Mid-day drama

Since drama class and one-act plays in high school, I've loved theatre. Though I definitely prefer plays to musicals. Overall, musicals are very showy (sorry for the pun) - so many lights, pyrotenics, loud music, singing and dancing. Does distraction/visual stimulation pass as true entertainment? However, there's something to be said when 4 actors on a minimalist stage with no set changes can captivate your attention for 2 hours straight (i.e. Proof). There aren't nearly as many good plays on Broadway as musicals, so I don't see plays that often. Actually the last play I remember seeing was The Shape of Things by Neil Labute in 2001.

And so I found myself in the West Village yesterday at a matinee performance of Neil Labute's new play, Some Girl(s). Good stuff. An all-star cast: Eric McCormack from "Will & Grace" plays it straight; Fran Dreschner from "The Nanny" speaks without her whiny, nasal, Brooklyn accent and strips down to her bra & panties on stage (nice stomach!); and Maura Tierney from "ER" was just fabulous overall. Neil Labute has a really unique ability to create dispicable characters. In all of his works, there's at least one person whose words and behaviors generate a visceral reaction from the audience. And this was no different, we were all groaning at the lead guy's antics.