My overall impression
Fantastic performances of a very difficult piece? What could be so difficult about 4 people on the same set with no lighting changes? Plenty when you have a show that is a comedy in the same vein as Uncle Vanya or the Larry David show. 4 completely unlikable, unsympathetic, characters who are meant to be funny. 4 people so warped up in their own neurosis and devoid of all but the bare minimum of empathy are meant to somehow elicit laughs from us.
And yet somehow it works. It is what’s known in the biz as a “difficult piece.” The staging, as is required, is sparse and nearly minimalist. We even start with an extended awkward pause. A more difficult comedy move than it sounds. Can you get a laugh doing essentially nothing? Well it happens. Watching this show is like watching a masterclass in scene work.
