Lonely Planet (Keen Company)

See it if you're a fan of Arnie Burton or Matt McGrath--as always, they give excellent performances.

Don't see it if you don't want to see a play that may have felt groundbreaking when it was written 20+ years ago but now feels pretty toothless.

See it if While of it's time w/o seeming dated, Keen Co revival is heartfelt & poignant Superbly acted and carefully staged, Dietz's elegy shines

Don't see it if Slowly paced for effect, it can seem a bit lethargic Knowlege of the era & devastation enhances effect but not needed Quietly haunting

See it if you enjoy a great piece of theater. The acting, writing and staging are all excellent. This is a very moving and intelligent play.

Don't see it if you do not like shows about gays and /or the AIDS crisis.

Also Everything about this show is absorbing including the stage change which was done during intermission and I think should have been part of the play. Do not leave the theater during intermission-watch the chairs and be moved, very moved>... Read more Read less

See it if you want to experience a hidden gem of a play. The two actors give wonderful performances. Jonathan Silverstein directed beautifully.

Don't see it if you don't like nuanced plays. This is a fine, intelligent drama.

Also Let's hope that Steven Dietz's other plays are revived by companies like Keen. Beautiful set design.... Read more Read less

See it if want to see wonderfully subtle, quiet acting. in an intimate theater, simply told. and you want to laugh. Two perfectly matched performances

Don't see it if You have no interest in stories about the early HIV crisis.

Also I really cant say how much I enjoyed this performance. It was funny yet meaningful, I knew these characters, they were fully fleshed out, had humor and a point of view.
Great job.... Read more Read less

See it if you can handle caring, sympathetic AND empathetic (for many) riveting story-telling/acting. Very funny, sometimes intense & very vulnerable.

Don't see it if you're numb. Solid dialogue (w/numerous monologues) that frees sighs of warm introspection. Welcome escape & short respite from the norm.

Also So much loneliness; so much love. DO. NOT. MISS.

Riddled w/anxiety, shop-owner "Jody" (Arnie Burton) seems stoic & in-control @ first, slowly becoming more open & vulnerable. Chair-man "Carl" (Matt McGrath) humorously lies about his many lives & jobs w/fearless abandon. He's the center of attention, from the moment he bursts into the shop, until he delivers his last line... all scrunched-up in a ball like a scared little boy... sitting in a chair, of course.

NOTE: First chair (Jody uses) was the same exact chair sat-upon @ the end (by Carl) last night. No clue if that's planned (stage is FULL of scattered chairs @ the end); felt beautifully metaphoric.

Great small theater & set protects both characters' individual needs: a perfectly claustrophobic home for Jody to isolate in AND for Carl to store the chairs.

As does life, real emotions rule here, w/strength & vulnerability. Each chair... each name of a lost loved-one, heard out-loud... tugs @ the heart-strings & comforts immensely.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for a play about what’s not being said between two characters.

Don't see it if a slow simmering two character morality play isn’t your thing.

Also Who knew that a playwright could write a whole play about what’s not being discussed between two friends? Who knew that my curiosity would drive me to see it? Who knew that I would find it both fascinating and boring at the same time? Who knew that I would begin to write a very different play (at least in my head) instead of paying attention to what was on stage? Who knew that the play (I was writing in my head) would be more interesting, poignant, and funny than the one taking place on stage right before me? And even though I thought the two actors on stage were good actors who had to wrestle with bland material which they were legally required to bring to life on stage every night being that they were bound by their signed Equity contracts, I, a member of the audience, paid good money to sit there and be disappointed. The playwright had an interesting premises for a play, but a disappointing execution of that idea.... Read more Read less

See it if You love Arnie Burton and Matt McGrath - both are terrific. Or if you aren't familiar with them, go and fall in love.

Don't see it if You aren't interested in a play about AIDS, aging, loneliness and friendship. But you would be missing out.

See it if Such an emotionally rich, gripping play! Swept into poignant story of two friends w/ boundless, shared affection, patience, & sublime pathos

Don't see it if you're averse to intimacy of a two-hander, wrenching topic of loss & the grief & fear it engenders, rendered with humor & exquisite pacing.

Also A must-see. From the first notes of the mostly '80s "soundtrack," I was riveted to the story that unfolded and the lovely chemistry between the two actors, and their naturalistic performance. Wow!... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a moving story that is as much about friendship as it is about losing friends during the early days of AIDS.

Don't see it if you want to see something fast-paced; or prefer plays with more than two actors.

Also I liked the humor and sometimes fast-paced discussion between two friends. Over time, we saw how deep their friendship was and how they accepted each other the way they are (most of the time).

I thought the use of chairs was clever and I liked Jody stepping out to educate the audience about the nuances of maps.

The tough topic of aids was effectively handled in a gentle, caring way rather than in a rage.

I saw this play at Theater Row in Nov 2017.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of Burton or McGrath, their easeful comic rapport papers over a script burdened with symbol and whimsy

Don't see it if non-realistic elements in a realistic staging bug you; direction sometimes underemphasizes the tenuous arc of the play

Also This revival of a play from 1994--the first wave of theatrical responses to AIDS-- takes a whimsical, elliptical approach (think Baltimore Waltz), not the enraged polemic approach (think Normal Heart, As Is). Its seams show in retrospect, but as a response to being in the trenches, it remains of interest, even if one could wish for a less low-key staging. The conversation between the two men about why they never became lovers is poignant for the insight it offers into how gay men learned to be with each other in ways other than primarily sexual. Later, of course, Grindr reversed all that.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy small, intimate but well acted plays

Don't see it if you don't like works about the AIDS epidemic

See it if You want to see a story about a friendship during the aids crisis. You are willing to watch a show paced show.

Don't see it if You want a face passed show. You want humor.

See it if You want to see excellent acting in a very touching, well written play

Don't see it if You want a light, fluffy show

See it if You want to see 2 amazing actors that are better than the material

Don't see it if You expect something ground breaking

See it if you want to see two wonderful actors, working together, creating, playing, grieving listening.

Don't see it if you have seen many plays about AIDS and can't bear seeing another sad story.

See it if You want to see a compelling play about the early years of the AIDS epidemic.

Don't see it if Prefer more direct writing or don't care to see work about LGBT history.

See it if You like relationship stories and don’t require a large cast to enjoy a show. You’re interested in issues that are relevant and fact-based

Don't see it if Discomfort with homosexual characters or the impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis from the standpoint of a group initially affected the most

Also The acting was wonderful. I believed in the friendship of the characters. There were one or 2 aspects about which I was a little confused, but, possibly, the woman loudly chewing gum next to me caused me to lose focus at points where those issues might have been clarified.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy a small 2 person play that deals with the pain of the AIDS crisis in a unique way.Quirky characters & strong performances by both.

Don't see it if The subject matter might feel dated to you or prefer more realistic/linear storylines.

Also A small play - has impact in a more quiet way. Not a must see but worth it for its low price point.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a couple of excellent actors in a clever touching play

Don't see it if You don't like 2 person shows

See it if You want to see thoughtful, well acted theater that gives you something to think about and chew on.

Don't see it if You're looking for something light and fluffy. This one requires some thought and caring.

See it if You can sit through an okay first act to get to an amazing second.

Don't see it if The set up nearly lost me. But when I locked into the characters I didn't want the play to end.

See it if You like stories that focus on friendship, you like emotional monologues, want to see a capture of the AIDS crisis

Don't see it if Shows with just 2 actors aren't your thing, if you don't like plays, if actors addressing the audience personally makes you uncomfortable

See it if You have an interest in a smart, well acted, original two man play about the rise of AIDS. It's a unique metaphor for the times

Don't see it if You prefer large scale productions or don't want a sometimes heavy subject matter. You prefer lighthearted. It's funny, but not a comedy.

See it if you like really good acting and writing

Don't see it if you think plays about aids are dated and unimportant