Ripcord

"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

"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 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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"This is a lazy piece of writing without the freshness or bite of plays, recycling familiar situations while failing to settle on a definitive tone...While there's no shortage of funny lines and inspired moments in director David Hyde Pierce's production, there's also an air of fatigue about the script, giving the dispiriting impression that Lindsay-Abaire either banged it out in a hurry or rescued it from a bottom drawer." 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

"A bet that spins out of control is a sitcom staple and, now, the crux of 'Ripcord,' a non-essential and not very funny new comedy...That the author tries to wring chuckles out of senior citizen spewing profanity is shockingly uninspired. In the end in the play, a winner gets what she desires. Audience members hoping for substantial laughter and impact from 'Ripcord' are left wanting." 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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"It helps immeasurably that the two stars of Lindsay-Abaire’s heavily contrived play, are Marylouise Burke and Holland Taylor. Both are gems... As 'Ripcord' progresses—the uneven direction is by David Hyde Pierce—the two ladies play a series of escalating pranks on one another, jokes that cross over early into the painful and cruel." Full Review

"I sat silently, with my mind wandering off to which leftovers I'd warm up when I got home after the show. I can't blame the acting for my inattention cause it's terrific all-around...It's the pranks that draw the laughs and David Hyde Pierce has staged them with an intentional cheesiness that keeps the first act popping along. In time, though, the pranks become more sharp-edged, prompting revelations, reconciliations and a sentimental ending that makes 'Ripcord' too saccharine for my palate." 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

"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

"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