The Traveling Lady NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (82)
See it if I enjoyed basking in the warmth of these characters and their southern hometown.
Don't see it if The script or maybe the acting was unconvincing in spots.
See it if you're a Horton Foote fan, you enjoy southern plays that take their time introducing characters and moving the plot, atmosphere is important
Don't see it if you don't like slow moving but emotionally resonant plays, mixed southern accents, actors moving up and down the center aisle
See it if you enjoy wonderful character studies. I enjoyed watching the plot unfold of these small town characters. Very talented cast.
Don't see it if you want lots of action and powerful dialogue. I enjoyed the realism of this play. It doesn't blow you away, it just make you an observer.
See it if you are a Horton Foote completist and want to see all of his plays on stage. This is definitely second-tier Foote.
Don't see it if you don't like slowly paced plays without much action. Read more
See it if you like Horton Foote.Lynn Cohen gives brilliant performance. She is worth the price of the ticket.A masterclass in making a small role big
Don't see it if you are looking for heavy, meaningful drama.It's typical Foote, entertaining, light.Go to see Lynn Cohen. Wow. What a performance.
See it if you are a big fan of Foote; typical of his genre; folksy and endearing characters; plodding and somewhat predictable.
Don't see it if you dislike Horton Foote's plays; you can't stand too too cute little girls lisping adorably; not a fan of senile little old ladies.
See it if You can appreciate Horton Foote's work. This is not his best. Many in the cast give super performances.
Don't see it if If you can't deal with slooww performance. If you've never seen Foote's work before.
See it if Are a Fan of Foote's work. Like a sweetly told tale of small town Texan melodrama.
Don't see it if You are easily perturbed by uneven accents (not accurately Texan). Need action and elaborate production values.
Critic Reviews (25)
“Quaint and baggy, ‘The Traveling Lady’ is no great drama…Nor is the affectionate revival a great production. But if some of the play’s best qualities are muddied by performances that seem shaky and flat, ‘The Traveling Lady’ still emerges as a lovely specimen of the form…The production only intermittently achieves the paradoxical merger of vast emotion and delicate expression that Foote requires…You need a production that gets past the competencies of the scene-study class.”
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“In its beautifully performed revival, Foote’s ‘The Traveling Lady’ reveals itself as a particularly well-shaped little jewel…Pendleton has the most delicate directorial hands in the business...Luckily, Clara’s garden has room for some naughtier angels as well: the play’s tartest characters, teetotaler Mrs. Tillman and cackling maniac Mrs. Mavis (the masterful Lynn Cohen). The rest of ’em invite you onto the porch, but these two keep the tea from turning too sweet."
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"Foote himself would have delighted in the perfect stylistic unanimity of this lovely revival...Pendleton has staged 'The Traveling Lady' with a gentle understatement that draws you in before you know it, and his actors exude a feeling of community so strong as to create the impression that they’ve known one another for years...To single out Lichty, Bull and Cohen for special mention is to disserve the similarly persuasive performances of their colleagues, who are excellent without exception."
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“Under the sensitive and confident direction of Pendleton, the play slowly cooks like a stew, enticing us further with each scene. Pendleton doesn't try too hard to grab our attention or push the pace. He lets us come to the play, which we are eager to do, especially when the text is delivered by this expert cast…Few directors can make a nearly 63-year-old play feel fresh and exciting quite the same way Pendleton can. It's the kind of theatrical magic you really have to experience firsthand."
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“A warm and sensitive production…As is typical with Foote, the gentle philosophical tone of the play rises above the story. In this case, the desire for stability in life takes precedence, as the strong ensemble embraces the flavorful dialogue full of gossip and humor.”
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"A genial, if undistinguished, production...Georgette is overshadowed by a typically colorful cast of Foote supporting characters, their magpie ways effortlessly stealing the limelight...There is much to enjoy here, most notably the way that the playwright conjures an entire universe of offstage characters with complicated histories, but this is one of his weaker pieces...Completists won't want to miss 'The Traveling Lady;' others can wait for a better production someday soon."
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“‘The Traveling Lady’ is somewhat heavy-handed in its construction and occasionally overburdens the scenes with weighty symbolism. Therefore, it may not rate in the top tier of the Foote canon, but it reflects the playwright in excellent form…Director Austin Pendleton has drawn some terrific performances from his ensemble…Ziemba offers a richly layered portrayal of a woman whose mother is mentally deteriorating before her.”
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"With wonderful performances and excellent staging, Horton Foote’s 1950, small-town Texas drama is tenderly revived...Besides shepherding these sensitive performances, director Pendleton has inventively staged the play...Pendleton’s keen direction injects insight, a measured pace and incites emotion, perfectly realizing Foote’s introspective vision...Though decidedly not a major play, this production is highly successful. It also affirms the enduring power of Foote."
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