October 15, 2018
The boilerplate description of The True, from playwright Sharr White’s website (and echoed in the press release) goes thus:
“When it comes to Polly Noonan, there’s no fine line between the political and personal. For her… it’s only personal. Especially now that her hero, ‘mayor for life’ Erastus Corning, is in a pitched battle for control of the Albany Democratic party. The True explores the bounds of love, loyalty, and female power in the male-dominated world of 1977 machine politics.”
It’s a fair enough description of the comedy-drama currently having its debut via the New Group at the Signature Center; and given what has sometimes been the penchant of that company’s artistic director Scott Elliott’s penchant for exploring humanity at its most disturbing, this entry is unusually restrained, humane and straight-ahead.
Elliott, also this production’s director, whose strength is realism, but has had a bumpy relationship with comedy, here manages a nice balance of both; and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s because, having cast actors of renowned and high octane comic gifts, he just guided them through the play’s emotional terrain and otherwise left them to their own devices to deliver the funny. Often a good idea. And when you have the likes of Edie Falco, Michael McKean, Peter Scolari and John Pankow, it’s a great idea.
As to the play itself: modest, entertaining, a little repetitive, a few nice turns and ironies…but within all that, Mr. White has written some sprightly, often salty dialogue for some well-drawn characters, all interesting enough to hold your attention for its roughly 100 intermissionless minutes.
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