expertly-staged productions. Ms. Ziegler first came to my attention about two years ago when her bittersweet play A Delicate Ship was staged by Playwrights Realm. I was enchanted by its intimacy and exquisite poetry. Suffice to say, I was eager to hear more from this wonderful new voice. It was also around this time that her 2008 science-themed play Photograph 51 was chosen to be the West End vehicle for Nicole Kidman; a well-deserved coup, to say the least. Subsequently, Ms. Ziegler worked with New York-based Keen Company to stage the topical, albeit tepidly-received, Boy. Which brings us up to date – currently, you’ll find not one, but two of her plays, The Last Match and Actually, receiving major Off-Broadway productions. Although both 90-minute one acts are skillfully-written, each falls squarely and safely within Ms. Ziegler’s comfort zone – intimate, relationship-driven dramas that, because of their meticulous construction, don’t necessarily have the excitement nor the visceral punch of some of her peers’ works. For her next outing, I would very much like to see this talented playwright further develop her craft by taking more risks and getting her hands dirty.

Wilson Bethel and Alex Mickiewicz in Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Anna Ziegler's "The Last Match" at the Laura Pels Theatre

Wilson Bethel and Alex Mickiewicz in Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Anna Ziegler’s “The Last Match” at the Laura Pels Theatre.

The Last Match (RECOMMENDED) can currently set at the Laura Pels Theatre courtesy of the mighty Roundabout Theatre Company. Ms. Ziegler’s four-hander depicts a semifinal tennis match at the U.S. Open between an American champion at the twilight of his career and a brash young Russian upstart (played convincingly by Wilson Bethel and Alex Mickiewicz, respectively, in spot-on performances). What starts off as a literal tennis match takes on a more contemplative air as the play moves backward and forward through time, highlighting the ups and downs of the personal and competitive lives of these two intensely-focused athletes, both of whom have sacrificed much to get to where they are. It’s all rather elegantly plotted, but the play is also a tad predictable and a little generic. Thankfully, director Gaye Taylor Upchurch’s lively staging brings much-needed urgency and exhilaration to the piece.

Joshua Boone and Alexandra Boone in Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Anna Ziegler's "Actually" at New York City Center.

Joshua Boone and Alexandra Boone in Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of Anna Ziegler’s “Actually” at New York City Center.

I have the same general feelings toward Actually (RECOMMENDED), which just opened last night at New York City Center in a co-production between powerhouse Manhattan Theatre Club and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Between the two, I found Actually perhaps the more interesting of the two plays. Although I applaud this two-hander’s eager, thoughtfully laid-out ambiguity, I found the piece’s symmetrical structure a tad too pat for the play’s blurry boundaries and incendiary topic (Set in Princetown, the play is a did he or didn’t he do it college rape play). Nevertheless, I found both Alexandra Socha and Joshua Boone’s shape-shifting performances to be powerful and well-shaded.  I was also very impressed with the work of Lileana Blain-Cruz, a director to keep an eye on; her staging is as unrelenting as it is fluid.

 

THE LAST MATCH
Off-Broadway, Play
Roundabout Theatre Company at the Laura Pels Theatre
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through December 23 

ACTUALLY
Off-Broadway, Play
Manhattan Theatre Club at New York City Center
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through December 3

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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