"Next Fall," a play I have been touting for some time as one of the most underrated theatrical experiences of the year, has just been nominated for a Tony. I am delighted. It is up against some pretty tough competition, including: 1) "Red," the play about Mark Rothko, by John Logan; 2) Sarah Ruhl's "In the next room or the vibrator play," and 3) Donald Margulies "Time Stands Still," which featured an all-star cast led by Laura Linney. Now it just so happens that I have seen all these plays, except the Margulies, though I did just see an older play of his called "Collected Stories" that I thought was great. Still, unless "Time stands still" is amazing, then in my humble opinion "Next Fall" deserves to win. Unfortunately, I don't think it will, as "Red" appears to be the strong front runner this year. It is a fine, glittering production, with terrific performances from Alfred Molina as Rothko and Eddie Redmayne as his assistant. It epitomizes what a really flashy play does. And who doesn't love flashy.
"Next Fall" on the other hand is a gentle, funny, emotionally stirring play about the most ordinary people and how they relate to each other. It's about a gay couple struggling to get along and it has strong religious undertones because one of the people in the relationship is a fundamentalist and the other is an agnostic. When one lover gets into a fatal accident, the families and friends of the respective partners clash. But, really, what makes this play so beautiful is how simple and true it is. Simple and true. Ought to trump flashy every time.
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