“Mercifully, it’s over in 85 minutes...Aside from the consummate stupidity of words dumped into a word processor by the author for no other reason than to see his own voice land in total silence, and the stillborn direction there’s nothing much to acknowledge here...It’s embarrassing to watch two distinguished artists playing meatheads beyond their prime...It’s even worse to see them trapped in a ludicrous waste of time and talent by a writer of such ineptitude."
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“‘First Love’ is a tricky play. Negatively received on its first NY go-round nearly 17 years ago, it's unapologetically idiosyncratic. Edith and Harold spontaneously burst into song...Weild is completely in tune with Mee's collage-like style, and has guided her designers the same way...Not for everyone, but Fiordellisi and O'Keefe make for a thoroughly charming pair as these two unlikely lovers. Neither one hit a single false note, even as Mee's writing becomes overly florid.”
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“Is there anything more charming than watching two older people falling in love? Well, perhaps. Like when the romance occurs...in ‘the world of Magritte.’ Add the delightful performances of Michael O'Keefe and Angelina Fiordellisi, as a pair of old-school leftists bonding over common pasts...and you have a sweet, funny, and quirky way to pass a bit of time…By no means the deepest play you'll ever encounter, but it's a sweet little abstract delight.”
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“A series of fey vaudeville routines, mildly Beckettian in nature and packed with aphorisms about life and love that could have been lifted from fortune cookies...O'Keefe and Fiordellisi are nimble and game performers, willing and able to contort themselves into whatever attitude Mee dreams up, but the net effect is of watching balls rolling in separate tracks, following their prearranged paths, never meeting in any significant way...To me, this is first love without rapture, transport, or wit.”
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“Depending on one’s taste it could either be enchanting or 75-minutes of strained whimsy...A nostalgic ode to Mee’s early years as the two main characters are old-time New York City Leftists...The dialogue is heightened, poetic and with Beckettian reveries. Though the play is not very compelling, its good-natured spirit sustains it...Crisp direction has the action flowing smoothly...A minor though charming work and it is an opportunity to experience Charles Mee’s sensibility."
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“Will elicit from theatergoers either a smile or a shrug. But, like it or not, it's an intriguing 180-degree turn from the conventional romantic comedy...Mee's romance tackles the issue of age-ism head on, and resonates with the post-Woodstock zeitgeist...There's no linear narrative...For those who need something to hold onto in a play, this romantic romp may prove exasperating at times...That said, this well staged and performed revival gives 'First Love' an exhilarating second life."
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"An exquisitely constructed, deeply moving tale…There's a profound kindness, along with an effortless sort of whimsy stemming from a thorough understanding of humanity…In his uniquely poetic language and fascinating imagery, Charles Mee presents an exquisite love story that is mesmerizing, and above all painfully honest…A story that will make you laugh out loud and weep tears of understanding."
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“Short but bittersweet…‘First Love’ manages to expertly catch that intangible quality that changes everyday companionship into heart-stopping true love…O’Keefe is so believable in his role as the stubborn but insecure Harold that it’s easy to forget this is not real life…It would be impossible to watch this 90-minute snapshot of life and not feel some kind of jolt in your own memory. The pain and joy of Edith and Harold’s experience is relatable, absorbing, and often quite funny.”
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