Three Wise Guys

"This production mostly demonstrates how difficult it is to bring Runyon to life...Runyon was not so much about plot as he was about character and color...Lacks the relish Runyon brought to his larger-than-life creations...The pace lags and the actors never find that sweet spot between arch formalism and comic abandon. Hawkins needs more of the carefree swagger of a lovable rogue like Dancing Dan...Missing are tone, pace and flavor — that elusive snap, crackle and pop." Full Review

"The play is as much an elegy for a bygone era as it is for an off-Broadway company on its way out, fully exemplifying the organization's modest successes even if it doesn't always work...Evans, who directs, and Couchman take certain liberties, particularly in the play's entirely invented middle section...This is where the work really falters, mostly because it has a tendency to lose the distinctive Runyonese that the rest of the work so pleasingly encapsulate...Not perfect but still enjoyable." Full Review

"'Three Wise Guys' has the look and feel of a synthetic: It apes the manner of a classic screwball farce without delivering the laughs...The story is also poorly constructed, requiring the action to stop repeatedly for flashbacks -- making use of projections and shadow puppets -- to fill us in on various complicated backstories. This is nothing against the cast, all of whom, under Evans' direction, deliver neatly stylized characterizations without going over the top." Full Review

"'Guys and Dolls' has co-opted the Runyon oeuvre; any attempt to dramatize the gent's writing without a terrific musical score is probably doomed to sound as airlessly ersatz as it does here…Everything about the comically convoluted script just lies there….Runyon's humorously ungrammatical New York mobster patois is intact…This affords a jot of jocularity but it's no substitute for a stage-worthy story and characters." Full Review

"An uneven production...With the puppets from internationally known puppeteer Andy Gaukel, and vivid screen projections from established designer Dan Scully offering exciting visuals, Evans cannot seem to get his actors to keep pace or to fully own the inherent comedy of Runyon's stilted language. The result is a weak finish." Full Review

"This homage to times gone by, is sweet, charming, and utterly enjoyable...Like the old screwball comedy’s of the 20’s, there are many who will not see this piece as viable, but my guest thanked me afterwards for bring her to something so enjoyable. There is a place for theatre that reminds us of the simplicity of the past...The cast are all deliciously wonderful, as they take on multiple roles. Scott Alan Evans directs this piece with whimsy and delight." Full Review

"This snicker-worthy and sweetish play doesn’t feel very vital nor is it a high level, high-octane comedy, but it is done with love and a good spirited need to entertain by all involved...It’s pleasant and mildly entertaining fun as directed by Scott Alan Evans...Overall the piece flies by on a bit shaky but silly charisma, piling on the giddy jokes one on top of each other with sentimental affection." Full Review

"It is a charming farewell...The actors handle the dialect well, with only the the occasional lapse in accent...'Three Wise Guys' is a little gem of a play. So much of Damon Runyon’s storytelling takes place in dialogue, he’s a natural for the stage...Director Scott Alan Evans keeps the action moving without sacrificing the quieter moments that give the humor its zest. It is difficult to pull off, but the cast make it look easy." Full Review

"A good, well written story and would’ve made a wonderful 1950s’s film or musical. In fact, the piece would benefit from background music. Silences weigh heavily...It’s short on atmosphere and connective tissue...I really wanted to like the production more than I did...Staging and timing are skillful, but the capable cast is so utterly natural, they convey no brightness, no zip. Perhaps exaggeration of style would help. There’s potential here. I enjoyed the story/script." Full Review

"There are numerous comic portrayals and one liners that tickle the funny bone...Surprises all around, lots of wacky conversations as the characters keep popping in and out...And there’s an adorable bed scene – the least expected! It’s amazing how much can happen in one evening! It’s all tongue in cheek, and even mobsters have a heart, especially on Christmas Eve." Full Review

"A new comedy that has captured the warmth and loopy humor so prevalent in the source material...A company of 7 veteran actors performs with a perfected rhythm and a consistent accent to the breezy dialogue...It’s an ensemble cast that plays together like a well rehearsed orchestra, with each actor delivering clever dialogue that tells the complicated story of three hapless gents...A play that’s highly original...A delightful and refreshing divertissement." Full Review

"A tasty slice of that quality known as Runyonesque...Not exactly the madcap caper it may well intend to be...Squeezes in more plot than laugh lines...Still, it's a likeable entertainment, thanks in large part to an ingratiating cast, and Evans' light but imaginative hand as director of the show as well as its co-writer...May not be a 'great' play, but...It should leave the company’s final audiences with smiles on their faces." Full Review

"A nostalgic work with more than a little heart...There’s something special about Runyon characters. They often inhabit the fringes of society yet have a unique moral code...Unfolding in leisurely fashion, the tale still manages to cram a lot of action into its deliberately meandering style. Though there are moments when events more than stretch the bounds of credibility, by the time they occur, we are too invested in the story and its characters to mind." Full Review

"If you love Damon Runyon’s outlandish characters and their eccentric articulations, you’re in for a treat...Although the combination, as hammered out by Scott Alan Evans and Jeffrey Couchman, is at times a bit clumsy, the result is a thoroughly entertaining evening...This comedy is surprisingly tame and, for the most part, entirely appropriate for youngsters...The cast is quite wonderful. One only hopes they are having as good a time as they are giving the audience." Full Review

"Clocking in at a breezy 85 minutes, 'Three Wise Guys' doesn't come close to overstaying its welcome. But there is a sense that Evans and Couchman want to send us to the exits before we've had time to think about the plot holes they couldn't quite fill after mashing together the two Runyon stories. My advice? Just sit back and enjoy the con." Full Review

"It is just wonderful, a delicious romp through the mob underworld, speakeasies, and the Long Island mansions of the wealthy in the Depression era...The play is a tasty cup of hot chocolate with whip cream on top for these blistering cold winter days...Evans has done a superb job...The play has everything one could want on the stage. There is the enchanting underworld story and the Runyon characters and more laughs than there are on the streets of Chicago." Full Review

"A pleasant and funny tribute to the era of speakeasies, bootleggers, guys and dolls...Nothing about any of this is particularly new or surprising, but arguably that predictability is one of the production's greatest strengths...Playwrights Scott Alan Evans (who also directs) & Jeffrey Couchman understand their source material and its roots...A graceful, funny, and warm production." Full Review

"Filled with the slightly shady, Times Square characters, and idiosyncratic language...Although it’s a much-told story, because of the witty writing and many, clever plot devices and the solid direction of Scott Alan Evans, 'Three Wise Guys' feels entertaining and new...The only thing that seems inappropriate about this production is the time of year in which it was produced. I guess TACT feels that we need a little Christmas. Maybe, they’re right." Full Review