The Mother of Invention NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (76)
See it if you enjoy a family drama with some unique complications and peppered with humor.
Don't see it if you don't like plays about families.
See it if experience a gifted cast making the most of tragi/comic material in the MARVINs ROOM vein
Don't see it if Alzheimers, family conflict, cardboard boxes, male nudity, too many lamps, Christmas lights, memory journals, guns, or color alerts irk you
See it if you want well acted, very off beat drama about family strife with some kooky twists thrown in
Don't see it if a tale of family drama is not your thing, nor seeing a naked man seduce a mother and her son (separately)
See it if you enjoy cliche family drama that is well acted, sometimes funny.
Don't see it if you want new insights into the aging process and family dysfunction.
See it if family drama
Don't see it if family drama
See it if Don't mind seeing a play about alzheimers and how it affects family members. Concetta Tomei was good as the mother as was the child actress.
Don't see it if If you have a problem with making lite of Alzheimers and you don't like male frontal nudity.
See it if you enjoy seeing shows that have glimmers of unrealized good ideas. This show has so many ideas and is so diffuse that it has zero impact.
Don't see it if you are impatient w/ a meandering plot & some really uneven acting (some are excellent & some are terrible). I often wondered, "why".
See it if you enjoy memory plays such as "The Glass Menagerie" and are interested in quirky family dramas with bizarre characters.
Don't see it if you dislike nudity and traditional straight-play fare.
Critic Reviews (14)
"Dottie has a running commentary with the audience. It is humorous, sarcastic, biting and insightful. James Lecesne’s writing is funny and touching, and though 'The Mother of Invention' is not as good as 'The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey,' this play has merit and a lot to think about...In the end the question of what is the quality of life and who gets to make that last decision for us is at stake. Is loving someone helping them let go with dignity?"
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"Alas, the new play is not ready for prime time. It’s a grab bag of assorted plot lines...Apparently the playwright thought that if he threw enough darts at the board, some of them would stick...The walls of Jo Winiarski’s set are made of packing cartons, which the characters gradually remove as the play moves along, a process that was not fast enough for me."
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"The Abingdon Theatre Company production is filled with intrigue, explored in the soapiest of ways...The capable ensemble was able to find structure within the oft outrageous scenarios...James Lecesne's story is easily predictable. Despite that, it's entertaining. 'The Mother of Invention' is compact yet bursting with story frills. And for some, it's a bit too much."
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“Lecesne is obviously an activist and artist to reckon with. However, his talents seem to wander seriously off-track with his play, ‘The Mother of Invention’…It’s a family comedy with serious intent, but it touches on so many subjects in such scattered fashion, it makes it difficult to get involved with what’s going on…Director Speciale has lavished a fairly solid production on the play’s meanderings, although it may try too hard to add further meaning or symbolism to the proceedings.”
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"An exquisitely layered and deeply engrossing play. It’s a powerful look at how we construct the narrative of our lives and how skeletons will always find a way to clatter out of the family secret cupboard. The strong text presents the opportunity for the formidable cast to create captivating characters...I loved every minute of it…Tony Speciale has directed a tight, perfectly paced snapshot of the frayed fabric of nuclear families unraveling."
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"A rambling drama/comedy loosely directed by Tony Speciale...Watching this production, where the acting ranges from barely audible to mediocre to excellent, we are reminded of past plays and actors in situations that have been better fleshed out...If you are put off by nudity stay home. If you are put off by writing that doesn’t sparkle stay home as well...The perkiest moments are delivered by Frankie (Dan Domingues)–keep an eye out for this one."
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