“'2 Across' is a battle-of-the-sexes throwback...Set in the present and peppered with comic references to Will Shortz, the crossword editor of The New York Times, the play nonetheless seems stuck in the era of TV shows. Its rhythms belong to television but Mr. Gilman knows just how to ride them for laughs. Ms. McArdle’s role as the supposedly sharp-edged, uptight Janet is less fun, but she and Mr. Gilman have an appealing rapport that makes the play surprisingly palatable."
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"I'm afraid that Jerry Mayer's new play is like the Monday puzzle -- so simple that it hardly seems worth the bother...'2 Across' is the kind of bauble that is much harder to pull off than it looks. If it is to work, we have to fall for Josh and Janet, something that never happens. The action is predictable, the characters have little or no charm, and the dialogue is without sparkle."
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"Despite its playful premise and the likable presence of Andrea McArdle and Kip Gilman as the couple-to-be, is slow going. Because, really, even if director Evelyn Rudie provided the most sprightly and sparkling staging (which she doesn't — she does her best, but they're in a train car, for goodness sake), there are still all the standard clichés to cycle through."
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"Over the 80-minute ride, the layers of their lives unravel and truths are revealed...Spending time with these two opposites provides a breezy light comedy with a dollop of romance, some laughs and a bit of substance...Director Evelyn Rudie keeps a crisp light touch, emphasizing the characterizations and skillfully uses the confined space of the shuttle car...In this feel-good moment, '2 Across' proves a free and easy fit for the small St Luke's Theatre."
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"Brought together by a love of the daily crossword puzzle, the twosome in this warm and wise comedy debate a great many topics that engage couples today...Under Evelyn Rudie’s smooth direction, McArdle and Gilman are delightful company...Opposites attract in Jerry Mayer’s '2 Across' and Andrea McArdle and Kip Gilman keep the interplay light and entertaining. You can also learn a few life lessons along the way."
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"Surely we can expect something more in a play than endless conversation, even if it is clever....Mayer has limited his possibilities by setting his story in a commuter train car...Where the show succeeds it’s because those two characters are played by pros who make them so likable we don’t ask certain obvious questions...'2 Across' is written much like three episodes in a series...Any one of these episodes might have worked on television. In theater, they become tedious."
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"Both actors develop their complex characters with a refined sense of authenticity and honesty...Mr. Mayer delineates his characters with exquisite care and their conflicts drive a remarkably engaging plot structure that the audience easily connects to on a variety of important levels…'2 Across' is a dramatic puzzle worth solving. The solution provides a heart-warming ninety minutes that challenges making judgements on preconceptions and prejudices."
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"It’s the kind of thing you might expect to see at your local dinner theatre...The play sometimes goes too far in stretching credibility, but, as effortlessly performed by two appealingly attractive pros, one of them former child star Andrea McArdle, '2 Across' is the theatrical equivalent of an ice cream sundae: not very nutritious, but no problem getting it down."
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