The Net Will Appear NYC Reviews and Tickets

“You will want to see this charming intergenerational two hander. It's a play that tugs at your heartstrings and also makes you smile...This unexpected friendship between two very different individuals is truly inspiring...The acting couldn't be better...The actors master Cirnigliaro's wonderfully written dialogue and make you feel as though Bernard and Rory's rooftop meetings are actually unfolding in real time...An honest, beautiful and genuine story that must be seen.”
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"This is one of those opposites-attract two-handers in which two people meet and instantly irritate each other, then gradually open up and form an unshakeable bond. Since this is the only possible plot trajectory, suspense is impossible; one's enjoyment hinges on becoming engaged with the characters, a tall order under the circumstances...If Erin Mallon's script is both predictable and cloying, the rest of the production is thoroughly professional."
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"Comically and touchingly demonstrated...What surprises most is how empathetic we grow to both characters. While the setup covers territory we've seen before, the playwright wins us over by feeding us information...in bits and pieces, allowing each to show their authenticity and vulnerability...The pair play beautifully off each other, and Masur gives an exceptional performance...A sweet and lovely little gem of a play.”
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"Gradually, as the course of a year passes, we learn about the characters' trouble-filled off-stage lives: Rory is coping with being part of a broken family; Bernard suffered loss early in life, and his wife now has medical issues. The growing friendship between the two opposites is obviously meant to create an occasion for epiphany. Too obviously. The drama in the characters' contrasting lives plays out with boilerplate predictability. It's all just a little too pat."
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“Masur’s and Johnson’s open-hearted, intelligent performances and Cirnigliaro’s thoughtful, understated direction polish up a play that occasionally treads water while in search of fresh ideas...Mallon’s humor can also be somewhat hit-and-miss...Still, Mallon just manages to thread the needle of balancing broad comedy with the multi-pronged pathos...’The Net Will Appear’ doesn’t demand much from its audience, but lovingly performed as it is here, it’s as gentle as an air hug.”
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"It’s kind and emotionally true, speaking sweetly and innocently of love, attachment, and loss in a way that feels authentic and engaging...Just believe me when I tell you this tender and emotional entwining of two souls in need is worthy of your time and your heart. Johnson is a charmer, building enthusiasm, emotionality, and engagement with a force that can’t be denied...A perfect gift of clarity, love, and kindness for the holidays."
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"Delivers a similar momentary respite from the battering harshness of the outside world, in a straightforward but skillful production...The production takes on the risk of casting both roles with actors who are within a few years of the actual age of their character, and for the most part the gambit succeeds...The overall effect is static, yet there is something calming in its predictability...I’d describe my experience of the work as peaceful."
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“Mallon’s sweet, modest play...Masur is terrific in portraying Bernard...Rory, a talkative, precocious nine-year-old, suddenly appears on the roof of the house next door, determined to engage her grumpy neighbor...Her naïveté provides much of the humor in the play. Many of her remarks are spot-on and hilarious, though some are too precious...Over the course of the 80 minutes of the play, Rory wears down Bernard’s reserve, and we learn more about each of them.”
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"Vaguely titled, sentimental, two-hander…A slender piece…Which isn't to deny that there are indeed some clever moments, even if Rory's verbal skills, interests, and general knowledge often seem to defy belief. There was certainly considerable laughter in the house…Veteran Richard Masur has played overtly gruff but actually warmhearted characters like Bernard often enough so that he need do little more than say the words and we accept him."
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“Johnson is a talented young girl with firm command of her lines, gestures and stage presence. However...Johnson’s constant barrage of comments...can grate on one’s nerves...One may appreciate the skill of the youngster and look forward to seeing her in a play that is more substantial and less cloying. Masur does what he must to move from initial annoyance to affection, in addition to reflecting loneliness and loss. However, Mallon’s play only offers a very thin experience.”
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“Mallon’s script is efficiently constructed and poignant, but there’s little verisimilitude here. The dramatic situation is contrived; the characters are fabricated rather than observed; and the dialogue rises only intermittently above the glossy superficiality of 1980s television comedy...What saves the day is Masur’s virtuosity, which redeems a predictable comedy-drama and makes the joyous final scene soar like one of Bernard’s beloved songbirds.”
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“Mallon may be a newcomer. But her ‘The Net Will Appear’ shows a mastery of storytelling, character development, and honest sentiment without artificial sweetening. Trouble and heartache, she vividly shows us, can touch life at any stage...But so can redemption through human contact – through love. The message is an old one, but the medium...is fresh, beautifully played, and absolutely charming...Directed with economy and sensitivity...It’s a powerful, intimate piece of theater."
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"Author Mallon writes by the numbers, but she does so competently and with feeling. Richard Masur's performance as Bernard is also by the numbers, but he's a skillful, likable actor and it works...I don't mean to damn with faint praise here. 'The Net Will Appear' is a nice, old-fashioned evening in the theatre, and Richard Masur's performance alone is worth the low-priced ticket. It is what it is, and it's a solid version thereof."
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"Seventy-five minutes of pure heart, pure warmth, pure fun. Go see it, and you’ll come out wanting to hug every loved one you have...Cheesy? Slightly. But it’s that charming kind of cheesiness you find in Hallmark movies, the kind you just can’t help but love, especially now that holiday cheer is in the air. Plus, the show’s hysterical...Richard Masur’s Bernard is especially candid and sharp-tongued...And Eve Johnson shines as the precocious young Rory."
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“A tender and quite beautiful play...Most remarkable...is how Masur and Lawler work so effectively and movingly off of each other. The highly skilled and accomplished elder never seems to be restraining his range or playing down to his young costar...He offers a complex, nuanced performance, confident that Lawler can travel with him...There are no great fireworks or shocking revelations...Cirnigliaro, Masur, and Lawler combine skillfully to achieve a warm pace for that journey.”
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“This is a tender, moving, slice of lives. Mallon dialogue snaps with wit and craft. She in concert with director Mark Cirnigliaro create memorable characters with amazingly strong performances from Masur and Lawler...Together the actors create a nice balance – she’s honest, forthright and all too apt to speak. He’s guarded for realistic reasons – especially given her age...The production is credible, warm and engaging.”
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“The amazing Masur is paired with a most enchanting newcomer, Lawler, to help us understand what can happen over the course of a few seasons in one’s life...Through many hilarious moments we realize that both have a voice you want to hear...And you see a beautiful friendship blossom...Everyone has a person that is in their lives...that makes an imprint on the rest of their life. This play will help you remember that person and these two couldn’t do a better job of it.”
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“The show was truly a surprisingly humorous story filled with love, heart, and compassion — where two wonderfully eccentric people find true friendship...Even with just two characters...one could feel the tenderness and emotions from the relationship throughout the 90 minutes...It would be easy to relate the experience to the peeling of an onion; slowly removing the layers of their experiences, past, and relationship in what forms to be an unforgettable and truly touching bond.”
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