NIX - Impressionism

Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons; photo by Joan Marcus.
At the Schoenfeld Theatre, W. 45th Street, where it is not likely to last very long. This is a new play by Michael Jacobs, a TV writer best known as creator of TV series such as The Torkelsons, Charles in Charge, and My Two Dads.. This description is from the press release: "Impressionism is the story of a world traveling photojournalist and a New York gallery owner who discover each other and also that there might be an art to repairing broken lives." Despite a wonderful cast, including Joan Allen, Jeremy Irons, Marsha Mason, Andre DeShields, the play has garnered not a single favorable review.
One correspondent notes: "The play is weak, but, I felt that Impressionism had several genuinely sweet, touching moments among the sentimentality and triviality. And Jeremy Irons was very good in his main role, as a pleasant, shy, disheartened guy and also as the father. He was a bit less convincing as the artist. But, nevertheless, he gave one of the better performances I've seen this year."
Another correspondent adds: "It felt like watching three plays melted into one... and none of the three plays worked well with the others. The two leads, although well played, had no chemistry...It was nice to have Marsha Mason breeze in, even as an uninteresting character. At least the secondary characters in Impressionism had a reason to be there. A forgettable play with unforgettable actors."
Excerpts below are from various mainstream reviews, all negative:

- Ben Brantley in The New York Times writes: "But I’ve concluded that even if I were to back up all the way to the Hudson River, with half-open eyes fixed on the stage where Mr. Irons and Ms. Allen labor so valiantly, Impressionism still wouldn’t look credible. I mean this both in terms of its plot and as a proposition that would entice some very talented people and a vast army of producers."
- Elizabeth Vincentelli in the New York Post writes: "On paper, Impressionism is all class. Onstage, it's a stupefying bore. . . . Allen and Irons put up a stoic front but can't help betraying a certain sense of defeat. . . . But their limp performances also stem from the characters: The actors look as bored by Katharine and Thomas as we are."
- David Rooney in Variety writes: "Distress signals went out when the original opening date was pushed back by 12 days after preview audiences proved unresponsive. The creative team used that time to condense the show from two acts into one, presumably to stanch the intermission exodus. But there's not much here worth saving; the play is a dud, as thin on humor as it is on emotional rewards."
- John Simon for Bloomberg News writes: "Two distinguished actors, Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen, are mired in Michael Jacobs’s Impressionism, at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The play suffers from three major ailments: pretentiousness, trickery and triviality."