Topic Rose's Dilemma from the Theatre Chat forum.
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| Author | Topic: Rose's Dilemma |
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 Jean
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6/7/2003 | posted: 11/27/2003 at 5:51:37 PM ET
To continue--I saw the play on Nov. 26, matinee-the 3rd performance; what follows are just my impressions early in the process.
I liked the story. An aging and losing-her-sight famous writer has been unable to write and now needs money. But it’s a lot more–I see it as: how does an artist persist in making art (writing in this case) in his/her later years; letting go or making peace with a loved one who dies; and familial relationships. The 2 main characters (Rose and Walsh) are well-drawn, and although I’ve read they are patterned after Dashiell Hammet and Lillian Hellman, I don’t know anything about their personalities so I don’t know-or care-how close these characters are to the real life ones. Two other characters move the story along and become important later in the play. The play is funny, but not as much as one might expect from Neil Simon. Some of the scenes are predictable, but still are enjoyable.
The costumes, sets, and the lighting are appropriate, and give a nice realistic feel to the privileged Hamptons. The acting–the two minor characters are OK, but nothing special. The young man (David Aaron Baker) is supposed to be charming, off-beat, a failed writer who gets the spark to start writing again. The young woman (Geneva Carr) is kind of just there in the first act, more of a sounding board, but has some really emotional stuff in the second act–which Neil Simon really doesn’t build up to very well. The male writer (John Cullum) is all that I could want, smart, a little crusty, sensible, (and it’s not giving anything away to say that I think he has a hard role to play because he’s dead!). Cullum is just fine in this role. The Rose of the title is also smart, sophisticated, cranky (thanks to Liz Smith for that adjective), a little over-bearing and cool, but ultimately endearing. Mary Tyler Moore is quite good in the role. I thought she captured the character's complex personality and various moods quite well, and of course plays the comedy lines and scenes (even the predictable ones) perfectly. She occasionally appears awkward on stage, making little gestures or other body movements that seem to have nothing to do with the scene. Her voice is not really very “big”–there’s a word or term for this but I don’t know it–anyway it sounds like she’s not throwing or projecting enough. Well, maybe it’s like she’s speaking to someone next to her and forgot that there are 300 people to reach. (I don’t think the actors are miked.) If I had one thing I could say to the director, it would be to ask Mary to act like more of a diva-she’s almost too nice!
I’ve deliberately not discussed the plot in any detail, as there are a few plot turns and surprises that are fun to see as they unfold.
All told, I enjoyed this play and what a thrill to see MTM live, after following her on TV for all those years.
| Jean
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6/7/2003 | posted: 12/4/2003 at 5:04:21 PM ET
Hmm, MTM has dropped out of Rose's D. due to "artistic differences" with Neil Simon. What a shame that 2 professionals couldn't get it together--say I, knowing nothing of what went on.
I'm so glad I got to see this play with her in it.
| Karen
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5/3/2002 | posted: 12/4/2003 at 5:54:34 PM ET
Wow, what a shocker. Save that playbill, it'll be a real collector's item. I feel terrible for Mary Tyler Moore. I wonder a little about Neil Simon; didn't he sort of indirectly blame Bernadette for interfering with The Goodbye Girl book, in one of his memoirs. That was kind of tacky.
| PATTY
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3/1/2003
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tonawanda,n.y. | posted: 12/10/2003 at 12:18:04 AM ET
Who is replacing Mary Tyler Moore - or is the show closing? You'd think they'd have worked out those "artistic differences" in rehearsals!
To the loveliest lady of song!
You will keep on giving me joy forever...
| Karen
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5/3/2002 | posted: 12/10/2003 at 10:42:55 AM ET
The last I heard, the show was continuing with Mary's understudy, Patricia Hodges. I know I'm wildly biased, but the news reports I read left me with a lot of sympathy for Mary Tyler Moore and none for Neil Simon. The only possible explanation that I can think of for his behavior is that he knows he's dying, and he's so scared and angry that he's lashing out irrationally at everyone around him. Pure speculation, of course.
| Karen
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5/3/2002 | posted: 12/12/2003 at 3:38:59 PM ET
There's an article in the New York Times today that says several well-known actresses were approached to take over in Rose's Dilemma, including Swoosie Kurtz and Penny Fuller, but that Simon was so impressed with Hodges that they decided to stay with her. Also, hiring someone new would have required more rehearsals and probably a postponed opening, which other cast members didn't want. Apparently some were threatening to leave if this happened.
| Karen
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5/3/2002 | posted: 12/19/2003 at 1:47:47 PM ET
The reviews are starting to come out, and no surprise, they're extremely negative. The weirdest one of all is by Howard Kissell in the Daily News who confuses Patricia Hodges with the British stage actress Patricia Hodge. Oops! (I've always thought he was an idiot). Also, there's gossip that tensions remain high at the theatre--supposedly John Cullum threw a tantrum directed at Simon and Meadow recently.
|  BleuTwinks
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12/14/2003
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Arizona | posted: 12/21/2003 at 5:12:22 PM ET
I read an article at cnn.com in which Neil was saying that in the first 3 or 4 preview performances there was a woman in the first row calling out lines to Mary (I guess this was before she used the ear mic)and it was ruining the show. Just wondering if you noticed this, Jean, since you were at one of the first shows.
So yeah, it looks like this show is really gonna bomb. The critics all seem to agree on one thing...that the problem is a lousy play that lacks humor and substance...not lousy performers. This just makes Simon appear to be the weak and cowardly person he is by placing the blame on the actors and not facing up to his own failures/mistakes. Needless to say R's Dilemma will always be remembered for its backstage drama and Mary will always be the "star" Anyway I'm still seeing it next month...It should be interesting to see how it has shaped up by then.
|  moljul
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Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
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| posted: 12/21/2003 at 5:32:36 PM ET
For those of you who get NY1 and watch OnStage, there is an hysterical bit that MTM does at the Holiday Concert this past Monday. (I can't remember the name of the concert at the moment). Anyway, I guess she was a surprise guest and they show a clip of her welcoming the audience and right in the middle of it, she forgets her line. She starts over but trips up on the same line and the audience is laughing hysterically. Finally she calls out "Line!". And then makes her way to the wings where someone (the stage manager presumably) pulls her backstage. She comes back out with a headset on (much funnier than a earpiece) and walks back over to the podium. She says, "It was a suggestion". Then she continues on with her speech but with little interuptions as she is pretending to be fed her lines. And then she started to get interference in the headsets and was tapping it saying "What, What?, there's a pick-up on Amsterdam Avenue going to LaGuardia". Then she takes off her headset and announced, "Maybe I'll just make it on my own", which is, I'm assuming, a reference to the MTM Show Theme Song. Anyway, it was very funny on tape and I'm sure very funny in person. Glad to see she is taking it all in stride.
| Jean
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6/7/2003 | posted: 12/22/2003 at 7:07:18 AM ET
BleuTwinks--no, I didn't notice anyone giving Mary lines, and I was sitting in the sixth row on the aisle so I had a good view. There were a few-oh I'll call them bobbles--between Mary and John but it was very early in previews. I look forward to your thoughts.
Moljul--your description of Mary's apearance sounds truly hysterical--what a classy dame!
| BleuTwinks
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12/14/2003
From:
Arizona | posted: 1/28/2004 at 3:22:07 AM ET
After seeing the show last week, I'd have to say that the critics were somewhat harsh. Sure it's not Neil Simon's best work. I thought it was sweet and funny and it actually made my friend cry during the last scene. The characters were meaningful and touching and the jokes did not fall flat like all of the reviews stated. The actors all seemed to have it together pretty well too. I was impressed with Patricia Hodges but I agree with one of the reviews that said Rose is a diva and needs to be played by a genuine star. It was weird though because it was almost like Patricia was playing Mary playing Rose. She was so imitating Mary, which I found sweet.But overall it was a nice experience..we were not bored or disgusted with the show at all. This coming from someone who bought the tickets only to see Mary. But the next day I saw Gypsy and met Bernadette so it's all good.
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