Written by Paul Rudnick
Directed by Nicholas Martin
Synopsis:
The New Century is a series of four short plays, which feature everyone from a concerned Long Island mother of at least three gay children (Lavin), to an accomplished Midwestern craftswoman (Houdyshell), to one of Mr. Rudnick's favorites, Mr. Charles, a flamboyant resident of Palm Beach (Barlett). Ultimately, all of these delicious and distraught people collide under surprising and comic circumstances, and we discover just where our new century might be heading.
NEW YORK TIMES:
"As is made clear by “The New Century,” directed with precision timing by Nicholas Martin, Mr. Rudnick’s insistence on staying determinedly on the surface does not mean that he’s not aware of the darkness beneath. Frivolity for his characters is a solid existential choice in a threatening universe. It’s Absurdism lite, a sensibility that is universally accessible. "
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK POST:
"When reviewing a comedy, I tend to jot down a few of the funnier lines, to indicate its general level of wit. It wasn't easy with Paul Rudnick's "The New Century," which opened last night - not that there were no funny lines to choose from, but because I had a notebook full after just a few minutes. Composed of three near-monologues and a fourth one-act play that unites the previous characters in one final wacky encounter, the evening contains so many gut-busting one-liners that those with heart conditions are advised to steer clear. "
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS:
"The evening is slight and light, delivering just what we've come to expect from the author of "Jeffrey" and "In and Out" - gay themes, snappy one-liners, extreme characters, gratuitous nudity and stories that unravel to some degree before they're done. "
Read the whole review HERE.
THEATERMANIA:
"Thanks to Rudnick's wildly successful way with a collection of hilarious oddball characters, The New Cenutry is likely to play to very happy crowds "
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VARIETY:
"That title is something of a misnomer. The mechanically intertwined one-acts might ostensibly be an optimistic salute to a burgeoning era of inclusiveness, but the material feels like warmed-over sketches from 20 years ago. "
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NEWSDAY:
"There isn't much new in "The New Century," the four gay-identity comic sketches by Paul Rudnick that the Lincoln Center Theater opened last night at the Mitzi E. Newhouse. On the other hand, the playwright has such a quick wit, cheerful irreverence and outlandishly comfortable sensibility that we - or, at least, I - happily overlook the familiarity of his subjects and his inability here to write anything like a plausible ending."
Read the whole review HERE.
NEW YORK SUN:
"With “The New Century,” Paul Rudnick has once again swollen the master list of memorable bons mots by a few dozen. The trick for anyone reviewing Mr. Rudnick’s work is avoiding the urge to merely spool out a list of quips — and, as Wilde understood, the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. "
Read the whole review HERE.
AM NY:
"As always, Rudnick's flair for gay comedy and cute one-liners shines, but the play itself is inconsequential. While Linda Lavin's performance as Helen is wicked funny, and Peter Bartlett, in a ridiculous toupee, is amusing as Mr. Charles, Jayne Houdyshell's monologue as Barbara falls flat, and the final scene is awkward and uninspired, ending in an idiotic disco sequence."
Read the whole review HERE.
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