Actually at Geffen Playhouse

Actually

Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue Los Angeles

A co-world premiere (with Williamstown Theatre Festival), Actually is a new play by Anna Ziegler, a playwright on the rise called "newly (and justly) hot" by The New York Times, who praised her "lyrical language" for its "luminous beauty." Actually looks at Amber and Tom, Princeton freshmen who find their lives irrevocably changed after spending a night together. Though they agreed to drink together and they shared a mutual attraction, is sex consensual if it isn't agreed upon? This look at gender and race politics reminds us that there are three sides to every story. See this timely new play, directed by Tyne Rafaeli, at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

Thru - Jun 11, 2017

Tuesdays: 8:00pm

Wednesdays: 8:00pm

Thursdays: 8:00pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 3:00pm & 8:00pm

Sundays: 2:00pm & 7:00pm

Price: $60-$82

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 310-208-5454

www.geffenplayhouse.com

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Actually Reviews

Average Rating based on 6 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Los Angeles Times - Somewhat Recommended

"...The play works so hard to make romance between these two implausible that when they do get together, the machinery starts to rattle. Although the characters are beautifully rendered and complex, their behavior on the night in question remains difficult to credit. Also, a quibble: the descriptions of Princeton feel a little generic (In real life Ziegler attended Yale); more specific references might enhance the authenticity. But if "Actually" doesn't entirely succeed as a story, it's a beautifully acted character study destined to trigger discussions about a problem that, despite decades of argument, isn't getting better."

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- Margaret Gray

LA Weekly - Highly Recommended

"...This network of psychological nuance and the abundant detail Ziegler adds to her back story makes for a top-notch narrative that travels beyond the hot-button issue of date rape it tackles. The characters, Amber especially, are as finely etched as in a good novel, and as satisfying. Under Tyne Rafaeli's direction, Ressler's portrayal conjures a confused and maddeningly myopic young woman you alternately want to shake for her waffling ambivalence (she never actually says "no") and comfort for her overwhelming anxiety. MacKinnon starts out a bit too much of a cypher but his performance visibly deepens as the web tightens around his character."

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- Deborah Klugman

Broadway World - Recommended

"...Both actors are onstage the entire time, with little physical action taking place. Yet each conveys their characters so effectively, you will no doubt formulate your own opinion of whether or not consent was given by Amber to Tom to continue the encounter once she felt uncomfortable with his actions. There is no true decision to be made, but rather one each audience member must decide for themselves. Be prepared for many topical discussions afterwards in the lobby as well as on your ride home!"

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- Shari Barrett

Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended

"...Director Tyne Rafaeli keeps things riveting throughout, and if a sense of authentic teenage vulnerability may get lost with actors very clearly not eighteen years of age, MacKinnon and Ressler give undeniably electrifying performances, alternately sympathetic and repellent, and always achingly human."

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- Steven Stanley

Will Call - Recommended

"...MacKinnon is thoroughly immersed in the role of Tom, a likable guy with a kaleidoscopic personality. H loves the music of Mozart. He adores his mother, But, he spends his evenings relentlessly pursuing women for casual, meaningless sex. On the other hand, Ressler's Amber has a serious inferiority complex, not without cause, one might add. She sounds like the typical Valley Girl, not like a Princeton co-ed and ends every sentence with a question mark. Mercifully missing: awesome/amazing. Fortunately, their revelations, accusations and conversations are fascinating, often steeped in self-analysis, frequently funny and flawlessly delivered, under the direction of Tyne Rafaeli. All three, with impressive credentials, are making their Geffen Playhouse debut. Actually is a co-world premiere with the Williamstown Theatre Festival and is reminiscent of David Mamet's hit play of a few decades ago, "Oleanna"."

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- Ingrid Wilmot

On Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended

"..."Um, actually." These seemingly innocuous words are critical to the events of the aptly named Actually, a new play by Anna Ziegler currently playing at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in a co-world premiere with the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Actually is a smartly written-although sometimes unfocused-thought-provoking examination of the campus rape epidemic that emphasizes fleshing out the characters of both the accuser and the accused, proving just how complex these all-too-common situations can be."

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- Erin Conley

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Actually at Geffen Playhouse

Actually

Actually Reviews

Los Angeles Times - Somewhat Recommended

LA Weekly - Highly Recommended

Broadway World - Recommended

Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended

Will Call - Recommended

On Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended

Actually Photo Gallery

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