Ripcord

"In the hands of a very capable, determined, funny, engaging cast, director Pierce and writer Lindsay-Abaire craft a truly winning, moving, thoughtful evening. The formidable Taylor and Burke are never less than thrilling to watch, deftly wielding blows and laughs within seconds of one another…'Ripcord' is a show that deserves a longer run." Full Review

"David Lindsay-Abaire’s inventive and often hilarious new work...He has created a clever set-up and an even better follow-through…The actors need to compete with the stagecraft, a clever set by Alexander Dodge that seamlessly goes back and forth between the ladies’ well-appointed living quarters and a variety of other locations. Good as it is, the actors win: especially the deliciously haughty Taylor and the delightfully daffy Burke. I could easily watch them for a half-hour every week!" Full Review

"Two hours of unrestrained, loopy, rip-roaring comedy...The success of 'Ripcord,' though, stems from the playwright. Rather than simply coming up with a clever situation featuring likably difficult characters, Lindsay-Abaire takes the action in unexpected directions which pay off in grand, comic manner." Full Review

"Author David Lindsay-Abaire combines comedy with pathos for realistic depiction of life where the line between hilarity and heartache blur...Director David Hyde-Pierce and the cast led by a razor-sharp Holland Taylor as Abby and sweet-but-tough Marylouise Burke as Marilyn tread a fine line between laughter and tears, achieving the perfect balance between the two. Slapstick is cheek by jowl with sorrow and it works." Full Review

"I roared with laughter along with the rest of the audience. The humor that Lindsay-Abaire writes is thoughtful and intelligent. Somehow he manages to take dark and serious themes and turn them into peculiarly amusing situations...It is inappropriate and wonderful." Full Review

"A combination of witty writing, memorable performances, and smart direction ensures that there's something for everyone in this laugh-out-loud comedy overflowing with massive amounts of heart...You would have to try really hard not to enjoy 'Ripcord.'" Full Review

"The great fun of David Lindsay-Abaire’s tastily sweet-and-sour 'Ripcord' lies in watching the marvelous Taylor and Burke dig their heels into this stand-off. Solidly crafted, the play is not unpredictable, but it’s larded with moments of surprise...Beyond the high jinks, 'Ripcord' offers a compelling look at the pleasure of a challenge and the challenge of finding pleasure." Full Review

"David Lindsay-Abaire has a new addition to his long string of successes at Manhattan Theatre Club...The resolution was a bit disappointing...All in all, it’s a very entertaining, but not very substantial work." Full Review

"With 'Ripcord,' David Lindsay-Abaire adds a new odd couple to the long list of embraceable yous with the deeply satisfying and vastly entertaining story of Abby Binder and Marilyn Dunne, two elderly women thrown together by a comic cosmic force possessed of a wicked sense of humor...A show to treasure." Full Review

"You can figure out pretty quickly where 'Ripcord' will end up. The trip, though, is full of surprises and lots of silly fun...Under the droll direction of David Hyde Pierce, it mixes farce and sentimentality, blends witty lines with loopy settings and even has a few minutes of serious drama. It's very lightweight, and hard to resist." Full Review

"Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire has opted here to pleasantly entertain, rather than challenge his audience. He does, however, make some interesting observations about age...Sure, there are some predictable sitcom moments, but they are funny. As directed by David Hyde Pierce, 'Ripcord' shows age doesn't wither invective. And it pushes each lead's specific talent. No one can deliver a snobbish aside better than Taylor, while Burke's zippy simplicity hides canniness." Full Review

"We laugh a lot but by intermission of this two act play I’d pretty much written it off as an extended sketch. But no, the author has something else in mind. The second act is the play grown out of its adolescence, and though it has surprises that make us laugh, it’s the work of a fine craftsman, able to give his play substance and tenderness." Full Review

"Even as the script explores some strong reflections on reclaiming experiences that the women have put behind them, the razor-sharp barbs never stop flying at a clip worthy of 'The Golden Girls' – and Holland Taylor and Marylouise Burke play gloriously to type. Yes, 'Ripcord' feels too much like a sitcom, but it’s a sitcom where the live studio audience is genuinely laughing." Full Review

"It's easy to see why Lindsay-Abaire wrote 'Ripcord' for Mary Louise Bourke. The part is made to order for her idiosyncratic charm. With his odd-couple style roommate arrangement, the playwright has not only paved the way for some of Ms. Burke's over the top comic business, but has made 'Ripcord' a two-star vehicle...There's really no big surprise as to how things will turn out. Still, it's all lots of fun." Full Review

"It’s bing, bam, boom wit and clever direction by David Hyde Pierce as this fast-paced comedy moves through two acts. And as much as you tend to love the perky Marilyn, you would enjoy some moments of quiet. Of course, there are some more serious issues that come to the fore; aging, loneliness, heartbreak but they’re left lurking under the surface. You can’t go wrong spending a night with Abby and Marilyn in 'Ripcord.' Full Review

"You expect more from the playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, and you get it. The author of comedy-dramas that toy with sitcom expectations but then veer elsewhere, he is obviously riffing on television templates like 'The Golden Girls...' Admittedly, this stuff goes on a bit too long. But after upping the ante on the women’s incompatibility for a half hour, the play is ready to take a surprising leap." Full Review

"Lindsay-Abaire drops breadcrumbs throughout his just pleasant play, signaling a dramatic shift somewhere down the road. The trail doesn't lead exactly where I thought it would, which, in retrospect, made the play more engaging, but the shift did arrive. Ultimately, we see that the women needed to learn when to stop fighting it, pull the ripcord and just enjoy the view." Full Review

"A production directed with cool panache by David Hyde Pierce. It may be a bleak view of the present state of humanity, but it seems accurate and uncontroversial...Hyde Pierce ensures that the silliness factor is high throughout and this deflects from the real issues with the play. Often, it is not clear what is real and what is fantasy. One assumes Hyde Pierce intends to smooth over the vicious self-interest by these diversions and it seems to work on the basis of the reaction of the audienc... Full Review

"For a play centered on a seemingly irreconcilable conflict, 'Ripcord' sustains a low tension level...Some theatergoers may leave 'Ripcord' with a faint, nagging hunger for more substance. At one point, Marilyn, asked about why she never gets mad, says, 'It always leads to an ugly place, and I don’t care for ugly places.' For better or worse, this production seems to share that attitude." Full Review

"The writer has come up with an amiable if simplistic crowdpleaser, in the form of a duel of wits between 'odd couple' roommates in an assisted living facility. Although smartly directed by David Hyde Pierce, the slender sitcom hangs for dear life on the appeal of its engaging stars." Full Review

"At the core of 'Ripcord' is a Lifetime movie struggling to escape the quirky trappings of David Lindsay-Abaire‘s comedy...Director David Hyde-Pierce makes the most of these theatrical flourishes, as well as a few others, to distract you from the basic premise...Lindsay-Abaire turns some of the schmaltzier moments on their head, and things turn out to be not as they first appear." Full Review

"The night is not a waste by any means. We are surprised more than once as the plot and these two women pick up steam. And the performances, with the exception of a few blown lines, are pure pleasure. This is a play that entertains without making you think too much. David Hyde Pierce’s direction is solid and unaffected. Still, you may leave the theatre as I did, wanting just a bit more from these two complex women." Full Review

"If 'Ripcord' never really decides what kind of play it wants to be, there is the pleasure of seeing two accomplished pros at work. It's too bad that Lindsay-Abaire can't quite extricate himself from the confines of the standard odd-couple formula. Surprisingly, it is most entertaining in its wildest, least-credible moments. Otherwise, the element of surprise is missing; as soon as the author puts his conflict in place, it's all too clear how it will end up." Full Review

"He's taken a comedic premise that would seem primed for stage-shaking laughter, and delivered something that gets at best a strong handful of hearty chuckles and a few fuzzy feels. Rest assured, there's no danger that any tickers will stop ticking at this one...Although there's plenty to like in 'Ripcord,' it's more notable for what it lacks." Full Review

"Pulitzer-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire and actor-turned-director David Hyde Pierce bring their professionalism and comic timing -- but little credible justification -- to 'Ripcord.' This is a good-natured formula comedy about a female odd couple in an assisted living facility...Everyone is very good but, we have to ask what is all this talent doing in this sitcom?" Full Review