Secrets of the Trade
Opening Night: August 10, 2010
Closing: September 4, 2010
Theater: Primary Stages
59E59 Theaters
In show business, it’s all about who you know. Or is it Andy Lipman, a smart, ambitious kid from Long Island, dreams of a career on Broadway and hopes that his idol, theater legend Martin Kerner, can give it to him. Will Kerner open Andy’s door to success, or will their complicated relationship force him to question a life in the theater?
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August 11, 2010
Watch as clichés collide in “Secrets of the Trade,” the new play by Jonathan Tolins that kicks off Primary Stages’ new season at the 59E59 Theaters. The ageless story of a young showbiz aspirant suffering disillusion is cross-pollinated with a coming-out saga set in the 1980s. Spritzed with laughs but hobbled by these familiar narrative arcs, Mr. Tolins’s Neil Simon-ish comedy-drama also suffers from an egregious instance of miscasting.
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August 11, 2010
A terrific ensemble cast brings Jonathan Tolins’ Secrets of the Trade — presented by Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters — to vibrant life. This bittersweet valentine to the world of theater is fluidly directed by Matt Shakman, who nicely balances a light-hearted humor with moments of tension and drama.
READ THE REVIEWAugust 10, 2010
Playwright Jonathan Tolins hits the bull’s-eye with his new comedy-drama "Secrets of the Trade." This look at a pushy Long Island kid who longs to make theater and snares a major Broadway producer-director-writer for his mentor is breezily engaging, as rock-the-rafters funny as it is bracingly touching. Under Matt Shakman’s smart, inventive direction, the show moves with style and speed, propelled by terrific performances from Noah Robbins and John Glover. I have one word for you: pounce.
READ THE REVIEWAugust 10, 2010
Jonathan Tolins’ "Secrets of the Trade" opens early this season, but already it stands out as a winner. This showbiz coming-of-age tale is a crackling comedy-drama about Broadway, family ties and the high cost of experience. In more than one interview, Tolins has declared the new work his favorite, and it’s easy to see why.
READ THE REVIEWAugust 11, 2010
Based on his wobbly track record in New York with three plays — The Twilight of the Golds (1993), If Memory Serves (1999) The Last Sunday in June (2003)— Jonathan Tolins would have every reason to be a little nervous about the reception to his latest play Secrets of the Trade. This egregiously underrated playwright can finally be duly credited for giving us the one and only new play to open this summer that deserves to run into the fall and beyond. It’s a lovely, winning, and witty coming-of-age story that seems to be not only evocatively rooted to the author’s frame of reference but also to his personal experiences in the theater.
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