And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little
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.
... Read moreThe 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?
- Official Site
- 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Already closed
- Gene Frankel Theatre (East Village)
Cast & Creatives (14)
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Reviews (45)
4 Critics' Reviews
“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
"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
"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
41 Members' Reviews
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 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 want to see what was an important play for Estelle Parsons over 40 years ago.
Don't see it if dysfunctional family plays are not your thing.
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 you're interested in the 60s. Women's options are limited. The tone shifts too often, tho, and the acting is uneven. Repetitive fights.
Don't see it if you want a polished piece. Act I sagged; Act II was better w the Steins, but even it dragged. Three sisters creating one hell for ea other.
See it if Uneven play about dysfunctional sisters well acted but falls short veering between comedy, dark comedy, and melodrama;falls short of mark
Don't see it if You don't like wild changes in tone and characterization; good staging but overdrawn but not fleshed out characters
See it if family drama and infighting interests you.
Don't see it if you don't like family arguments.
See it if You want to see a play with female leads that is about a very dysfunctional family
Don't see it if You are looking for a well written black comedy. While the acting was not great they didn't have much to work with.
Also The first act for the most part is unwatchable. Heather Cunningham who... Read more Read less
See it if you like psychological dramas
Don't see it if family dysfunction disturbs you.
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 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 want to see '60s playwriting & structure. You want to support a talented Off-Off-Broadway company.
Don't see it if You want an older play w/relevance to now: everything is out-of-date.
Also This was frustrating: the acting, directing & staging were solid-more ... Read more Read less
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 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 family dramas set in the past
Don't see it if you like big shows with enormous casts
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 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 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 appreciate a somewhat dated older script that's given new life by a nearly pitch perfect cast.
Don't see it if You don't like talky character based, or don't have patience for a few weak performances in an otherwise flawless cast.
See it if You want to support a theatre company that remounts old plays.
Don't see it if You want a compelling drama with comedy and tension throughout.
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 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 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!