Review: Early Hollywood in Black and White in ‘Vera Stark’

I loved this show so much. We laughed hysterically during the entire first act. All the actors are brilliant and the subject matter is "deep" but it isn't heavy-handed. The second act was way too long and should have been at least 15 minutes shorter.

I live in Toronto and will very likely not see this play - but as a female filmmaker and writer I find the review very exciting and thought provoking - it makes me feel, frankly, very alive. The writing itself vivifies a struggle I can not pin down in myself, a struggle I have trouble identifying - never mind living with. I am grateful to Alexis Soloski for helping me see the world of women, portrait and performance this way. Many thanks.

Better on paper than on stage. The wind goes out of the play in the second act "symposium," though the skewering of the academics is spot-on. Nottage has polished her art to near-perfection since "Vera Stark." I will never forget "Ruined" -- it ranks among my top 5 nights of theatergoing (a lot of plays!) since the late 1960s. By contrast I saw "Vera Stark" on Sunday and feel no afterglow.

Go see it just to see Heather Alicia Simms, who, as far as I'm concerned, steals any show she's in. First act is fabulous, second is.... just too heavy handed for me. But I will forgive Nottage anything. She's just too smart to ignore.

Vera Stark is the first Lynn Nottage play I've seen. She writes wonderful characters-juicy roles for actors to relish. The play never bores but in Act II my mind kept wandering and wondering why she veered so drastically from the screwball comedy she had crafted in her first act. In this case "entertainment with a message" seemed self -defeating.

The problem with this play is in the second act. Ms Nottage takes too much time to preach at us about the problem. We are smart enough to catch the nuance and subtlety without the lecturing. (I also had this problem with Sweat, by the way).

Don't even think about it - just go and see it!!!

Hmm - I saw the original production of “Vera” some years back. I was blown away by if. It was clever, funny, sad - and I remember thinking about it long afterward - wondering why it never took off or transferred to Bway. But now it’s back, and I urge anyone who has an interest in old movies - and especially those like “Imitation of Life” or even “Gone With The Wind” to go take a look. It’s a terrific play !