Rabbit Hole was a highly emotional playI found all the actors to be very compellingEspecially the husband & wifeI also understood why the young actor who played the young High School student WOULD stammer & act uncomfortable in the playI wouldn't expect the actor to easily & nonchalantly strike up a conversation with the parents of a child he accidentally killed w/ his car after the 4 year old boy chased after a ball & going into the streetI disagree with the review that thought this play' was done in comedic/tragic way'I failed to see any humor in the story & I was wondering where the characters would end up by the end of the playThe acting was top notchI very much look forward to seeing next month's play which is My Three AngelsA comedy which was put on the big screen with Humphrey Bogart & Peter Peter Ustinov under the movie title We're No AngelsIf you can't get out to see the play watch the movieBut truth be told I want to see the play a.s.a.p.

Rabbit Hole by David Linsay-Abaire is a thought provoking dramaSo much so, that I had to dig a little deeper to see what may have influenced the playwright to write such a playTurns out he wrote it after the birth of his first child & his concerns as a parent1st Avenue has put out another great performance(I have gone to many of their plays)This play is an intense play so bring tissuesActing was top notch & you could feel the actor's & actress's emotionsI was especially choked up by the performance of Ryan Erwin who played the part of the young high school studentHis acting was done so well that I was near tears again when I went to shake hands with all the actors on the receiving lineBravo!Bravo to everyoneThis was another well done play & perfectly cast

Saw Rabbit Hole at First Avenue Playhouse which deals with some very heavy material in a comedic/tragic way. Wonderful set but unfortunately a play like this requires a level of acting that was out of reach for this cast. They were not bad for a community theater show, but unlike First Avenue’s outstanding production of Death of a Salesman (which obviously had professional actors in the leading parts) this was a little hard to sit through because there was too much “acting” and not much real connection among the characters.

Adequate community theater production of another dramatic play at First Avenue Playhouse. Wonderful set. But unfortunately (for this show) this production suffers greatly when compared to the production of Death of a Salesman in October which was Broadway level in acting and directing, which this show was not:(First Avenue would do better to extend the shows that are at a higher level or at least hire those actors again..

Saw the First Avenue Playhouse of Death of a Salesman over the weekend and believe that it was likely the best production I’ve ever seen of this classic play…not just best local production, of which i’ve seen quite a few…but some of the actors in this version of Salesman were some of the best i’ve seen in any production, including Broadway.Staging this play in such an intimate setting with a simple set and minimal production enhancements (the live sax player was a nice touch) requires an expert director (Sharon Coyle) and having actors able to grab and hold the audience which they do with remarkable success.The entire cast worked together seamlessly and the four leads, (Bill Barry as Willy Loman, Dawn Lenoue as Linda Loman, Dale Monroe as Biff Loman, and Brian Madden as Happy Loman) made it seem less like I was watching a play and more like I was eavesdropping on a real family’s conversation about a family crisis.Lenoue, Madden and especially Monroe all shine and Barry’s powerful and heartbreaking portrayal of Willy is the best I’ve seen. Rather than playing him as a blustery and angry blowhard as so many do, Barry shows us a man likely suffering from early dementia desperately trying to keep from losing his grip and doing his best to hide it from his family. His anger always seems to come from a place of fear or confusion and his love for his family is palpable even when he’s lashing out. He plays the gamut of emotions flawlessly and the final scene with Willy and Biff is one of the most poignant and intense scenes I’ve ever witnessed on any stage.Barry, Lenoue, Madden and Monroe are all new to First Avenue Playhouse and we can only hope for us and for First Avenue Playhouse they return.