A powerfully poignant and often hilarious play, The Waverly Gallery is about the final years of a generous, chatty, and feisty grandmother's final battle against Alzheimer's disease. Gladys is an old-school lefty and social activist and longtime owner of a small art gallery in Greenwich Village. The play explores her fight to retain her independence and the subsequent effect of her decline on her family, especially her grandson. More than a memory play, The Waverly Gallery captures the humor and strength of a family in the face of crisis.
But all the characters are set on a rinse-and-repeat sequence of impatience and anguish, which is very real when it comes to caring for a loved-one suffering from Alzheimer's but adds up to a hollow-feeling act of theatre that isn't sure if it wants its audience to laugh or cry, before queasily opting for both.
Lonergan designed this as a memory play and Lucas Hedges's restrained narration offers welcome distance. Joan Allen wrenchingly evokes Ellen's conflicting emotions. And who can't relate to David Cromer's Howard, with his clumsy but well-intentioned efforts to communicate. And Michael Cera is almost unrecognizable with his subtle turn as a sympathetic artist without a lot of talent.
2000 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2018 | Broadway |
Broadway Premiere Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Elaine May |
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | The Waverly Gallery |
2019 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Elaine May |
2019 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | The Waverly Gallery |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Elaine May |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Joan Allen |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | The Waverly Gallery |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Elaine May |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Kenneth Lonergan |
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