See it if Have never heard of Linda Lavin and would like to see an exquisite actress play the classic Jewish mother stereotype fresh & witty.
Don't see it if You prefer not to have to listen carefully. The writing is masterful!
See it if You are ready to be drawn in by Linda Lavin's expert facial expressions as she delights in her own story.
Don't see it if you want everyone's performance to match Linda Lavin's
See it if ...if you appreciate top-level acting by the amazing Linda Lavin as an elderly woman who may or may not have a secret she's now revealing.
Don't see it if ...if you don't like comedy-dramas with historical references that for some need explaining; or you find stories about older people blah.
See it if You enjoy well-written, brilliantly acted family dramas.
Don't see it if You can't suspend your sense of disbelief.
See it if for Linda Lavin
Don't see it if some farfetched plot twists will take you out of the moment
See it if I enjoyed the show. I think anyone who grew up in a Jewish household, from the NY Metro area will get it more.
Don't see it if your sensitive to dimensia...even if in a humorous way
See it if u'er a Linda Lavin & Richard Greenberg fan -- 2 masters of theater. Production values tops, play more narrated than dramatized, v/ skillful.
Don't see it if u don't enjoy cerebral, perhaps overly talky plays w/ a main character who may be lying to her children and us. Has she convinced herself?
See it if You're a Linda Lavin fan and in the mood for something different.
Don't see it if You can't stand ambiguity.
"Greenberg’s laugh-filled but insubstantial new comedy...Late in the play, Greenberg rewards Lavin with a meaty memory-within-a-memory monologue. But such sudden, overwhelming sadness is too much, too late. A Richard Greenberg play is theatrical comfort food; this is his 11th MTC production. Somehow, 'Our Mother’s Brief Affair' got overcooked."
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"An underwhelming dramatic comedy...The play has witty lines and a few surprises, but it’s also sluggish, messy and short on plot. Greenberg’s attempts to play with time and dramatic structure come off as labored. Meadow’s staging is generally flat."
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"All four performances are quite strong but it is Lavin's show. In addition, while Greenberg's dialogue is predictably glib and witty, the play's darker tones allow Lavin - known for her comic skills - to flex her dramatic chops here. And she is sublime. Director Lynne Meadow's subtle and sensitive direction can't quite overcome the play's structural flaws."
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"It's disappointing when a play that is intelligently written and generally well-acted just doesn't coalesce. It's especially disappointing when the dramatist is Richard Greenberg, a premier theatrical chronicler of the Jewish-American family. His latest, 'Our Mother's Brief Affair' will no doubt appeal to certain people, especially with the sublime Linda Lavin in the title role. But even a performer as watchable as Lavin can't elevate this sluggish play into a compelling evening of theater."
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"The playwright probably has something to say about forgiveness or the allure of bad boys, but while there's a decent amount of cleverness in his lines, the story never amounts to anything of significant consequence. Director Lynne Meadow's production is fine and neither she nor her actors should be blamed for the overall sluggishness of the overwritten proceedings, but aside from Lavin, 'Our Mother's Brief Affair' is hardly one to remember."
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"In the early stretches of 'Our Mother's Brief Affair,' I thought, Linda Lavin should be grateful for playwright Richard Greenberg. A little later, I realized I had it backwards… Lavin commandeers a role that fits her as snugly as the classic Burberry coat that is the character's fondest possession…'Our Mother's Brief Affair' is a situation in search of a play, or perhaps the material for a striking short story stretched thin over two full acts."
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"Curious and frequently flavorless confection by Richard Greenberg...What does the alternately leaden and breezy piece mean when they're combined within the ripples of memory? There's no easy way to tell, and without Linda Lavin at the helm, there wouldn't be an especially compelling reason to investigate."
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"Unfortunately, the playwright seems to have left it up to Lavin and director Lynne Meadow to move this play into my list of prime-Greenberg plays…Though Lavin is still at the top of her game there's so much she can do with what's been given her. The zingers are often not up to Greenberg's sharpest. And the big secret about the other party of that brief affair just doesn't add up to a really well developed, provocative plot development."
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