Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is in performances at the Lucille Lortel Theater through January 7.
By Elazar Abrahams
One of the hottest tickets this theater season in New York is the off-Broadway revival of John Patrick Shanley’s “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea,” due in large part to Aubrey Plaza, star of Parks and Recreation and more recently, White Lotus scene-stealer, making her stage debut. The production is essentially sold out for the rest of its quick 10 week run, though limited rush and lottery tickets remain available. The melodrama follows two self-loathing and shame-ridden humans. Danny, played by Christopher Abbott, and Roberta, Plaza’s role. They strike up a brooding and fiery conversation at a bar, and their relationship spirals from there.
First, the praise heaping. Abbott is incredible, and the crowd immediately locks into his fragile but brash performance as the titular character. His movement is magnetic, keeping your attention throughout the sometimes dreary singular act. The theater is very small, and every seat is a good one, making it easier to spot the nuances in Danny’s facial expressions and the volume of his yelling, which he does quite often.
Unfortunately, Plaza disappoints, to say the least. She simply can’t match her costar’s energy. Partly, in her defense, this is because she is and will always be Aubrey Plaza. When her first line of dialogue is said in the exaggerated Italian Bronx accent Roberta has, you might think she’s amping the dialect up for laughs. But no, that’s the voice she’ll have for the duration of the show, and one needs to wonder if producers should have hired a better vocal coach. The same intimate setting that lets us be awed by Abbott is a strike against Plaza; I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was an actress acting, hammily at that, and didn’t buy the character because of it. She has time to improve, as I saw the show pretty early on in its run, but she’s stuck with what seems like not enough stage training and first year acting school habits.
Being that the piece revolves around the relationship between these two tortured and lost souls, the fact that they were on such different emotional calibers severely marred the story. Nothing that claims to be 80 minutes should feel this long.
The mounting’s direction, by Jeff Ward, is decent, but not enough to save the show. There’s a nice contrast between scenes set in a bar and the quieter conversations that take place in Roberta’s bed. There are some fabulous design choices too, not to be spoiled, complete with a miniature model of Manhattan and on-stage weather.
By relying on a flashy star-power name instead of raw talent, this Deep Sea was doomed to sink.
You can find more information and tickets HERE.
TV and City 