And once the characters are introduced, they pretty much stay the same throughout the rest of the play.īirthday Candles is performed on Christine Jones’ elaborate pale blue Grand Rapids kitchen setting in which an actual birthday cake is cooked in the course of the play. While Vivienne Benesch’s production for the Roundabout Theatre Company at the American Airlines Theatre is beautifully done giving Debra Messing a bravura role as Ernestine Ashworth in which she is onstage throughout, the play is devoid of surprises in covering 90 years in 90 minutes in the life of one woman, too predictable to feel fresh. John Earl Jelks and Debra Messing in a scene from the Roundabout Theatre Company production of Noah Haidle’s “Birthday Candles” at the American Airlines Theatre (Photo credit: Joan Marcus)
Inspired by Thornton Wilder’s 1931 The Long Christmas Dinner which also covered 90 years in one family, Wilder’s landmark play has also inspired Paul Vogel’s The Long Christmas Ride Home and Dan LeFranc’s The Big Meal, as well as the breakfast table scene in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. The other characters come and go (by death, moving away, or dropping out of her life). Marmalade, four year old Lucy has an imaginary friend who is real to the audience in Saturn Returns, we meet the protagonist Gustin at ages 28, 58 and 88 simultaneously in Smokefall, two babies discuss life as they wait to be born).īirthday Candles also has an unusual theatrical device: we follow Ernestine Ashford from 17 to 107 meeting her on her various birthdays that are depicted.
His plays have been described as using magical realism, each tending to have an uncommon theatrical device. Marmalade at the Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre Saturn Returns at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre, Smokefall at the Lucille Lortel Theatre) as well as regional theatres ( Rag and Bone at the Long Wharf Theatre New Haven, Vigils at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago, Persephone at the Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, etc.). Although Birthday Candles is Noah Haidle’s first Broadway play, he has previously been seen in all the best Off Broadway theaters ( Mr.