Name: Scene Partners
Start: 2023-10-26
End: 2023-12-17
Location: Vineyard Theatre

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Dianne Wiest stars as Meryl in the world premiere of John J. Caswell, Jr.’s [*Scene Partners*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/34166-scene-partners) at [Vineyard Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/vineyard-theatre) through December 17.

Wiest is a double Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for *Hannah and Her Sisters* and *Bullets Over Broadway* (both directed by Woody Allan). Her many other movie credits include role in *Footloose*, *Edward Scissorhands*, *Practical Magic*, and *I Care a Lot*. 

She made her Broadway debut in 1970 in *Happy Birthday, Wanda June* and was nominated for Drama Desk Awards for *The Art of Dining* (1980), *Other Places* and *Serenading Louis* (both 1984), and *Hunting Cockroaches* (1987). 

In 2016, Wiest played Winnie in Samuel Beckett’s *Happy Days* for Yale Repertory Theater, a role she reprised at Brooklyn’s Theater for a New Audience in 2017. Prior to that, she starred in The New Group’s production of *Rasheeda Speaking*, directed by Cynthia Nixon, *The Cherry Orchard* at Classic Stage Company, and Arthur Miller’s *All My Sons* on Broadway.


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In 1985, nearly a decade after *Jaws* invented the modern blockbuster, the film industry staggered. Though hit movies like [*Back to the Future*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/26018-back-to-the-future-tickets), *The Goonies*, and *The Color Purple* came out, the year was considered a clumsy step forward for the film industry. With the number of sequels going up and audiences going down, it looked like the film industry was about to turn its back on original storytelling. (Where have we heard death knells like this before?) 

Also in 1985, in the new Off-Broadway play [*Scene Partners*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/34166-scene-partners), 70something Meryl Kowalski ([Dianne Wiest](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/dianne-wiest)) decides to seek stardom in Hollywood. Her literal pest of a husband (we see him projected on a screen as a squashed fly) finally died, her daughter is a junkie, and Meryl is finally ready to be seen in all of her complexity. She travels to Los Angeles, has sex with a Soviet train conductor, acquires an agent (Josh Hamilton) at gunpoint, joins an acting class, and readies herself to unfurl her story. Or so *Scene Partners* wants you to think.

John J. Caswell, Jr.’s play is a bit of David Lynch, a bit of *Requiem for a Dream*, a bit of *Black Swan*, a bit of *The Rehearsal*, and a bit of John Cassavetes’s *Opening Night* for tasting. However theatrical the show is, the precarious nature of identity, and the power of film to expose, exploit, and isolate, appear to be *Scene Partners*’s primary concerns. The play surely hopes to bank on Wiest’s history as a screen star, from her appearances in *Law & Order* to her Oscar-winning roles in *Hannah and Her Sisters* and *Bullets Over Broadway*, attempting to create a meta-narrative about the blurred lines between actor, character, and the elusive notion of truth.

But it’s all kind of incoherent — narratively, structurally, tonally. There are moments of vicious black humor slammed against aspirationally terrifying drama, intentionally questionable accounts of trauma and abuse, and a kind of zany surrealism where planes of reality constantly shift. 

Perhaps making sense of it all would be easier if the lead’s performance felt more grounded. Wiest is a legend, and there are glimmers of what makes her such, moments where the desperation to find a stable self amid the chaos feels real. But too often, she exhibits no strong persona for *Scene Partners* to destabilize. Tony Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin similarly cannot find an aesthetic throughline for the show, even with an overly generous helping of David Bengali’s projections.

It's unclear whether *Scene Partners* means to explore older women’s marginalization in Hollywood versus Hollywood's obsession with the artificiality of all performance and identity — or how the show wants to be in dialogue with cinema at all. Occasionally, it’ll meaningfully tap into one of the genres that seems to have shaped Meryl’s consciousness, like using the lights to create moody chiaroscuro and thrust her into a 1940s-esque noir. But for the most part, the show feels like a spool of film running through nothing in particular.

[*Scene Partners* is at Vineyard Theatre through December 17. Get *Scene Partners* tickets on New York Theatre Guide.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/34166-scene-partners)

*Photo credit: Dianne Wiest in Scene Partners. (Photo by Carol Rosegg)*

'Scene Partners' review — Dianne Wiest-led play brings cinema to the stage

Read our review of *Scene Partners* off Broadway, a world-premiere play starring Dianne Wiest and written by John J. Caswell, Jr., at Vineyard Theatre.

The Vineyard Theatre is a remarkable off-Broadway theatre venue nestled in the heart of New York City. Offering a diverse array of theatrical productions, it is known for its boundary-pushing, thought-provoking, and entertaining performances that captivate audiences from around the globe. Since its inception in 1981, the Vineyard Theatre has evolved into a cornerstone of the New York performing arts scene, contributing to the enrichment of the city's cultural fabric. Respected for its impeccable acoustics and intimate setting, the venue seats just around 120 spectators, making for an immersive theatre experience. The Vineyard is also recognized for its dedication to nurturing both emerging and established playwrights, directors, and actors. Renowned for producing Pulitzer winning 'How I Learned to Drive' and 'Three Tall Women', it has proven itself a springboard for trend setting and transformative works.## Access to Vineyard Theatre 
The Vineyard Theatre is conveniently located at 108 East 15th Street, New York, NY. It is accessible via multiple modes of transport. If you prefer to get there by subway, Union Square is the nearest station serving the L, N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, and 6 lines. Furthermore, several local and cross town bus routes pass nearby the theatre. For those driving, numerous public parking lots can be found in the surrounding area.

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The Vineyard Theatre in New York is an off-Broadway venue known for boundary-pushing performances, nurturing creativity and hosting transformative works.

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Vineyard Theatre is a nonprofit theatre company located near Union Square on East 15th Street. The venue first opened in 1981 and has a capacity of 132 seats. Vineyard Theatre is an established Off-Broadway producing house, receiving special Obie, Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk awards for Sustained Excellence over the years.

Landmark productions include the premieres of *Avenue Q*, *The Scottsboro Boys*, *The Lyons*, *Indecent*, and *[title of show]*, which all secured successful Broadway transfers.

## How to get to Vineyard Theatre off Broadway

Vineyard Theatre is closest to the 14th St. - Union Square subway stop on the N, Q, R, W, L, 4, 5, and 6 lines. The closest bus stop is E 14 St./Irving Pl. on the M14A-SBS and M14D-SBS lines.

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Vineyard Theatre is a nonprofit Off-Broadway house, founded in 1981. It's known for award-winning productions like *Avenue Q*, which later transferred to Broadway.

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