Almost an Evening is a series of three one act plays written by Academy Award winner Ethan Coen and directed by Neil Pepe. It premiered Off-Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...

 in January 2008 at the Atlantic Theater Company

Atlantic Theater Company

Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater, whose mission is to produce great plays "simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." The company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and 30 of their acting students from New York University, inspired by the...

 Stage 2 http://www.atlantictheater.org. After its initial run through February 10, 2008 it was transferred to the Bleecker Street Theatre. Almost an Evening is set to begin previews March 20, 2008 and run through June 1, 2008http://almostanevening.com. The commercial run is the first partnership with Art Meets Commerce http://www.artmeetscommerce.net and the Atlantic Theater Company.

Plays

• WAITING – Someone waits somewhere for quite some time.
• FOUR BENCHES – His voyage to self-discovery takes a British intelligence agent to steam baths in New York and Texas, and to park bench
  Bench (furniture)
  A bench is a piece of furniture, on which several people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have arm and back rests; some have no back rest and can be sat on from either side. In public areas,...
  
  es in the U.S. and U.K.
• DEBATE – Cosmic questions are taken up. Not much is learned.

Characters and casts

Atlantic Theatre Company Cast

• F. Murray Abraham
  F. Murray Abraham
  Fahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
  
   - Control/God Who Judges
• J.R. Horne - Mr.Broodhum/Angel 2/Understudy
• Jordan Lage - Mr. Sebatacheck/Texan/Young Man
• Mark Linn-Baker
  Mark Linn-Baker
  Mark Linn-Baker is an American actor and director famous for his role as Larry Appleton on the television sitcom Perfect Strangers.-Early life and career:...
  
   - McMartin/God Who Loves
• Mary McCann - Receptionist/Young Woman
• Del Pentecost - Polhemus/Earl/Angel 1
• Joey Slotnick
  Joey Slotnick
  Joey Slotnick is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Slotnick was born in Chicago, Ill.His film roles include computer industry pioneer Steve Wozniak in the film Pirates of Silicon Valley, and a part in the 1996 blockbuster Twister...
  
   - Nelson/Waiter
• Jonathan Cake - One/Maitere D'
• Elizabeth Marvel - Woman with Pram/Lady Friend

Bleecker Street Theatre Cast

• F. Murray Abraham
  F. Murray Abraham
  Fahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
  
   - Control/God Who Judges
• J.R. Horne - Mr.Broodhum/Angel 2/Understudy
• Jordan Lage - Mr. Sebatacheck/Texan/Young Man
• Mark Linn-Baker
  Mark Linn-Baker
  Mark Linn-Baker is an American actor and director famous for his role as Larry Appleton on the television sitcom Perfect Strangers.-Early life and career:...
  
   - McMartin/God Who Loves
• Mary McCann - Receptionist/Young Woman
• Del Pentecost - Polhemus/Earl/Angel 1
• Joey Slotnick
  Joey Slotnick
  Joey Slotnick is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Slotnick was born in Chicago, Ill.His film roles include computer industry pioneer Steve Wozniak in the film Pirates of Silicon Valley, and a part in the 1996 blockbuster Twister...
  
   - Nelson/Waiter
• Tim Hopper
  Tim Hopper
  Tim Hopper is an American actor known for his appearances in movies like Tenderness and To Die For.He has been an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago, Illinois since 1989 and acted in various stage productions, including Arthur Miller's The Crucible.He was nominated for...
  
  - One/Maitere D'
• Johanna Day - Woman with Pram/Lady Friend

Critical response

Head Critic for The New York Times, Ben Brantley stated:http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/theater/reviews/23brantley.html

“Tasty, bite-sized comedies. Nimbly directed by Neil Pepe. Theatergoers nostalgic for the urbane, mind-teasing divertissements that once flourished Off-Broadway should leave happily hungry. A dream team!”




Melissa Rose Bernardo from Entertainment Weekly stated:http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20173636,00.html

“Boisterous and fun! Coen couldn’t ask for a better production than this Atlantic Theater Company treatment!”




Linda Winer from Newsday Stated:http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/stage/ny-etsecw5547255jan23,0,4162294.story

“Gleeful, thoughtful and darkly loopy! These new, lean pieces mark the serious stage debut of a shrewd and weirdly endearing comic voice.”

External links

• Internet Off-Broadway Database listing, "Almost an Evening", partial