About the Show

Metropolitan Playhouse presents a rare revival of S.N. Behrman’s 1936 dramedy about a wealthy family finally facing the revolution waiting in the wings.

Charming and radiant oil heiress Leonie Frothingham whiles away the summer of '36 at the seaside, where cocktails flow with the tides, and lovers come and go like mosquitoes. But with the Great Depression ravaging the country, even Leonie’s idyllic retreat is not protected from the tremors of the times. Her just-come-of-age daughter cultivates misgivings about capitalism’s inequities. Her long-indulgent husband now seeks a divorce so that he may marry a career woman. And Leonie’s latest flame, a magnetic psychoanalyst, insinuates himself into each relationship with an awfully self-serving "disinterest." This summer, Leonie might be shaken enough to come down to earth, but the status quo has some powerful protectors.

Critic Reviews (3)

"The comedy to be found in 'End of Summer' is of a peculiarly diluted sort, as is the veiled political commentary running through it. The play wants to cast a spell of civilized good humor, but its charm has faded with the years, so much so that at times it barely appears to be about anything at all...It can't be said that the director, Alexander Harrington, has managed to find a meaningful dramatic pattern amid the acres of talk…'End of Summer's' charms prove to be elusive."
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“Though Harrington’s production is both elegant and polished, he made some serious mistakes in the characterizations. Leonie Frothingham is described as girlish and young; however, she does have a daughter of 20. Erin Beirnard both looks and plays Leonie as though she is herself a teenager. The problem is that the behavior of a teenage girl in a mature woman is totally unacceptable, changing the character relationships.”
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"There is much to praise...The ensemble work is strong...Harrington’s pacing has a delightful musicality...There are a few shortcomings that disrupt an otherwise strong production. Behrman’s script lays out very clear character objectives, but these intentions sometimes disappear, rendering it rather unclear who wants what and why. Moments of line fumbling added to this ambiguity...Kudos to Metropolitan Playhouse for remounting a piece that continues to resonate in a 21st-century context."
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