"One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that’s 'Lone Star' in a nutshell."
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"’Imagine a Burt Reynolds movie as written by Mel Brooks, and you might have an approximation of the hilarity.’ So wrote Mel Gussow about Lone Star when it opened on Broadway in 1979 to general acclaim (and admittedly, a short two-month run). Such hilarity is missing in action onstage at Theatre Row, leading one to think that James McLure's tragicomedy has aged badly. But I think it's more complicated than that; the allure of Lone Star is hard to make out but those involved in the revival don't make it any easier.”
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Probably only David Rabe’s "Sticks and Bones" (part of his Vietnam trilogy that included "The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel" and "Streamers") is as demonstrative as "Lone Star" in its depiction of a soldier’s inability to easily pick up from where he left off upon returning from a tour of duty. For this production, Ruth Stage, in an adaptation by director Joe Rosario and actor Matt de Rogatis, has been given the rights to append the character of Elizabeth to the original "Lone Star" cast. Her character is from a companion McLure play, "Laundry and Bourbon," which has a history of being performed in repertory with "Lone Star." Elizabeth is Roy’s wife, therefore Ray’s sister-in-law.
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“The play is described, rightfully, as a dark comedy, which is powerfully portrayed by the brothers, Roy and Ray...After 90 minutes of yelling and fighting, the scene is a lovely way to end the play and begin their lives.”
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“The highlights of this production are two terrific acting talents that stand out in their characterizations and make the play worth watching...There’s a completely unnecessary comic-book type storyboard montage of the play showing us everything we have just witnessed that comes right before the last tie-everything-up scene. The play itself is a bit dated in its outlook on the world and the misogyny about what a woman is holds the script back from ever being something that will be produced very much.”
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"With shades of Chekov and The Best Years of Our Lives, the late Southern writer James McLure’s one-act play beautifully depicts the disaffected existence of a Vietnam War veteran in the early 1970’s through rich vernacular-laden dialogue, three engaging Texas small-town quirky male characters and a compelling casual plot. Actor Matt de Rogatis is awesome as the former soldier. This production is notable because with the permission of the McLure estate, the play is now being given an expanded adaptation."
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“The actors are skilled with different techniques, so what we get feels imposed rather than lived in. You can see the seams and feel them acting...The evening feels calculated to expose the underbelly of the beast. There is no moment of redemption that justifies the ending.”
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“The fun of McLure’s ‘Lone Star’ still holds up, as does the portrayal of a damaged war veteran.”
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