The director, Mark Lamos, hasn’t elicited performances that might give the relationship between Cornelia and Walker the intriguing emotional undertow suggested in the script...Were we to see something more dark and urgent in his mission, the play would cut a little deeper. Mr. Gurney springs a few surprises, some more plausible than others."
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"A. R. Gurney’s dead-behind-the-eyes comedy 'Love & Money' reveals the one downside of Signature’s Playwrights-in-Residence program: the pressure, on both sides, to produce. Gurney, of course, has skill, but asking him for a world premiere seems to have caught him uninspired. The play fills out the season, but no more."
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"Sophomoric. That is the word for this play. 'Love & Money' has so many holes in the plot that it seems more like a frivolous writing exercise created on a rainy afternoon than anything that should be taken seriously...Why this play is being produced, when there are boatloads of good plays out there pining away for a friendly nod, is a mystery. And a waste of precious time."
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"This unfocused and unfunny comedy has none of the wit, insight and clarity of Gurney’s better works...Unbelievable characters and an unclear message about class, culture and legacies are major liabilities as the play lurches toward a conclusion. The acting is so-so at best. The script gives director Mark Lamos little to work with. At just 75 minutes, the show strains patience, credulity and goodwill."
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"'Love & Money' runs just 85 minutes and still seems padded. The latest by A.R. Gurney is a trifle of a show, a soufflé that collapses as soon as you start thinking about the plot’s holes. And that moment comes pretty early on...Mark Lamos’ production goes down easy, but it’s also nutrient-free and meandering."
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"It is a buoyant comedy that also contains some startlingly shrewd observations about wealth, the nature of trust, and the prospect of aging with dignity...Gurney's text teems with sparkling bons mots...It's a testament to Gurney's mastery of craft that he is able to ground his over-the-top comedy in a palpable truth...Ultimately, we're all at the theater to have a good time, which you definitely will with 'Love and Money.'"
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"If the plot of A.R. Gurney's newest seems more than vaguely familiar, that point is eventually fully acknowledged by the playwright...Perhaps some further tinkering can resolve its problems. At this point, while certainly flawed, the lightly philosophical comedy can provide a pleasing, if not totally satisfying time."
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"There's plenty of fun to be had here, though none of it really coheres. At once overwrought and underdeveloped, the play feels like a much longer piece that's been cut down to appetizer size, as if to hit the Big Points efficiently and not worry to much about anything else. Director Mark Lamos has arranged things decently, but can't overcome these basic deficiencies; his staging has the feeling of pushing pieces around without ever explaining why."
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