While watching God's Ear tonight I couldn't help but be reminded of the ridiculously lame choice of Rabbit Hole for the Pulitzer earlier this year. While both plays deal with the loss of a child, Jenny Schwartz' new play deals with the experience in a more abstract and ultimately more honest fashion than did David Lindsay-Abaire's movie-of-the-week-like Rabbit Hole. What separates the two plays is the abstractness of Schwartz' language. The question “why” must turn up five or six dozen times in the play, and like true life, there are multiple answers, but no satisfactory ones. The always terrific Christine Kirk is at the center of God's Ear as Mel, the grieving mother dealing with her surviving daughter and absent husband. And Annie McNamara has a hilarious scene in which and Mel's husband, Ted (Gibson Frazier), share flirtations over a drink (pictured above). Anne Kauffman once again proves she is one of downtown's most consistently exciting directors. Kris Stone's set is beautiful and perhaps the best set ever to be created for The East 13th Street Theatre – the home of Classic Stage Company. Bravo and thank you to New Georges for giving us this excellent play and thrilling production.For tickets and info: www.newgeorges.org
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