And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little
About the show
Retro Productions revives this biting and occasionally touching black comedy about three sisters whose father abandoned the family long ago, and whose mother recently passed away. More…
The Reardon sisters, now grown and all working in the New York City public school system, have come to a crossroads. Catherine and Anna still reside in the apartment where they grew up. Having barely survived a scandalous incident at school, Anna suffers a nervous breakdown. When Ceil, their older married sister, returns to try to commit Anna to an institution, the built-up resentments of the last decade are pushed to the forefront. Should Anna be committed? Does Catherine really need another cocktail? Who is strongest in this fight of wills?
“Playwright Paul Zindel is ripe for rediscovery. From the evidence of Shay Gines' riveting revival of 'And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little,' this tragicomedy now celebrating its 50th anniversary is Zindel's ‘Three Sisters,’ ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ and ‘Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ all rolled into one. The performances in this production are first rate and could not be bettered. Like those earlier plays by Chekhov, Williams and Albee, the ending of ‘Miss Reardon’ is absolutely shattering.” Full Review
"It is not difficult to envision the connections between the late-1960s setting of Retro's newest revival, the darkly comic 'And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little,' and 2017's own tensions around race, gender, military conflict, and political upheaval...Complexity lends the play balance and nuance—none of the characters is entirely beyond reproach or without blemish...The production provides an engrossing, funny, provocatively relevant study of character and context." Full Review
"Starts out shakily with an uncertain tone in Act I but gradually builds up a head of steam that leads to an explosive second half when the 'dark' overtakes the 'comedy'...The dialog is full of biting humor, which really needs to come out more in the performances...Where the performances grow and greatly improve is in the play's second half...An ambitious if imperfect play...The cast do best when they are focused on the efforts of the Reardon sisters to navigate their way through life," Full Review
“Zindel’s evocation of a specific social milieu is masterful…Director Shay Gines doesn’t always get the rhythms of this world exactly right, though to be fair, the play itself tends to rehash the same points multiple times. But the show boasts some good performances…‘And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little' provides a challenge that this production doesn’t quite meet...New Yorkers of a certain age will definitely appreciate its portrait of a bygone era in the city’s history.” Full Review
See it if You like complex writing, wit, family drama
Don't see it if You don't like being up close and personal with the action.
See it if strong characters and great writing.
Don't see it if you don't like dark comedies.
See it if Must see !
Don't see it if n/a
See it if to see RetroProd. doing what it does best. An ambitiously produced 20th century period show about women that feels strangely relevant today.
Don't see it if you have a limited attention span for classic American theatre.
See it if You want good acting, directing, are a fan of writers like Albee, Chekhov, and want to see family issues depicted in an absorbing way.
Don't see it if You do not like plays from the 60s-70s.
See it if You want to see a play about three adult sisters and their challenges. You want to laugh. You want to see a play with great actors.
Don't see it if You are not interested in dysfunctional families. You don't want to laugh. You are not interested in a play about family challenges.
Also I enjoyed the play and the performers. The neighbors were very funny a... Read more Read less
See it if you want to see an amazing ensemble, powerhouse performances and a well directed and designed play.
Don't see it if the subject matter isn't interesting to you.
See it if you like psychological dramas
Don't see it if family dysfunction disturbs you.
See it if you like a good dark comedy in a nice intimate venue, performed by a very competent cast
Don't see it if a bizarre story about three sisters, that can be slow at times, is something that won't interest you
See it if You like great Black Comedy, very funny, great characters! Very intimate!
Don't see it if Flat out comedy or a big production
See it if you'll enjoy a traditional drama set in the 1960s with strong female roles, well acted, about the relationship among adult siblings .
Don't see it if you'll dislike a play about a dysfunctional family/ mental illness, with a largely female cast, you prefer big productions
See it if You like to see smart revivals of plays that aren't often seen, bringing back different eras in recent history.
Don't see it if You aren't interested in pieces set in the recent past, exploring then-normal bigotry and sexism.
See it if You like a staged metaphor that resonates as subtext in today's political social climate; you like 'talky' plays with a lot of exposition
Don't see it if You dislike exposition; dislike subtext; dislike having to figure out how the play relates to today; dislike snarky sarcasm
See it if you enjoy a slightly dated Dysfunctional Family drama with humor and realistic characters. These ladies really get into it and take us along
Don't see it if you aren't interested in another DF drama; you think that people making their own problems are not interesting; prefer up-beat dramas.
Also Some fine acting here, an interesting story that is not totally predic... Read more Read less
See it if Especially if you are not familiar with the play, It is a good quirky dark comedy.
Don't see it if You are not interested in vintage and noted plays from the past.
See it if you want to see an absorbing, sharp-witted, dark comedy about three troubled sisters whose issues gradually unfold as the play progresses.
Don't see it if you are not a fan of plays set in the 1960s, or shows with uneven acting, where lines are occasionally flubbed or overacted.
See it if I recommend seeing this toward the end of the run. Opening night was very good but not as flowing.
Don't see it if but I have all the confidence that it will come together with these very strong actors!!!
See it if Little seen Zindel drama about three dysfunctional sisters Shakily veers from black comedy to tough melodrama Feminist overtones interesting
Don't see it if Able cast battles tonal shifts (both from author & director) with varying success Acting can get operatic but 3rd act brings it home
See it if you enjoy somewhat absurd humor that switches to pathos rather unexpectedly. I thought I was at a comedy, and then Act 3 started...
Don't see it if the switch noted above isn't your thing. And if you're a school administrator, only go if you have a good sense of humor!
See it if you enjoy 60s dramas with terrific acting and a realistic set in a small space. It's pretty depressing overall but very well done.
Don't see it if you're looking for a comedy or a happy ending, or characters that aren't damaged and unhappy - that pretty much describes everyone.
See it if You like a dark comedy that takes place in the 1960s. It's a reminder of the second tier life of women and schoolteachers at that time.
Don't see it if You want a tighter production. There seemed to some over acting at times.
See it if you like dark dramas
Don't see it if you're expecting to leave feeling happy
See it if You can handle seediness. The drinking was the least of these characters' flaws. Good drama in the intense dysfunctional family tradition.
Don't see it if The acting could have been better in some cases but I'm guessing the actors are still settling into the roles.
See it if family drama and infighting interests you.
Don't see it if you don't like family arguments.
Cast & Creatives (14)
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