The Traveling Lady NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (82)
See it if you enjoy Horton Foote's plays about real people and real problems. The acting and direction are excellent.
Don't see it if you want an up to date story. The theme of this play has been done many times since Horton Foote wrote "The Traveling Lady" in 1955. Read more
See it if The quintessential "Lets Put On A Play" with our best friends at our local theatre feel with a midlevel Horton Foote text
Don't see it if Feels like the first class production of a show you might find in a suburb more than 90 minutes from a major city
See it if U LIKE HORTON FOOTE WANT 2 C HOW A GOOD DIRECTOR & A TALENTED, LARGE CAST MAKE USE OF THIS SMALL SPACE 2 PRESENT SIMPLE TRUTHS BEAUTIFULLY
Don't see it if U WANT LOUD AND BOMBASTIC... THIS IS TRUTH STATED INNOCENTLY, ALMOST NAIVELY BUT SO WELL WRITTEN IT IS PROFOUND.
See it if you love good theater. This is a charming and touching play by the masterful playwright, Horton Foote. Jean Lichty is the lovely lead.
Don't see it if If you know and love Foote's work, you will have a memorable experience. Don't like Foote's work? Well, look elsewhere for theater magic.
See it if you'd like to see a slice of small town life portrayed gracefully
Don't see it if you don't like slow moving stories of the past
See it if Foote's writing again ensnares the audience. Southern charm and rhythm is pleasant to experience. Fantastic set design; even glowing bugs.
Don't see it if You need medium to fast pace and modernity. Read more
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 are a fan of Horton Foote. The story is involved with dynamic theme lines. Well staged and directed.
Don't see it if if complicated writing and Horton Foote is not your cup of tea
Critic Reviews (25)
"Directed by Pendleton with his usual insight and attentiveness to acting specificity...The beauty of Foote’s work, and this production, is that it is far from predictable. This is why much of Foote’s work, if executed with precision as Pendleton does with the assistance of the fine ensemble and artistic creative team, is greatly satisfying in its representation of homely Americana...This production is a gem. You will appreciate the strong performances by the ensemble and incisive direction."
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"A simple little diversion, a gentle, bittersweet slice-of-life drama that is singularly American...'The Traveling Lady' is a creaky, old-fashioned tale of a more simpler time in America, a story that shows its age...Foote instills the hundred-minute intermissionless 'The Traveling Lady' with some charming moments, but there are not quite enough of them to sustain this production above being a nice, pleasurable detour."
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"Top-flight character actors giving memorable supporting performances rescue the otherwise anodyne revival and make it worth an evening’s time...The current production...lacks the thrust and economy of Pendleton’s more distinguished work. Yet there are sequences in which his direction picks up speed with exhilarating effect; and, at those junctures, spectators may be reminded of high points in later (and better) Foote plays."
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"Throughout the play, we see Foote's artistry with his quiet cast of characters whose lives are not as simple as they seems. Yet, they are believable and resolute as they face life's changes, disappointments and hardships...Pendleton paces the show with detailed authenticity and layered characters portrayed by a solid cast in another of Horton Foote's plays, a treasure chest of Americana and humanity."
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"The main attraction of the show is the easy camaraderie between the townspeople of Harrison...Sosko does a great job as Henry...Henry’s eventual meeting with Margaret Rose is particularly heart-wrenching...The only cast member not quite in sync with the story is Lichty...Despite a few missteps, 'The Traveling Lady' is quite the pleasant experience, with the show offering a gently layered look at a time when the world moved a little slower."
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"Pendleton successfully captures the pace and tone of Foote’s 'small Texas town' in 1950. The cast authentically portrays heartfelt camaraderie, Bible belt values, and compassion that is appropriate for the characters and time period...If you are a fan of Horton Foote, you will definitely enjoy this production. It will capture your heart and take you back to simpler times."
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“While not a perfect play and despite some unnecessarily fussy direction by Austin Pendleton, it is still Foote’s words and situations that have a beautifully real feel to them. Quite fortunately, it is also blessed with a lovely cast who personify the characters he has created…Lynn Cohen almost steals the show as the very funny but dotty neighbor Mrs. Mavis…The always reliable Ziemba does not disappoint as a woman who feels that life has passed her by.”
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“Pendleton has succeeded admirably by keeping his actors at a medium-rare level of intensity…But Foote’s intention here seems somewhat overly concerned with explaining poor behavior and assorted other problems through bad parenting…With her patrician looks and manner, Lichty would probably be more at home in a Philip Barry drawing room than on a porch in Texas. This Georgette seems like a woman we don’t need to worry about."
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