Baldwin and Yulin Will Read ‘Gross Points’ at Guild Hall
A constellation will be visible to the naked eye during the coming week, not in the sky above Guild Hall but in its John Drew Theater, where Alec Baldwin and Harris Yulin will star in a staged reading of “Gross Points” on Tuesday at 8 p.m. and Tovah Feldshuh and Richard Kind will headline a reading of “Assisted Loving” on Friday, July 28, also at 8.
The only previous run of “Gross Points,” a play by Ira Lewis, was at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor in 2001. “It hasn’t been changed since then,” said Josh Gladstone, the artistic director at John Drew. “In fact, it’s been in a drawer because the writer passed away five or six years ago.”
That production starred Alec Baldwin as Johnny Checco, a movie star whom Alvin Klein, a New York Times critic, called “insufferably childish, boorish, and full of himself. . . .” It was directed by Stephen Hamilton, who, according to Mr. Gladstone, probably had the only extant copy of the play.
Two years ago Mr. Baldwin told Mr. Gladstone he wanted to do the play again, and an opportunity opened up this summer when the actor was available and a scheduled play fell through.
At Mr. Baldwin’s request, Mr. Hamilton signed on again not only as the director but also as Vincent, Checco’s wisecracking assistant. Mr. Baldwin surprised Mr. Gladstone by offering him the role of Larry, a novice playwright.
Checco makes $13 million a picture but claims his first love is theater. He has in fact played Hamlet in what members of his entourage insist was a tour de force.
Harry, the actor’s agent, is played by Tuck Milligan, a Guild Hall regular and longtime friend of Mr. Baldwin’s. Mr. Yulin has the role of a maniacal director who changed his name from Sidney Samuel to Samuel Sidney. Joanna Howard, who first performed at Guild Hall in 2001 when she was 16, has the sole female part.
According to Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Baldwin considers “Gross Points” the funniest play he has ever worked on. In 2001 he was best known as a young leading man. “But after all those years on ‘30 Rock’ and hosting ‘Saturday Night Live,’ his chops are bound to be sharper. I’m excited to see what he brings to it this time.”
As for “Assisted Loving,” it is a new play by Bob Morris, who wrote a column for the Sunday Styles section of The New York Times for many years and has been a commentator for NPR’s “All Things Considered.” He adapted the play from his own comic memoir of the same title.
Mr. Kind plays a recently widowed man who wants to resume dating, much to the consternation of his son, David, who is expected to be his father’s wingman.
“It’s so much about the son having to manage his expectations after his mother passed away,” Mr. Gladstone said, “but it’s also a comedy about the way Richard meets the women,” one of whom is played by Ms. Feldshuh.
When the play came to Mr. Gladstone from a colleague, he agreed to read it as a courtesy since he did not know Mr. Morris. “It turned out to be very good, very polished, and very funny, with a great clipping pace.” When Mr. Gladstone agreed to present the play if Mr. Morris could get some good actors, the playwright said, “Richard Kind loves this piece, and so does Tovah.” Brian Sills as the son and Max Wolkowitz as his partner round out the cast.
“It’s not a deep play,” said Mr. Gladstone, “it’s light and playful. Both of these pieces are pure comedy.” Tickets for “Gross Points” range from $30 to $75, $28 to $70 for members. For “Assisted Loving” the cost is $30 to $50 and $28 to $48.