See it if You like older shows, that still find relevance to contemporary audiences.
Don't see it if If you're looking for something flashy. Read more
See it if U enjoy this type of drawing room com/drama that doesn't dig too deep but entertains & uses a large cast to bring in some colorful character
Don't see it if You don't care for plays where everyone is nice and things all work out for the best. Read more
See it if you like enchanting early 20th century period-pieces. It's well-written and well-performed.
Don't see it if seeing a work in progress burden you.
See it if If you want a period piece that is classic in time. Conflict of two generations.
Don't see it if If you want a modern piece or a faster paced production.
See it if Love, work, income, property, family, passion, education, economic conditions, all in conflict for two generations living in the 1920s.
Don't see it if You prefer the fast pace of modern plays over the steady deliberateness of a classic drama.
See it if An early 20th century play, well acted and amusing, that asks whether you should give up art for love or vice versa and the consequences
Don't see it if Play is standard three-act drama so if you are looking for an edgy play this is not for you
See it if you enjoy classic American theater and a chance to see a rarely performed play by an unrelated playwright.
Don't see it if you prefer contemporary plays or lavish productions. Read more
See it if you'd like to see a somewhat enchanting early 20th century period-piece. Well-written, visually stylized (set, costumes) & well-performed.
Don't see it if you prefer an epic magnanimous boffo production. It's a lovely night out @ the theater, in a great old venue, listening to pretty dialogue. Read more
“Under the skilled direction of Hardart, a cast with a solid understanding of period style captures the complex notes of Barry's style...Not a brilliant work, ‘You and I’ is nevertheless engaging throughout, and, in its ironic finale...it is surprisingly moving. It also stands on its own in its consideration of the soul-wearying effects of the American culture of business...And, even in this early work, Barry's philosophy is clearly stated.”
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"Under Hardart's uncertain direction, 'You and I' emerges as a footnote to a notable career, a good-natured but vapid drawing-room comedy whose chief interest lies in how Barry spun so many autobiographical threads into it...It's a sweet play; truly...Love and warmth permeate the stage, every character is well-intentioned...We're not convinced, however, that 'You and I' can still arrestingly hold a stage, or that its themes aren't better stated in other works."
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"This would be fine if the artificial style of the play and the dated twenties slang did not seem arch and affected. And while director Michael Hardart's production is always stylish and graceful, he has not helped greatly with his casting or his mannered and theatrical approach to the material. The characters talk in an elevated, literate language but … are basically very simple people, not the kind who sit around tossing off bon mots. Here they speak Barry's realistic lines as though they do."
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"Barry's play would need a far more polished and well-cast company…than presently assembled…to give its dated-sounding dialogue…stagy characters, and plot contrivances the fire they desperately require…Hardart has helped them convey some of their roles' shifting nuances but…they're unable to make Barry's old-fashioned, 'darling'-sprinkled, upper-class locutions sound natural...Hardart's direction succeeds merely in making the two hour and 15-minute running time seem longer."
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“A vibrant script, insightful where human nature is concerned, witty and, in the end, heartrending...Hardart’s accomplished staging features a balanced ensemble cast of endearing players, with three leads who lend just the right buoyancy to Barry’s witty dialogue. But what’s best is how they capture the poignancy of the playwright’s subtext, as well as of his text...If only such graceful, stylish talk could be heard more often nowadays—onstage and off!”
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