Theatre Review - The Real Thing

Directed and Produced by Linda Alznauer

Considered to be Tom Stoppard’s best play, and winning 1984’s Tony Award for Best Play and the 2000 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, THE REAL THING, is a funny, sometimes tragic, and many times realistic take on love, marriage and relationships. This is not your typical romantic comedy. THE REAL THING is filled with wit and sophisticated dialogue that is so present in English plays, and so present in Tom Stoppard’s plays with his passion for his characters.

Henry (truly wonderful performance by Michael Robb) is a playwright, and our play opens with a scene from Henry’s play, and characters Max (Fox Carney) suspecting Charlotte (Susan Silvestri) of infidelity. Henry has written about love and marriage, and the circumstances surrounding infidelities. But Henry finds himself actually living his play, and similar circumstances confront him with Annie (the amazing Cindy Marinangel), Max’s actual wife, who is desperately in love with Henry. Henry’s wife Charlotte is cynical, Annie is spirited and idealistic. And so begins their extramarital affair. Henry expounds his theories on love and literature: Is this how relationships really are? What happened to the storybook life of finding one person and staying with them forever? Isn’t it what we all imagined love to be when we were young and innocent? Tom Stoppard gives us one scene from a “play” which is followed immediately by another scene that is real life. But which is the “fake” and which is the “Real Thing”. Rounding out the cast is Billy (Jared Boghosian), a source of aggravation to Henry, Brodie (Brandon Irons) a Scottish activist, and Debbie (Anna Laura Singleton), Henry’s outspoken daughter.

Performances by each and every cast member are first rate and draw us into their characters. Linda Alznauer’s direction is stellar. Each element draws you into Stoppard’s play. As the English say: “Well done” each and every one of you.

Enjoy your evening at the theatre at Two Roads Theatre in Tujunga Village. I love plays that make you think. Tom Stoppard’s THE REAL THING will make you think.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!

Cast: Jared Boghosian, Fox Carney, Brandon Irons, Cindy Marinangel, Michael Robb, Susan Silvestri and Anna Laura Singleton
Director: Linda Alznauer
Producer: Linda Alznauer
Stage Manager: Nicholas McDonald
Set Design: Diana Martin
Sound Design: Steve Shaw
Lighting Design: Jazmin Lopez
Light Operator/Sound Operator: Jazmin Lopez
Costume Design: Diana Martin
Dialect Coach: Glenda Morgan Brown
Set Builder: Larry White
Props Master: George Stevens
Publicist: Nora Feldman
Graphic Design: Doug Haverty

TWO ROADS THEATRE
4348 Tujunga Avenue
Studio City, CA 91604

Reservations/Information: www.plays411.com/therealthing or (323)822-7898

Plays: February 1 – March 9, 2014
Tickets: $15
Running Time: 2 ½ hrs. There will be one intermission