Time Stands Still

This afternoon I saw the final performance of Time Stands Still on Broadway. It was a four person show, starring Laura Linney, Cristina Ricci, Brian d'Arcy James, and Eric Bogosian. The cast was, of course, outstanding. I knew Laura Linney would be amazing, which is the reason I wanted to see the show, but Cristina Ricci was better than I expected. She had some of the most comedic moments of the play. And despite being a serious play, it did have some very funny moments. This is the NYTimes review summary of the play:

Sarah Goodwin, the complicated woman at the heart of “Time Stands Still,” seems to thrive on conflict, at least professionally. A photojournalist who covers wars and global strife, she keeps chaos at arm’s length by trapping it in the camera lens, exerting a fierce control over moments of horror by fixing them in time. But the flux of Sarah’s own life cannot be manipulated so easily, as she learns with growing sorrow in this thoughtful drama by Donald Margulies that stars Laura Linney and Brian d’Arcy James, giving performances of complementary sensitivity and richness. “Time Stands Still,” which opened in a flawless Manhattan Theater Club production directed by Daniel Sullivan, is handily Mr. Margulies’s finest play since the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Dinner With Friends.” Like that keenly observed drama about the growing pains of adulthood, the new play explores the relationship between two couples at a crucial juncture in their lives, when the desire to move forward clashes with the instinct to stay comfortably — or even uncomfortably — in place. — Charles Isherwood


The play itself was very moving, as was the curtain call at the end. I don't think I've ever been to a closing night performance on Broadway before - the director came onstage to take a bow, and the applause went on for a long time. It's a shame it closed because it was a really outstanding show. I don't see straight plays all that often, so I'm very glad I got to see it before it closed.