See it if If you like a play that looks at the paths our lives and whether we have the ability to change that path.
Don't see it if If you're expecting a conflict & resolution plot-line from a casual cocktail party.
See it if you like a character-centric show looking back at life's trials and look forward to what could be next. Comic character vignettes are fun.
Don't see it if you want an action packed evening. Some references are dated.
See it if Minor league Gurney given a finely polished production by Silverstein & company Well acted by leads (though party guests start to wear thin)
Don't see it if Usual Gurney themes of longing & missed opportunities amid upper classes often comes across banal Could use more humorous self-awareness
See it if You are a fan of Gurney's & just want to see everything he wrote. Some good acting; some less so.
Don't see it if You don't want to see the relationship elude them again.
See it if You like shows that take place in Boston. You like stories about missed connections and romance/friendship later in life.
Don't see it if You do not like when actors play several characters at once (there are two main actors & then two who play all the other parts).
See it if You like A.R. Gurney plays about the upper crust This takes place at a cocktail party. Men and woman meet and talk. The sport is squash.
Don't see it if You need action and are bored easily. Do not care about marital discord. Dislike watching adults drink too much.
See it if you enjoy romantic stories with mature adults and rekindled romance stories.
Don't see it if you prefer more modern stories or are not into romance and second chances.
See it if You are a completist with Gurney plays and like Laurence Lau (which I do)
Don't see it if You prefer more of a timeless feel to Gurney plays - that does exist. This is mired in topical references.
"This New England soirée has some disappointments, as does this A.R. Gurney play, though it is not the fault of Jonathan Silverstein's delicate production for Keen Company...Silverstein takes his time, which is fitting for a Gurney play, though it sometimes it feels slow. This may not be the most exciting play, but it does feel true to life. Sometimes we make mistakes. And sometimes the best part of the party is the view."
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"Attempts to connect with the two fully-rounded people on stage are constantly thwarted by the comings and goings of a bunch of stereotypes. Through no fault of Markell and Craig (who do nice work), their brief passages on stage don’t afford them the chance to develop fully-drawn characterizations...If in the long run, 'Later Life' proves problematic, it still provides a number of 'keen' qualities that make it worth a visit."
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"It’s a challenge to play Austin and Ruth in a way that is true to their natures but also makes the audience care about them, even root for them...Lau, projecting a world-weary charm, fares better than Garrick, who plays Ruth in such a skittish and flinty way...Markell and Craig are skilled character actors. Both (but Markell in particular) deliver some smart and lively turns during the course of the play."
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"Gurney deals beautifully with the ache and the sadness of a life not lived...Gurney supplies his resourceful players with material that is textured; and what emerges are the revelations that help to define Ruth and Austin so that the play ends just where it should...A fine play, a small gem that serves to remind us that A.R.Gurney will be remembered as long as there’s an audience for good theater."
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