The Other Place

Located at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre at 261 West 47th Street. It runs one hour twenty minutes with no intermission. The play closes on February 24, 2013.

Laurie Metcalf is known for her performance as Jackie Harris on ABC sitcom “Roseanne”. She has won three Emmy’s in 1992, 1993 and 1994 for “Roseanne”. In 2008 she was nominated for a Tony Award for “November”.

Daniel Stern received in 2009 the nation’s highest honor award for volunteerism from President Obama. “The Presidents Call to Service Award”.

Joe Montello is the director of this show. He has won three Tony Award for “Assassins”(2004 Director), ) “Take Me Out” (2003 Director) and “Angela in America : Millennium Approaches” (1993 Actor). Joe has been nominated for a Tony Award for “Love! Valour! Compassion!” (1995 Director), “Glengarry Glen Ross” (Director 2005) and “The Normal Heart” (2011 Actor). Joe last directed the off Broadway show “Dogfight”.

Eugene Lee is the scenic designer. He won two Tony Awards for “Sweeney Todd” (1979) and “Wicked” (2004).

The play takes place in Boston and Cape Cod ten years ago and the present.

Juliana (Laurie Metcalf) is lecturing her colleagues in St. Thomas on a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s. She seems distracted by a woman in a yellow bikini in the audience of all men.

The story goes back and forth from her lecture to her family. Juliana’s husband Ian (Daniel Stern) wants a divorce. Her daughter (Zoe Perry) is finally communicating with her. The daughter’s husband (John Schiappa) worked for Juliana. She thinks she has brain cancer since she has a family history of it.

But all is not what it seems. I won’t spoil what it is.

Joe Montello does a remarkable job directing.

Laurie Metcalf does an outstanding performance that pulls at your heart strings. The scene in her old Cape Cod house will bring tears to your eyes.

Zoe Perry does great job as “The Woman”. She has several roles, all of which she does a flawless job.

The set is great. From the floor to almost the ceiling there are clustered together what seems like frames, windows or mirrors. It’s up to you to decide. Are you looking thru a window seeing what is happening? Perhaps you are seeing a reflection of what is going on. But then it could be a picture of what has been. At one point it opens in the center and there is a living room with steps going to the second floor. The top of the stage is used to reflect things such as clouds.

It is a little confusing in the beginning because jumps around. You are not sure what is what. The play is still worth seeing one you get over that hurdle it picks up with a heat wrenching finish.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich

Photos by Annazor.

For a candid interview with the cast scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.