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Good People Reviews
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Good People Review by: Tom Bestor, May 1, 2011 |
There are choices we make – and choices that we never get a chance to make. How much of what we become is due to our own virtue (or lack thereof) and how much should be ascribed to fate or the accidents of birth and situation? This question of control over your destiny is at the heart of David Lindsay-Abaire’s newest (and terrific) play, “Good People,” now playing at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theater.
As the play opens, Margaret – played with ... read more a delicious dishevelment by the ever-amazing Frances McDormand – is being fired from her job at the dollar store for being late one too many times. It’s not that Marge (as her name tag reads) is a shirker, it’s just that she has a lot going on in her life that is beyond her control, most of it related to her adult daughter who is developmentally disabled. Working a $9.40/hour job doesn’t give Marge the leeway to hire someone to care for her daughter while she’s at work, so she has to rely on her unreliable landlady, Dottie (Estelle Parsons). When Dottie is late (which is often), Marge is late.
Mike (Tate Donovan), on the other hand, found a way to escape the hardscrabble background he and Marge shared as children growing up in Boston’s south end. He got into college and medical school and now works as a reproductive endocrinologist and lives in tony Chestnut Hill. When Marge reaches out to Mike in the hope of securing new employment, their lives get entangled in ways that neither of them could imagine – or desire.
Lindsay-Abaire, one of my favorite contemporary playwrights, somehow finds a way to keep Marge a mostly sympathetic character, even when she is a source of chaos in Mike’s life. The cast surrounding McDormand are excellent, especially Patrick Carroll as Stevie, the dollar store manager who fires her.
Ultimately, once we reach the tender conclusion, the choices Marge and Mike have made over their lives define them still, for good and ill. |
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| 2 |
Review by: Mr.O, May 1, 2011 |
| Never misses a beat. I've never gone to a play were every joke went over. Every cast member fit their part like a glove. Even the stage hands do an excellent job! BRAVO! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Seniors, Tourists
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Good People has GREAT acting!! Review by: Pete, Apr 24, 2011 |
Life happening on stage! The entire cast is excellent and the acting was...there was no acting....they WERE BEING!
Frances McDormand and Tate Donovan are excellent and Renee Elise Goldsberry as Kate don't miss a beat. One reviewer said you think of these characters after you leave the theater and that is so true.
If you love theater you must see this show. It's theater at it's best. Lindsey-Abaire does it again. |
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must see!
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I saw this show with:
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Adults
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Disappointing Review by: Legs, Apr 8, 2011 |
| Having loved "Rabbit Hole", I thought this would be another winner but left disappointed. While the cast and production were all quite good, and the story was believable, the play was not engaging. Perhaps there was no character to like well enough and no sympathy or empathy ensued. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 5 |
A fantastic show Review by: pat, Mar 26, 2011 |
| I went to see this play based on the reviews that I had read here. Al of the praise is justified. It is brilliant both in the writing and the acting. And it left me wondering: how DO you define a "good person"? The line can certainly get blurry. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Alone
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Seniors
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Review by: Fatu, Mar 6, 2011 |
| "Good People" Soars as Good Theatre.
Headlining Frances McDormand and Estelle Parsons, "Good People" is a spellbinding if grim portrayal of white, working class folks living in South Boston--"Southies". At play's opening, McDormand as Margaret, a single mother raising her disabled daughter, is threatened with being fired because of repeated lateness. Her precarious circumstances are painfully identical to thousands in low-paying ... read more jobs today who are one misstep away from losing their jobs. The discovery that an friend from high school, now a successful doctor, is back in town might get her out of her dilemma or it may only complicate matters. Fine acting, seamless direction and stunning sets, make this a must-see production. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Tourists, Adults
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| 7 |
Do not miss this one Review by: kate, Feb 27, 2011 |
| It is a must see play. The compelling story stayed with me after I left the theater and I continue to think about the characters and their lives. Acting is superb and, although there is humor, it is a tragic story that rips at your heart. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Recommended for:
Anyone
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| 8 |
Review by: VERA, Feb 25, 2011 |
| I saw the play a few days ago. Some lines were hard to hear and understand the actors have to speak a little louder. I had this same expierence when I saw the pittmen painters maybe it is the acustic in the theater . |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family
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| 9 |
Review by: Carol, Feb 25, 2011 |
| Frances McDormand is the epitome of a Southie in a play set in Boston's south side. The character is a loser, but she does not see her complicity in her plight. Beginning with getting fired, getting pregnant, and trying to blackmail a former boyfriend who made it out of the slum, the evening is a riveting portrayal laced with humor and pathos. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
Adults
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| 10 |
Funny and touching drama with a great cast Review by: Kay228, Feb 24, 2011 |
| I was not emotionally drawn in during the performance. But it remained in my head. Two weeks later and I'm still thinking about the story, the characters, everything. This will stay with you a long, long time. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
Business Assoc., Seniors, Tourists
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| 11 |
Funny, compelling and poignant. Review by: gngal, Feb 23, 2011 |
"Good People" is a terrific play. It's funny, compelling and true-to-life. The story and casting appeals to all genders and generations - the rare exception in entertainment today. Go see it and have a great time!
The theater is relatively small (650 seats) so just about anywhere you sit is visually clear. However, with laughter in the room (the script is quite witty), it was sometimes hard to hear all the dialogue. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Business Assoc., Seniors
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| 12 |
Review by: , Feb 23, 2011 |
| Crackling dialogue and absorbing, emotional story., Cast is amazing! Tony award possibilities |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Tourists, Adults
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| 13 |
Fantastic Play Review by: frodo, Feb 22, 2011 |
| The wife and I saw this Saturday 2/19 matinee - Great Play - Great Cast - Great timing ! The 2 hours just flew by ! We loved the theater as well ! It was just a wonderful experience all around ! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Tourists, Adults
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A MUST SEE PRODUCTION! Review by: NYC Lady, Feb 20, 2011 |
| I loved this Broadway Play!!! The cast had great chemistry. The set and everything was wonderfully done. I can't wait to see it again. The actors' timing was great. Every character made me feel for him or her. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Alone
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Recommended for:
Adults
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| 15 |
Get tix now! Review by: kris, Feb 19, 2011 |
| LOVED IT! Don't wait for the reviews...buy your tix now. |
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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