Serenading Louie presented by American Century Theater at Gunston Arts Center

Serenading Louie

Gunston Arts Center
2700 S. Lang Street Arlington

One of the greatest living U.S. playwrights, Lanford Wilson is best known for dramas like Talley’s Folly and The Fifth of July, but the hidden gem in his list of creations is Serenading Louie, his engrossing, intimate examination of marriage in suburbia.

Presented by American Century Theater

Thru - Aug 21, 2010

Price: $26-$32

Stage: Gunston Theatre Two

Show Type: Drama

Running Time: 2 hrs 30 mins; one intermission

Buy Tickets

Serenading Louie Reviews

Average Rating based on 6 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Examiner - Recommended

"... What Wilson created in "Serenading Louie," on the other hand, is not a vicious attack on human beings, but a serious questioning of how so many people wind up on the rocks: He asks if mankind has gotten too civilized to live or if some men -- like Alex -- simply cannot commit to a private life. His "Serenading Louie" is a perceptive, lyrical tribute to the solitary individuals who find themselves trapped in a suburban tragedy."

Read Full Review

- Barbara Mackay

Talkin Broadway - Not Recommended

"...The characters in Lanford Wilson's 1970 drama Serenading Louie probably never heard the term "anxious masculinity," but male insecurity is the propulsive force of this play, pulled from obscurity and returned to the stage by American Century Theater in Arlington, Virginia. While the play offers the sort of incisive writing that actors long to perform, though, the efforts of director Steven Scott Mazzola and four actors aren't enough to bring to life this examination of two couples on the verge of middle age."

Read Full Review

- Susan Berlin

Fairfax Times - Highly Recommended

"...We should salute The American Century Theater, a nonprofit professional theater company established in 1994, dedicated to producing important American plays of the 20th century. TACT's mission, which they define as one of "rediscovery, enlightenment, and perspective, not nostalgia or preservation," is a true jewel in the crown of D.C. area theater."

Read Full Review

- David Hoffman

ShowBizRadio - Somewhat Recommended

"...The current American Century Theater production of Serenading Louie is at least solidly crafted. While not inspired, the acting is proficient. Theodore M. Snead as Alex is forcefully exasperated. Alex, a lawyer, seeks to banish indifference by veering into politics, with a detour into a questionable, maybe adulterous, maybe illegal, relationship. Robin Covington, as Gaby, is chronically querulous. Her insecurities are ineffectually disguised by giddiness. Hans Dettmar as Carl, an affluent real estate developer, flounders when sober. With an assist from alcohol, he bounces between stupor and frenzy. Vanessa Bradchulis as Mary is smoothly insipid. Mary tries to spice up her blandness with a questionable and definitely adulterous relationship with Carl’s accountant."

Read Full Review

- Joe Adcock

DramaUrge - Somewhat Recommended

"...Director Stephen Scott Mazzola has mounted a somewhat understated, uneven, and at times expressionistic production in an effort to capture Mr. Wilson's introspective, character-driven play. The staging with expository asides delivered to the audience and overlapping dialogue at the conclusion - where separate members of each couple converse - reflect the shared consciousness of the characters and lend an intimacy to the performance. "

Read Full Review

- John Glass

DCTheatreScene - Recommended

Two attractive couples, conversation, alcohol, deep-seated unhappiness and betrayal abounding … nope, it isn’t Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? It’s Serenading Louie, being presented with quiet style at The American Century Theater. The sniping here is less vicious, the tension thick without the muffle…but there’s still a lot of Albee seen in playwright Lanford Wilson’s work.

Read Full Review

- McCall Noelle Doyle

Serenading Louie presented by American Century Theater at Gunston Arts Center