Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis
Directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman
Synopsis:
An inter-generational ghost story set in a charity hospital in The Bronx.
NEW YORK TIMES:
"Given the script’s structural sagginess, this unevenly acted production needs a more disciplined staging than Mr. Hoffman has imposed upon it. But as is almost always true with LAByrinth, which specializes in stories of marginal lives under duress, “Little Flower” exudes the heat of true emotional conviction. "
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK POST:
"The evening doesn't quite achieve the level of gritty urban poetry to which it aspires, due to a disjointed, fragmented narrative that never really coheres. Despite the fine performances by the likes of Burstyn and the ever more impressive Shannon, the characters always remain at a certain distance. And the ultimate revelations about Therese's physical condition fail to have the dramatic impact that they should. But there are many alternately amusing and affecting moments along the way that provide ample compensation and, despite its not inconsiderable flaws, "The Little Flower of East Orange" eventually gets under your skin in a way that tidier dramas don't often manage. "
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS:
"Hoffman's direction is clean and efficient. Shannon's work is emotionally deep, while Burstyn makes Therese both charming and infuriating - which is exactly right. Some moments ring so true between the two that they're painful to watch. After "Little Flower," you'll either want to call your mother or regret that you can't. "
Read the whole review HERE.
THEATERMANIA:
" Under frequent collaborator Philip Seymour Hoffman's unsteady direction, the work is so full of ideas that it feels like a second or third draft that needs another pass in order to cohere. It's as if the playwright has thrown on stage everything that's crossed his fertile mind before he's calculated what to focus on and what to eliminate. "
Read the whole review HERE.
VARIETY:
"But even at his most compelling, Guirgis' work can give the impression of being a draft away from its ideal form. Self-editing is not his strongest suit. He needs a director able to address his weaknesses of structure and economy. Hoffman instead plows through, pushing his cast to shouty, abrasive extremes exacerbated by David Van Tieghem's heady sound mix. And the play's awkward timeshifts, as well as those between dramatized action and intrusive direct address, are negotiated with messy flourishes that lack fluidity. Narelle Sissons' cumbersome set of movable opaque panels also gives a cold, mechanical feel that slows the audience's connection to the characters."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEWSDAY:
"The LAByrinth was essentially formed around Guirguis' plays (and vice versa), and, as usual, this production is sympathetically and definitively crafted, with the help of Hoffman, the company's co-artistic director. "The Little Flower of East Orange" may not grow to the heights it could, but it blooms defiantly, and ultimately cheeringly, through the cracks in the city sidewalk."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK SUN:
"“Little Flower” still feels like an early draft, and though it retains some hot-off-the-presses freshness, it hasn’t worked out the kinks in its mechanics. Mr. Guirgis has often been applauded for being a natural, rough-around-the-edges sort of dramatist. What “The Little Flower of East Orange” makes plain is how much he could achieve if he could combine that raw talent with structural discipline. "
Read the whole review HERE.
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