Small Lives, Writ Large

Hunter is a master at creating these types of indelibly flawed characters, and his sensitive writing is beautifully complemented by Joe Mantello’s typically precise direction and the superb performances from the two leads. It’s no surprise that Metcalf proves outstanding in a role that plays to her strengths portraying acerbic, hard-edged types, but she invests her turn here with sly, mordant humor that fortunately alleviates the overall grimness. Stock, who proved his comic chops with his hilarious Tony-nominated performance in It’s Only a Play, is a revelation. His work here is on the broader side, his voice and mannerisms pitched to the extreme. But he boldly lays bare Ethan’s despair, especially in a moment toward the end in which he fully reveals a heartbreaking, childlike vulnerability.