Picnic

Playing at the American Airline Theatre located 227 West 42nd street. It runs two hours and twenty minutes with one intermission. The show is closing on February 24, 2013.

The play premiered at the Music Box Theatre on February 19, 1953 and ran for 477 performances. Joshua Logan directed the show. Josh won a Tony Award for Best Director and William Inge (playwright) won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this play. Some of the original cast members were Paul Newman and Kim Stanley. Picnic was Paul Newman’s Broadway debut.

Mare Winningham has won several awards including an Emmy Award in 1980 for the television movie “Amber Waves”, an Independent Spirits Ward in 1996 for “Georgia” and a Lucille Lortel Award in 2008 for “10 Million Miles”. Mare latest television miniseries was “Hatfield and McCoy’s”. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for this role.

Elizabeth Marvel was last seen on Broadway in “Other Desert Cities”. She has won four Obie Awards for “Hedda Gabler” (2004), “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1999),” Misalliance” (1997) and “Therese Raquin” (1997)

Ellen Burstyn won an Emmy Award in 2008 for “Law & Order: Special Crime Victim Unit. She was nominated for an Academy for ”Mermaid” (2000), “Resurrection” (1980), “Alice Doesn’t Work Her Any More” (1974), “The Exorcist” (1973) and “The Last Picture Show” (1971). She won a Tony Award in 1975 for “Same Time, Next Year”.

The action takes place in a small Kansas town in the yard between Flo Owens and Helen Potter. Act one takes labor day early morning. Act two the same day just before sunset. Act three scene one early morning before day light, scene two later the same morning after sunrise.

Helen Potter (Ellen Burstyn) hires a drifter, Hal Carter (Sebastian Stan) to do some work around her home. It’s hot and he takes off his shirt to show off his well-toned body.

Flo Owens ((Mare Winningham) lives next door with her two daughters Madge (Maggie Grace) and Millie (Madeleine Martin). Madge is the pretty one and Millie is the brain. Madge’s boyfriend Alan (Ben Rappaport) is from a well to do family and is about to back to college. To every one’s surprise he knows Hal from college.

Flo’s boarder is a teacher Rosemary Sydney (Elizabeth Marvel). Rosemary puts on a show about she doesn't cares if her suitor Howard Bevans (Reed Birney) marries her.

The story revolves around the two sisters and the young men who are in their lives. Love has a different meaning for each one.

The three adults Flo, Helen and Rosemary toward the end of the play reveal their yearning for the love of a man. Flo’s marriage was not a good one and try’s to discourage her daughter Madge on making the wrong decision. Madge is determined to take her chance with Hal.

This is a well done revival. The cast works well together.

Mare Winningham and Ellen Burstyn do an outstanding job in their roles. They are a delight to watch. The look on Ellen Burstyn face when Sebastian Stan takes off his shirt is priceless.

This is the best role I have seen Elizabeth Marvel in. Not that the others were bad. But in this role she shines. Elizabeth does an excellent job. Do I hear Tony nomination?

Sebastian Stan keeps his cool minus his shirt. He does a good job as the insure guy putting on a front.

The set is simple. There are two different back of the houses. It comes across as a place not in the best part of town without over doing it. Andrew Lieberman is the set designer. He is a full time facility member at N Y U’s Tisch School of the Arts.

This is a show worth seeing. You won’t be disappointed.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annzor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left side for recent photos. Click on resent photos for this show and other shows.