By Matthew Wexler
In some ways, Becky Shaw, Gina Gionfriddo’s vitriolic comedy about a fractured family and the aftermath of a bizarre first date that goes off the rails, was ahead of its time. And I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
If f-bombs, racism, and a general sense of entitlement among America’s bougie white upper middle class pique your interest, by all means, get a ticket. Or turn on the news.
A blind date, a broken family & a lot of bad behavior
Gionfriddo’s play, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, centers on the complex, slightly incestuous relationship between Suzanna (Lauren Patten) and Max (Alden Ehrenreich), who was adopted by her father to put a band-aid on her parents’ broken marriage. They bait, bicker, and eventually sleep together in the aftermath of her father’s death.
Cut to a few months later, Suzanna is now married to good guy Andrew (Patrick Ball, HBO Max’s The Pitt), who sets Max up with an administrative assistant from his job: the meek, overly accommodating Becky Shaw (Madeline Brewer, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tail). Max’s curt behavior doesn’t seem to put her off, nor does the crime that occurs at the end of their date.
The play premiered in 2008, and it’d be another few years before toxic relationships and power grabs went mainstream with TV shows like Girls and Veep. But a 30-minute, multi-camera series provides both the tight structure and close-ups to leverage nuance with nastiness. At nearly two-and-a-half hours long, Becky Shaw circles on itself like blood-sniffing sharks.
Despite the characters’ unlikability, director Trip Cullman keeps the world of the play cohesive, though you can’t help but feel for the actors emoting during overchoreographed scene changes.
Other currently running Broadway plays, including Oh, Mary! and Giant, find their way through the crude and calculated to stir empathy from within. Becky Shaw, in contrast, left me eager to leave the theater. In one of their many arguments between Andrew and Suzanna about Becky’s post-date plight, he prods her with a stark reply: “I’m turned off by your character.” I know the feeling.
Is ‘Becky Shaw’ worth seeing?
2 out of 5 stars
Becky Shaw has the cast, the wit, and the venom—but a play about insufferable people eventually becomes one.
- Hayes Theater, 240 W. 44th St., New York City
- Notable performers: Madeline Brewer, Alden Ehrenreich, Lauren Patten, Patrick Ball, Linda Emond
- Running time: Two hours and 25 minutes with one intermission
- Performances through June 14, 2026
It wants better content.
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