This Is Our Youth: A Scathing Yet Honest Review

Posted on August 29th, 2008

I am a man of taste, of high regard within the theater community. I have read about many plays, and have seen several filmatic adaptations.

It was with nothing but great pleasure that I sat with to watch This Is Our Youth at the Havana Theatre this week.

The play tells the story of Warren, who after stealing $15 000 from his criminal father, hides out at his friend Dennis’ house. Written by Kenneth Lonergan, This Is Our Youth is modern warhorse of a script, that- along with critical acclaim- has seen many big name actors tackle its meaty limbs of theme and emotion.  The current production features Sean Gilchrist, Andrew Baker, and Sydney Cochrane and is directed by none other than Robert James Woolsey.

It’s a period piece, in the sense that the play is so terrible your body will reject it and you will begin to bleed from your anus.

The acting was pleasing; passionate and a force. I enjoyed the venue’s accoutrement, ample parking and reasonably-priced soda. The direction, of course, was poor. Robert Woolsey once again boondoggles a modern piece of pop art and turns it into a soggy turd not fit for a even homeless person.

I have seen better direction on traffic signs held up by rotting wood in buckets of sand, placed in poorly-lit areas on the highway.

And I thought this was a play? Where was the music? The dancing? The homosexuality? I’m all for trying new things, testing boundaries and pushing genres, but when the basic tenets of a medium are blatantly ignored, well, the term “abortion” comes to mind.

Andrew Lloyd Webber would be spinning in his grave.

This Is Our Youth gets a rating of one margarita out of a possible four margaritas.

Bob’s been working like a young Malaysian slave-child the past few months, writing for this site, running sketch comedy shows for VFS, and working on the play. I’m really quite proud of him for not having a cocaine relapse. Bob Woolsey is the closest thing I have to a brother besides my actual brother, and it is for that reason in which the above review was farce and I give my full endorsement to him and his ventures.

Good job, Bob Woolsey.

Tags: acting, bob woolsey, broadway, play, this is our youth
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4 Responses to “This Is Our Youth: A Scathing Yet Honest Review”

1. Morgan Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 6:20 pm

   I, Morgan Brayton, laughed out loud at this review. Some might say I lol’d. I would not. Nice work, Menzies.

2. Meghan Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 10:23 pm

   Morgan, anyone who would say you lol’d is not fit for the theatre. I love the fake classy photo, Andrew. And I can tell you that you’re wrong. There is both music and dancing in this play. Were you even paying attention? There’s even suggested overlays of homosexuality, so don’t go calling up Andrew Lloyd Webber’s corpse just yet.

3. Morgan Says:
   August 30th, 2008 at 12:00 am

   I am devastated at this sad news about the Baron Lloyd-Webber.

   And I am delighted at the phrase “overlays of homosexuality”.

4. Meghan Says:
   August 30th, 2008 at 8:35 am

   Suggested, mind you.

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