Our Mother’s Brief Affair

Our Mother’s Brief Affair

Manhattan Theatre Club

At the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

January 10, 2016

Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

Our Mother’s Brief Affair is Richard Greenberg’s new play presently in previews at the Manhattan Theatre Club.  It stars Linda Lavin who delivers a strong performance as a woman in the final chapter of her life who shares her secrets with her adult children.  The script gradually builds momentum in Act I, then throws a curve right before intermission that begs for more detail.  Mr. Greenberg successfully follows through in Act II, however, the final scene, could use some edits and tightening in order to deliver the impact the script deserves.

Seth (played by Greg Keller) is speechless when his mother Anna (played by Linda Lavin) reveals, during a hospital stay, that she had a brief affair when he was a teen.  He immediately calls his twin sister, Abby (played by Kate Arrington), who flies to New York from California to assist him.  Even though the hospital stay proves to be another one of their mother’s overly dramatic incidents, the secrets she shares with them open up a side of her that neither of them knew before.  Seth questions how much is truth and how much is delusion, but Abby gives her the benefit of the doubt.  Either way, Anna has her moment and the healing has begun.

Gregg Keller & Linda Lavin
Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Company

Mr. Greenberg crafts a script full of poetic detail that engages the emotions.  The opening scene is a respectful and humorous remembrance of a mother by her son.  Seth’s job as a writer of obituaries and someone who “frames” the lives of the dead serves as a metaphor for the themes of the play.  Mr. Greenberg shows this hand early on in the script, and skillfully builds on it throughout the play.  Some of the humor in the beginning of Act II is dark.  Perhaps if the pace of this section is heightened and the timing tightened, the laughs would come more readily.  Mr. Greenberg writes a tremendously poignant and personal monologue for Anna part way through Act II, which Ms. Lavin portrays flawlessly.  This is the strength and beauty of the play.  It is followed, unfortunately, by a clumsy final scene where everything is wrapped up too succinctly.  With some tweaking and editing of this scene before opening night, this play can deliver an impact on all three characters that will resonate with all audience members.

Each of the actors creates a realistic character that is multidimensional and likeable, which makes this production worth seeing.  Our Mother’s Brief Affair opens at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 20 and runs through March 6.  If you see it after the opening date, please post your comments here and let me know what you think about the final scene.

Domenick Danza