by: JK Clarke
In a scene practically ripped from the pages of Time and Again, Jack Finney’s masterpiece of historical time-travel, a newsboy straight out of 1919 stood at the entrance of a stairway leading down to an alley near Gramercy Park. A somewhat anachronistically dressed couple approached, and as he tipped his cap and handed them a copy of the New York Herald, dated November 13, 1919, one of the two leaned forward and muttered a single phrase, prompting the unsurprised lad to step aside and invite the couple to descend the staircase and follow the alley to the back entry of The Players, the legendary Gramercy club.
Speakeasy Dollhouse is the brainchild of Cynthia Von Buhler, whose grandfather, a speakeasy owner, was murdered on the streets of Manhattan in 1935. That event was the subject of the first Speakeasy Dollhouse immersive theater installment: Bloody Beginnings, which took place last year. This second installation, The Brothers Booth, directed by Wes Grantom, is the first such production at The Players. And there is terrific, in-period acting with wonderful characters wandering the floor (Lord Kat as an uncanny and charming Mark Twain, and Eric Gravez as Edwin Booth) in beautiful costumes (Tilly Grimes).
Unfortunately, despite all the well-done production elements, logistical shortcomings all but eliminate the pleasure one can derive from the evening. To begin with, it is far, far, far too crowded. Because the audience filters into the main ballroom through the back door, there are immediately very long lines to be reckoned with: for drink tickets (an unfortunate extra step for procuring a much needed cocktail); for the coat check; for the actual drinks once drink tickets are in hand. And the confluence of lines diminishes the enjoyment of the stage show. After the doors to the rest of the building are open, there are additional lines for visiting VIP rooms, or performance rooms. For a production with tickets ranging from $75 to $125 this is simply unacceptable. What’s more, it takes the fun out of the night. Cut attendance in half, and this is a winner.
Speakeasy Dollhouse: The Brothers Booth. Saturday April 5 at 8 PM and Saturday May 3 at 8 PM at The Players, 16 Gramercy Park South. Reservations only.www.speakeasydollhouse.com