rsl_fans | (no subject)

Thanks to Amy for all her hard work.
Here's another review (had to make a separate post kept getting spam message).

http://www.vulture.com/2016/02/theater-review-prodigal-son.html

There is this interesting bit at near the bottom:

Robert Sean Leonard as Hoffman does as much as possible with a character who doesn’t make much sense to us because Shanley, still seeing his teacher through a teenager’s eyes, cannot make sense of him either. That being the case, and knowing from the play that Hoffman, before he died, specifically asked Shanley not to write about him, I wonder whether this material was ill served, not just theatrically but morally, by its fully autobiographical treatment

I find it frustrating that the writer makes a statement and then leaves it hanging for us to contemplate any possible reasons. I wonder if those who've seen the play have any thoughts on this?

Posting this here as edit can't seem to add to list so will also add any other I find here. Please

discofunction add to your original list

Have now deleted reviews that have been added to

discofunction original list.
Will post any new ones I find any here.

Threaded | Flat

I've only read the NY Times review, but it said basically the same thing -- that RSL did "his best" with a contradictory character. So there's probably something to this writer's view.

I'm really on the fence about seeing this now. A play centered on a 15-year-old boy doesn't hold much interest for me in the first place. Add to that the (seeming) self-indulgence of the playwright and ... Eh.

Many of the reviews seem lukewarm. Frankly it sounds like Shanley could have used a beta reader. Chalamet may be a great budding actor but just from the descriptions I dislike his character. I doubt I'd see this one if I had the chance.

Hmmm this interesting. I don't really know what to make of it as we don't really know the bigger picture...

I haven't had chance to properly read the reviews as the kids are home and keeping me busy. But scanning briefly, they seem a bit luke warm. I didn't see anything negative but it doesn't look like it wowed either. The critics do seem to find RSL very capable though.

Having seen the play, I agree completely. RSL's character is vague, and it's left for him to fill it out. He does, but as I wrote earlier, he didn't seem comfortable. There's a moment he sort-of-in-a-really-vague-maybe moment makes an inappropriate gesture toward the student, who freaks out. Then somehow he has to leave the school at the end. Does he try to have sex with students? It's so off the side of the desk it didn't register. And it was badly staged. RSL leaned forward from one side of the desk and tried to reach across the entire desk to touch the boy's cheek with his finger.

Watch the online previews instead. I'm glad I got to see him in person (yummy) but only go if you NEED to.

Posting this here as edit can't seem to add to list so will also add any other I find here. Please DISCOFUNCTION add to your original list

Thanks for all your help

snugs45!!! -searching for all these reviews is so time consuming! It worked out well for me as I was unwell on opening night and couldn't sleep, so I got up early and thought I'd just round-up the reviews/pics before I had to deal with the kids! :-)