“A group portrait, in which everyday life is distorted to the point of surrealism by the addled soul at its center. Neugebauer has assembled a dream cast to embody the collective madness that seems to descend on those closest to Gladys...As near perfect as the performances are, the physical production occasionally lets them down...Such objections dissolve as soon as Gladys and her clan reassemble into groupings that convey claustrophobic intimacy and tragic, unbridgeable distance.”
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“Lonergan's family drama, starring the great Elaine May, is an indelible portrait of loss...’The Waverly Gallery’ forces us to deal with the walking memento mori that Gladys has become, but in a way that never seems cruel...She is funny and warm and she’s familiar, which helps fill in some of the play’s emotional blanks...May receives very fine support from the rest of the ensemble of Lila Neugebauer’s steady and unforced revival.”
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“There’s both a lot and very little happening in...’The Waverly Gallery’...A play that’s dedicated to the meticulous commemoration of the unextraordinary...While Lonergan’s play is funny...My trouble with ‘The Waverly Gallery’, despite its painstakingly relatable dialogue and situational poignancy, is that I...wanted it to do something else too...Even in the sensitive hands of its actors, especially May and Allen, it’s an affecting play, but not a revelatory one.”
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"Gladys is so much the object of our interest that a tendril of plot about real estate—the landlord wants the gallery gone—feels tacked on, and better forgotten. More fruitful is the chorus of talk that surrounds Gladys...'Waverly' will not be remembered as one of Lonergan’s major works, but this production, directed by Lila Neugebauer, showcases his great and singular talent for splitting open brisk, bookish people like these."
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“This revival is a close-to-ideal enactment of what might just be Lonergan’s most gripping stage play to date—which is saying something...May is not a stage actor but her lack of experience...doesn’t stop her from a performance that blends bewilderment with courage in a way that is beautifully, heartbreakingly right...Her four colleagues, Ms. Allen in particular, support her with the utmost sensitivity...Neugebauer has long since established herself as one of our best directors."
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“A vital comic drama that dares us to laugh before delivering the gut punch…The 'Waverly' characters talk over one another, with Neugebauer carefully charting the way, her instincts for each actor’s talents paying off tremendously...And as good as they all are, this production will be remembered for the stunning Elaine May...It feels a privilege to watch this legend transform Lonergan’s meditation on dignity, regret and ungraspable memory into something indelible and lasting."
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"So the poignancy is a bit heavy-handed, even under the thoughtful direction of Lila Neugebauer. But the sentiments are genuine and the emotions they raise are potent...This is a hard play to watch - like a play that opens with a deathly ill person and doggedly follows that person to the grave. In fact, if they gave a prize for Most Depressing Play of the Season, this one would win...To be fair, there are moments of relief...A play that’s guaranteed to tear you apart."
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"While the memory play is not the most profound work of this keenly observant writer, it's probably his most personal...Neugebauer handles the gradual modulation from light comedy to searing pathos with confidence. But the play's inevitable limitation is that there's only one direction it can go...’The Waverly Gallery’ has been given a sensitive, for the most part beautifully acted production that honors the playwright's very personal stake."
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