Charlie's Waiting NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (22)
See it if You like plays that are funny with an underlying twist that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Don’t miss it.
Don't see it if If you like happy go lucky happy endings. Not gonna give any spoilers
See it if a tantalizing little story — with some topsy-fury aspects that unfold slowly but cleverly — is appealing to you.
Don't see it if you are put off by same-sex relationships, or want a big, splashy production. Read more
See it if Well written & acted with an very unique & interesting plot!
Don't see it if You don’t like British accents.
See it if You like being suspended on a knife edge by a sadistic playwright. The lovers-with-secrets plot seems bizarre, but then oh-so-real.
Don't see it if You don't enjoy relationship exploration plays. You will be disturbed by a plot device which makes the characters seem irrational. Read more
See it if Great story for TODAY. Great acting esp by Xanthe Elbrick and Stephanie Heitman, Love the intimate stage at the Lab see ALSO
Don't see it if We wanted" More...." but see ALSO. Read more
See it if you like stories of unconventional families told with wry humor and wit
Don't see it if you don't like accents or stories of lesbian couples
See it if You want to see a fantastic play. The night before the wedding, an unexpected guest reveals secret of the past. Stellar acting, great cast
Don't see it if Same sex marriage might bother you, British accent, small theater, all female cast, etc not interest you Read more
See it if You enjoy intimate theater, want to support female driven creative team. Plot & characters interesting, feeling of tension/mystery thruout
Don't see it if You want a clear, fully resolved ending. I actually felt the ending was very good & promotes a lot of discussion afterwards. Read more
Critic Reviews (6)
"Ludovica Villar-Hauser, the play's keen eyed and eared director (and artistic director of Parity Productions the company responsible for this presentation), paces the fine actors for the ultimate tension, making the most of every innuendo. All three actors portray their characters with subtlety, their eyes revealing as much as their voices, carefully avoiding sliding into what might have been melodrama."
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"Playwright Mêlisa Annis provides a thought-provoking, well-crafted script. Director Ludovica Villar-Hauser knocks it out of the park with her vision of a seemingly simple world gone awry...But the icing on this delicious cake is the cast. Xanthe Elbrick, Stephanie Heitman, and Amy Scanlon breathe life into 'Charlie's Waiting,' creating rich, intriguing characters that inspire a desire to know as much as possible."
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“The play wallows in the murkiness of uncertainty and dark cruelty...At the least we understand that Louise selfishly, desperately, sacrifices Charlie who waits for deliverance. A controlling Kelly encourages Louise’s blindness to satisfy her own warped agenda. Both seek illusion and fantasy, a sick twist, to keep the inconvenient past at bay. Ironically, by abiding in lies, they open themselves and each other to a world of future self-torment, guilt and abuse.”
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"This well written play feels half finished. Tony nominee Xanthe Elbrick, Stephanie Heitman, and Amy Scanlon are all at the top of their game thanks to the wonderful direction by Ludovica Villar Hauser...I do look forward to seeing this play expand and truly get into the issues, while opening up our discussions."
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"The first half of this 70-minute one-act is a taut, very funny, and brilliantly played dance of wits and emotions...The second half is more drama than comedy, and less focused, though realistically imagined and well played...Wisely, though, Annis leaves the future uncertain. Has Annie’s visit built a rock-solid barrier between the lovers, or will love conquer? The end of the play is somehow both neat and open-ended, predictable yet leaving us with questions."
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“The first part...flows, punctuated by well-balanced characters; excellent comedic scripting and timing; and curious and clever attention to detail...The second part depends heavily on the actors’ abilities to act through the silence and the weight of the thing that is not being talked about...Cliffhanger endings are challenging, and this one may leave you feeling manipulated into caring about the characters but dissatisfied at not being privy to what happens next.”
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