Out of the Mouths of Babes NYC Reviews and Tickets

"An improbable and eventually even fantastical comedy, enlivened by an excellent cast…Mr. Horovitz has written more than 70 plays…'Out of the Mouths of Babes' is not among the most substantial, though it offers roles that snugly fit all four actors…Although the acting keeps things lively, and the growing camaraderie of the women suffuses the stage with a mild congeniality, 'Out of the Mouths of Babes' lacks dramatic drive and has only an intermittent comic bite."
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"A lightweight comedy about seriously dark subjects...Tales of multiple suicides (and some hilarious attempts), deep depression and overlapping adultery abound…and then the late lover boy’s final wife shows up, and things really get complicated. But that’s also, unfortunately, when the dramatic fizz goes flat...Parsons and Ivey's spiky, sharp-tongued characters are tremendous gifts. Too bad they’re stuck in a sloppy, sitcom-level story that most certainly doesn’t pass the Bechdel test."
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"Pure theatrical sitcom, albeit an amusing one. The play is also very well performed, no surprise considering that its cast includes two of our finest stage actresses, Estelle Parsons and Judith Ivey…It's all as supremely silly as it sounds, but under the expert direction of Barnet Kellman the play generates plenty of laughs. It's the sort of farce that decades ago would have enjoyed a nice Broadway run...Now it feels like summer stock in the heart of the city."
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"There are two hardy reasons to shuffle to see 'Out of the Mouths of Babes.' One is the four accomplished actresses. The other is the playwright himself, who still knows how to write a solid comic line that works...The actresses work as an ensemble, playing off each other with skill, and director Barnet Kellman moves them around like chess pieces...It’s a delightful recipe for fluff, bordering on farce and as easy to take as seven-minute frosting."
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"Windows in Patel’s fine set play a key role in getting laughs. So do the ace actresses Parsons, who’s delightfully nasty as Evelyn, and Ivey, who makes the most of Evvie, who’s got a bottomless appetite for married men. Fiordellisi and Choy-Kee are less successful mining humor, but that owes more to an uneven script...Kelman directs with broad strokes. At times it works, but on other occasions what comes out of these mouths is noisy and artificial."
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"The kind of 'naughty' boulevard comedy that, in the 1960s, would have closed on Broadway after two weeks, 'Out of the Mouths of Babes' is lucky to be in such overqualified hands. The director, Barnet Kellman, brings his extensive resume in television comedy to give the production a polish it doesn't really deserve…A pretty trashy play...If it hardly represents the best use of their time, I suspect it will be a guilty pleasure for fans of Ivey and Parsons."
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“A stale, overdone and mildly amusing comedy...Mr. Horovitz does have a command of playwriting and affection for his characters, but even with these attributes it all often becomes tedious when used on such a tired scenario...Director Kellman brings his considerable expertise to this production…‘Mouths’ is essentially hollow and inconsequential but due to the professionalism of all those involved it does have a minimum of entertainment value.”
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"Seeing Estelle Parsons and Judith Ivey on stage is—no questions asked—reason alone to get to the Cherry Lane Theatre...Horowitz’s witty dialogue and his ability to use his laser focus make each character more than a comic riff...Director Barnet Kellman never lets the pacing flag without getting frenetic. He understands these actresses completely. The four women are splendidly funny without descending to shtick. Their timing is perfect."
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