I loved Jesse Eisenberg's performance portraying Mark Zuckerberg in "The Social Network." So when I heard that he had written a play and would be starring in it off-Broadway, I had to go. I attended yesterday's matinee with my regular theater-going companion. Just a brief comment here from the two of us – this play should still be in the workshop phase. There are some entertaining moments and some good performances, but the thing doesn't really work yet. The last scene seems superfluous, and in fact everything after the intermission is less effective than everything before the intermission. Eisenberg plays his character, "Edgar", as a spin-off from the Zuckerberg character in "The Social Network" but it's not so good for comedy, which this play is supposed to be. (The Playbill says "A new comedy by Jesse Eisenberg.) I thought Camille Mana as the crazy Filipina sister-in-law was lots of fun, but the last scene without her seems empty. Justin Bartha is the slightly older stoner roommate had fun moments as well, but Remy Auberjonois was wasted in the brief role of Edgar's brother. Back to the workshop with this one, Jesse. Get the kinks out before presenting it again for regular audiences.
