There is a little gem of a theater in upper Manhattan that formerly had been named Morningside Players and has been newly new christened, MORNINGSIDE THEATER COMPANY. It is the brainchild of one SUSANNA FRAZER, Artistic Director, and is well worth your looking into. They have been presenting excellent revivals and offering new works for several years now and are presently providing a most charming “two-hander” of a play by Ms. Mensch that had initially played in Manhattan fifteen years ago at Ars Nova.
The play’s premise is charming and clever in that two young museum guide re-enactors portray an immigrant couple struggling to exist in a lower east side tenement in 1890 through the lens of this modern young man and woman discovering what it was like to live then, and endeavor to find the best ways for themselves to live now.
The fellow, Gideon, handsomely portrayed by DANIEL YAIULLO, is the vastly more experienced at this of the two. His character is a serious history buff who has played various characters in a series of re-enacting venues and has been at this particular gig for five years in playing the museum’s character Julian.
The lovely young lady, Margie, is played by the effortlessly charming ANNA LEI NEGRIN. Margie is neither experienced as an historical portrayer nor, at first, remotely interested in history in general, but simply is new to New York from the Midwest and is in desperate need of any job she can find. Her enacting her character of Josephine is a study of an actor’s evolving in skill and passion.
They seem, at first, to be oil and water without hope of finding any compatible chemistry. However, as one could cogently predict in a two person play, one agreeable moment in between their professional presentations and another finds them, to their shared surprise, seriously attractive and attracted. This increases in the ensuing months and is followed by a somewhat predictable cooling off, yet deeper appreciation for one another, and never depletes the audience’s interest in this becoming, in every way, couple.
“A Two Hander” in the hands of poorly skilled players can be a deadly patron’s affair and compounded if accompanied by a less than deft director. This production evades that danger on all counts.
Luke Hofmaier makes with this a most promising professional debut as the wielder of the stage helm. I’ve praised this young man’s acting prowess more than once in these internet pages, most recently in his portrayal in the Theater for A New City’s revival of Austin Pendleton’s,” Orson’s Shadow” just months ago. The timing, taste, and overall humor he’s displayed as an actor is well reflected in the performances that he elicits from Ms. Lei Negrin, and Mr. Yaiullo. Their combined command of the audience’s interest and caring of these characters and their respective narratives serves Ms. Mensch’s play in a highly satisfying fashion. It runs until May 11th and if you want a refreshing evening or matinee with some similarly refreshing talents, I recommend you visit their intimate display of, “Now Circa Then”.
MORNINGSIDE THEATER CO. 100 LaSalle St. Just east of Broadway, 2 blocks south of 125th St. Running from April 24th through May 11th, 2025. Thursdays and Fridays @ 7:30 Saturdays @ 5:00 pm, and Sundays @ 3:00 pm. ( additional matinee on Sat., May 10th @1:00 pm. Suggested contribution $20, Adults, $15, students and Seniors. Show runs 95 minutes with informal wine reception after every show!
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Great acting & directing. Wonderful evening.