Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Charles Mee’s slight, fractured FIRST LOVE disappoints on several fronts

• By drediman
• June 24, 2018
• No Comments

Angelina Fiordellisi, Michael O’Keefe, and Taylor Harvey in Charles Mee’s “First Love” at the Cherry Lane Theatre.

Thespianism was designed for the young. The life of a struggling actor is not an easy one; it’s financially unpredictable, and health benefits often times elude stage practitioners. Therefore, whenever I encounter actors of a certain age – particularly in New York, where the cost of of living can be prohibitive – I take notice. Indeed, not too long ago, a quartet of actors over sixty wowed me in Mallory Catlett’s This Was the End, one of the most cutting edge pieces of theater I’ve seen in recent memory, and I called out their not insignificant contributions at the top of my write-up. It was with this sense of anticipation that I approached Charles Mee’s First Love, a slight, fractured play that depicts unlikely love at a late stage in life.

The current Off-Broadway revival at Cherry Lane Theatre commemorates Mr. Mee’s 80th birthday. His Big Love (which, along with True Love, comprise the playwright’s “Love Trilogy”) was a seminal experience for me when I saw it at Chicago’s Goodman theater way back in 2001; it was also successfully mounted by Signature Theatre Company a few years ago here in New York. It’s with a sad heart for me to report, however, that First Love doesn’t come near to living up to those memories, disappointing on a number of fronts.

Director Kim Weild’s staging is solid, although the Magritte-inspired look of the production (set design is by Edward Pierce) only superfluously connects with the themes of Mr. Mee’s meandering, half-baked play. But more importantly, there’s really nothing in the play that highlights anything particularly enlightening about falling in love, unavoidable baggage and unbreakable habits and all, at an older age. As the central lovers, the pairing of the accomplished actors Michael O’Keefe and Angelina Fiordellisi looks good on paper. They’re more or less game, although the Oscar-nominated Mr. O’Keefe looked somewhat bored, at times embarrassed, with it all.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

FIRST LOVE
Off-Broadway, Play
Cherry Lane Theatre
1 hour, 15 minutes (without an intermission)
Through July 8