Fifty Words Reviews

Washington City Paper- Somewhat Recommended

"...But most of the problems with Fifty Words come from the script, which puts everyone involved through a great deal of pain with very little payoff. The dialogue comes off as authentic, and Weller manages to get laughs during even the most stressful moments. But the script yo-yos so drastically and so frequently in tone that after an hour, one is exhausted. Ultimately, Jan comes off as a cold and completely unreasonable person, and when the two wonder how they ever ended up together, you find yourself thinking the same. Through the screaming, the fighting, and the crying, one longs to know what brought them together in the first place. In the absence of that information, the play is an exercise in watching a volatile pair puke their emotions at each other, with no investment and no satisfying conclusion."

MD Theatre Guide- Recommended

"... For an intimate glance at the real world troubles of married life in the modern day Everyman Theatre’s production of Fifty Words is the show to see. Directed by Donald Hicken, the show gives the audience a glimpse into yhe slowly unraveling marriage of a modern couple whose 9-year-old son is away on his first sleepover – giving the couple their first night alone together in over 9 years. Secrets are revealed, emotions are exposed, and drama explodes as the play unfurls over the span of one evening from the time Adam returns home from dropping their son off to the time their son comes home at the wee hours of the next morning. It is a show loaded with conflict that will keep audiences watching intently."

BroadwayWorld- Recommended

"... I’ve not seen the various productions of Fifty Words (New York, Toronto, and Chicago, at least), but it seems that the play has undergone some changes since its 2008 premiere. Everyman gives it a solid rendering with two veteran company members doing the honors in workmanlike fashion, fully and convincingly inhabiting two average professional-class New Yorkers living through a garden-variety crisis. You believe in these characters from the outset, without finding either of them very remarkable, which I think is exactly right for this play. Director Donald Hicken keeps the action humming and the emotions real. And the set by Timothy Mackabee is a marvel, a straight shot through the fuselage of a brownstone with everything from a fridge to board games on display."