My overall impression
in spite of excellent performances all around, Women felt more like an extended Saturday Night Live sketch than a play with some substance. i’ve been to the theatre thousands of times, and even lighter fare needs more than just fun moments. even though the intent was clear, a very clever take on Little Women using not just the characters of Girls but their attitudes and rhythms and behaviors, there was a sameness that took over the evening that lost it’s sense of drama to me. at some point i was ahead of them, knowing what to expect.
but, full disclosure, i am in my sixties, clearly not their target audience, and the crowd seemed to be more connected to that play than i was, so my reaction may be as much generational as anything else.
for sure it was filled with energy, smart dialogue, never talking down to the audience, and in those areas it was completely successful, but as satisfying theatre, i think it fell short.
