THE HANGOVER REPORT – Hayley Mills headlines the sophomoric comedy PARTY FACE

Hayley Mills leads Isobel Mahon's "Party Face" at New York City Center.

Klea Blackhurst and Hayley Mills in Isobel Mahon’s “Party Face” at New York City Center.

I recently had a chance to take in Isobel Mahon’s new comedy Party Face in an Off-Broadway production at New York City Center (the show is not to be confused with a Manhattan Theatre Club offering) before it shutters this weekend. What distinguishes Party Face is that its team is comprised almost entirely of women – it’s written, directed, and acted by women. I wish I could report that the results were worthwhile, but unfortunately, Ms. Mahon’s play just isn’t very good. Party Face is written in a sophomoric, totally obvious style that brings to mind the television sitcoms of the 1970s and 1980s. It’s one thing to be conscientiously imitating or parodying a certain style, but Party Face does so inadvertently.

The play, which takes place in present-day Dublin and tells the story of a house party gone awry, is at least competently mounted by director Amanda Bearse, whose production is handsomely-appointed. The cast is headlined by Hayley Mills (of “Parent Trap” fame), who shows solid, surprisingly nimble comedic skills in the role of a fussy, appearance-conscious mother. The rest of the cast – which features Allison Jean White, Brenda Meany, Gina Costigan, and Klea Blackhurst – are admirably game. If only the they had a better script to play off of. At its best, Party Face is mildly amusing, but mostly it’s a creaky, totally inconsequential comedy that ultimately falls flat.

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PARTY FACE
Off-Broadway, Play
New York City Center
1 hour, 45 minutes (with one intermission)
Through April 8

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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