This is a story about a dying man in a play without a moment of life. I recommend it to anyone with only a short time to live. The 95-minutes will feel like a lifetime.
Playwright Frank McGuinness, who won a 1997 Tony Award for Best Revival for his translation of A Doll's House, creates a fictionalized version of the men who founded Dublin’s Gate Theatre in 1928, Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir, who onstage become Conrad (Charles Shaw Robinson, right in photo) and Gabriel (Martin Rayner, left). Gabriel is dying, which will not make you the least bit sad. He’s such a bore you wish he would just hurry up and do it.
The play, having its American premiere at 59E59 Theaters under the direction of Kent Paul, is loaded with undeveloped plot lines -- the nurse (Kathleen McNenny) seems to be the sanest person in he household, that is until she goes off the deep end, only to return to once again being the rock of the group. Conrad, who is Gabriel’s partner in life as well as the theatre, has had, and seems to be having again, an affair with Gabriel’s nephew, Ryan, (Seth Numrich), who either hates or loves his uncle. It’s hard to tell. Kassie (Diane Ciesla) is Gabriel’s sister and Ryan’s mother who seems to have no purpose in the play other than to babble annoyingly whenever she’s onstage.
Mercifully, Gates of Gold is only playing a limited engagement, though Sunday March 29. To purchase tickets, contact Ticket Central on 212-279-4200 or online at www.ticketcentral.com. For more information, visit www.59e59.org.
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