The Midtown International Theatre Festival in association with Lagniappe Productions present The World Premeire of

MR. TOOLE

WorkShop Theater Company
312 West 36th St.
NY NY
21 July 2016

Written by: Vivian Neuwirth
Directed by: Cat Parker

Featuring: Laura Butler, Brenda Currin, Todd d’Amour, John Ingle, Lou Liberatore, Richard Vernon

Although the tagline for MR. TOOLE refers to him as “a legend the world will never forget,” I must confess I did not know who he was. During the show, I was made aware that he wrote A Confederacy of Dunces, he killed himself, and his mother got his novel published posthumously. Those are the facts that are covered in the play.

When I got home, I Wikipedia’d John Kennedy Toole. The Wikipedia entry was far more entertaining than this 90 minute play. In Wikipedia, I discovered that Toole was a highly gifted mimic and a brilliant humorist. None of that was in the play. His depression definitely showed in the play, but nothing else that would distinguish him. There is a student who inexplicably finds him inspiring, but her character never interacts with anyone else in the cast. MR. TOOLE is just a sad story about a sad man with an irritating mother. Although set in New Orleans, other than the accents and references to Mardi Gras, none of the color of the city was anywhere to be seen.

There were technical issues with the projections which were distracting, but that is to be expected in a festival where tech set up time is at a minimum.

- Jean Tait -