I love Horton Foote, and his Dividing the Estate confirms my romance with his work. As impeccably cast and deftly directed by Michael Wilson, the show puts us in the midst of the family interactions on the stage in the drama of a Southern family, its foibles and mistakes, and the death of a matriarch. There is not a false note in the interaction of these relatives and their economic problems which partly grew out of hopes and unrealistic dreams.
I found myself totally engrossed, and, indeed enchanted by the work, the language, and nuances of the acting by the entire thirteen member cast. Who are the great American playwrights? August Wilson, Eugene O'Neil, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon and Horton Foote. Each has a unique insight into the American heart, and Foote's Texas has a human universality that I love.
Previews:
September 18, 2007
Opened:
September 27, 2007
Ended:
October 27, 2007
Country:
USA
State:
New York
City:
New York
Company/Producers:
Primary Stages
Theater Type:
off-Broadway
Theater:
59E59 Theaters
Theater Address:
59 East 59 Street
Genre:
Drama
Director:
Michael Wilson
Review:
Cast:
Elizabeth Ashley (Stella), Arthur French (Doug), Hallie Foote (Mary Jo), Penny Fuller (Lucille), Gerald McRaney (Lewis), Devon Abner, James Colby, Lynda Gravatt, Virginia Kull, Maggie Lacey, Nicole Lowrance, Keiana Richard
Technical:
Set: Jeff Cowie; Costumes: David C. Woolard; Lighting: Rui Rita; Sound: John Gromada
Miscellaneous:
Foote wrote the screenplaya for "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Tender Mercies."
Critic:
Richmond Shepard
Date Reviewed:
September 2007
