The
unlikely courtship by a Lithuanian Jew (by way of New York City) of a
Protestant young woman from a conservative Missouri family is the premise of Lanford
Wilson’s 1980 valentine, Talley’s
Folly. The play, a 97
minute two-hander, has been given a warm, tender and mostly (and when
appropriate) funny revival by the Roundabout Theatre Company, in their
off-Broadway but midtown Laura Pels space. In this first New York revival since
the play’s debut, Danny Burstein takes
up the mantle of Matt Friedman (the role originally created by Judd Hirsch) and
delivers what may be the crowning achievement of a steadily climbing career,
because it’s the synthesis of all his colors and range. Matt not only pursues the girl in an “alien land”
(manifested in the set: a dilapidated boathouse) but narrates, juggling a keen
awareness of theatrical artifice with a firm belief in the reality of his
mission; it’s one of those intensely difficult tour de force roles
that succeeds only when the performer makes it seem easy. Mr. Burstein makes it
seems (as he himself might say) “like buttah.” Sarah Paulsen as
Sally has the nearly-as-difficult role of foil, hers the balancing act
of being compelling, even alluring, while at the same time putting up a wall of
resistance. It’s impossible for an actress in this play to be the equal of her
Matt in terms of virtuosity; the play simply isn’t written that way; the best
one can do is hold her own and provide Matt a challenge worthy of his evening’s
efforts. And that Ms. Paulsen does handily. The play’s return is a sweet and
welcome one.
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