Left on Tenth

During the show, "Left on Tenth" at the Jones Theatre, Delia (Julianna Margulies) tells the 4th wall audience that in her life "she takes two steps forward and one step back". Indeed her life seems this way. As a high strung, comical figure, Delia is a writer; her mother and father were writers too. Based on sister Ephron's memoir, "Left" is autobiographical. From the writers of "You've Got Mail" comes this warm, charming and heart- ripping new play that has many great things going for it!

For the most part "Left on Tenth" puts the audience at ease with its open and airy set (Beowulf Boritt), its combination of glam and romantic lighting (Billington and Edoloyi) and superb direction by Susan Stroman. Coupled with the charismatic Peter Gallagher as the widower psychoanalyst from the San Francisco Bay area, the show flows well for the 100 minutes intermission-less play.

The play is all New York... the warm, book- lined decadent apartment, the hustle and the bustle of the Village and the people that come into her life pre Peter (Gallagher). Delia laments constantly about her life; always questioning it. She worries about things the way Woody Allen would in his many movies... talking out loud, talking to the audience. When she breaks the forth wall, we feel like she has invited us into her living room, and into her life. This movement by Stroman makes the play that much more engaging to us in the audience.

The warm projections of New York City by Jeanette OI-Suk Yew always keeps us in the big city. While there are other places that Delia and Peter travel too, Yew always has the eye on the prize which is New York. The costumes (Jeff Mahshie) and wigs by Michael Buonincontro are as big a part as any in the show. With the vast appearances by the two featured actors, Peter Francis James and Kate MacCluggage, the wig work and the costumes made the believability of these two actors possible. Many of the scenes that they were in turned in a split-minute and the wig work was so good that audience members thought that they were looking at a whole different actor!

The play for the most part was filled with charm and humor, the typical Rom-com; until it got serious as well as dark. The hospital scenes (Delia gets sick) were very difficult to watch; especially for anyone who has had to deal with sickness like Delia's. Could the show have dealt with the sickness in a less forthcoming way? Was Stroman and Ephron going for the kill with such a deep scene as the hospital's was? It remains a question long after we left the theater. Either way, "Left on Tenth" is a memorable play; one that will stay with us a long time.

I'm glad Peter Gallagher was cast as Peter, he was perfect in this role. His patience, his wisdom and his lite-hearted charm went perfect with the easy set as well as with Margulies. The two were as lovable as they were believable on stage; their chemistry was magnificent!

In this crowded line up of a fall season on Broadway, "Left on Tenth" holds its own! In fact, it is one of the better shows that I have seen so far at the almost mid-way point of the season. The show is structured very well, it is acted well (at times the featured actor's scenes seemed like an after thought) and all of the secondary and tertiary things that make a show work, worked very well.

Robert M. Massimi, Peter Gallagher, Julianna Margulies, Broadway, Tony Awards, James Earl Jones Theatre.