Thoughts on "GRACE"

Ok- this is my "review" of Grace on Broadway. I use quotes because, I think this is just going to be some general thoughts on the show overall. Which, I guess is what a review is... but anyhow. It just seems so official.... also... there may be spoilers, or things you might think are spoilers - I don't know how you feel about these things, so I'm just warning you now.

Grace
Cort Theatre
Playwright: Craig Wright
Director: Dexter Bullard
Paul Rudd, Michael Shannon, Kate Arrington, and Ed Asner

First off, I just want to say that I loved the fact that I walked to this show from my apartment on East 48th Street and got to the theatre on West 48th Street. I didn't even have to go to the north side of 48th, just straight over. HOW COOL IS THAT!?

Ok, preshow - we are brought into the world of the play immediately through the set being completely visible and ambient Florida sounds being heard. I got in early and got to my seat with plenty of time to take in the set.

Let's talk about that for a minute - I was completely and utterly in love with this set. It was so simple, a front door, a sliding glass door, couch, chair, table with chairs, long desk behind the couch, coffee table. That was it. My friend Ashley noted that she preferred our seats (which were partial view Orchestra Left, but really weren't partial view at all) to the front row because the stage was so tall. I noticed that the stage was raked (higher in elevation in the back than in the front) which was very interesting to me, and then I noticed the whole set was within a circle on the stage and that the height of the stage was probably because of this circle rotating. And BOY was I right! Even before the play began there was ever so subtle spinning of the set, the doors generally spinning in opposition to the rest of the furniture.

This leads me to a note about the directing and staging/stage pictures/movement. I was fully impressed with how the set almost continuously was moving, yet many times went unnoticed.  The actors did well with this and were directed extremely well to move in such a way as to remain open to the audience by adjusting to the spinning of the set, but without making it completely obvious or annoying in the rest of their actions. The "choreography" of these actors on this stage was brilliant.

The actors also had amazing individual performances, as well as a collective amazingness as a whole.
I was most excited to see Paul Rudd because he played Mike, Phoebe's husband, on FRIENDS. And he did an excellent job, but I grew tired of his character, mostly I think because I am annoyed by that type of person and don't agree with what they believe. He was, to quote the show, a "jesus freak."

That leads me to Ed Asner. He had a large part in the beginning and ending of the play. That man is amazing, and this part is hilarious, and also heartbreaking - and heartwarming. He was probably my favorite part of the show.

Michael Shannon and Kate Arrington had probably the most consistent stuff to do. (Rudd gets to flip out at the end, which he does very convincingly.) I enjoyed both of their performances a lot.

I'm not sure what else to say at the moment, and I feel I've said quite a bit, so I'll stop.

I highly suggest trying to get in to see this show before it closes it's limited engagement in January.