The Lyons

by Nicky Silver

"Comedy nirvana . . . satisfyingly mean and funny."— New York Post "Without sacrificing his mordant wit or bleak worldview, this distinctive dramatist shows a new maturity and empathy in."? The New York Times "Nicky Silver's terrific play is filled with moments when you can't stop laughing even though the circumstances indicate you really shouldn't. . . . A wonderful little riff on family dysfunction."?Associated Press "Silver finds plenty of fresh bite, and the sheer savagery of his observation here is breathtaking. Watching it brings the dueling sensations of wicked mirth and squirming discomfort at being trapped in the hell of someone else's family horrors. That these are exaggerations of our own is what gives the play its teeth."— The Hollywood Reporter This vicious, hilarious black comedy opened on Broadway in April 2012 to rave reviews. Nicky Silver, that "strange progeny of a coupling between Mr. Neil Simon and Edward Albee" ( The New York Times ), has cornered the market on deliciously savage dysfunctional family comedies. Following an acclaimed run Off-Broadway, this intimate and frightening examination of how we cope with loneliness and disappointment currently delights audiences on Broadway. Rita Lyons is the matriarch of a family facing a major crossroads. Her husband, Ben, is dying and her grown children are struggling. As the family gathers in Ben's hospital room, they discover that they're as terrified of being together as they are of being alone.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I loved this.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe this has to be seen instead by the eye, because it is actually a play.

Not sure if the physical incarnation would help.

It's a horrid depiction of a family, death, and anti-social behavior.

The author has a lot of issues.

[Troy Tradup · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The way I see it, there are no answers. Some people are happy. And some people are just lonely, mean and sad. And that’s the world."

I remember really liking The Lyons when I first read it. Reading it again now, a decade later, it was enjoyable enough (snappy!) but felt shallow. Facile. Like Silver was trying to be Neil Simon for the new millennium. Not that there's anything wrong with Neil Simon, mind you — the man knew his way around a one-liner — but for some reason I kept waiting for an actual rimshot on some of the punchlines here.

"I have been saddled with the same living room furniture for thirty years. ... I look at the sofa. I know it was cream when we bought it. Now it’s just some washed-out shade of dashed hopes. The chairs are the color of disgust. And the carpet is matted down with resignation."

The Lyons is a juicy play for actors. It's the story of a family that really doesn’t like one another, gathering in a hospital room while the father of the family dies. That probably makes it sound like a drama, but no. It's definitely a comedy, just one with a particularly dark and mean-spirited edge.

Here's one example, the mother talking to her son:

"Let’s be honest. Even if your short stories were wonderful, which they’re not, there’s no living to be made there. You’ve had a dozen years to write your way out of mediocre obscurity and you’ve failed. At a certain point it’s time to face facts, consider your options and devise a new plan. I might feel differently if I thought you were talented, but I don’t."

I guarantee a good actress can spin a big laugh out of that line (Linda Lavin originated the role on Broadway, to great acclaim), but taken on its own ... man, that's harsh.

Rita, the mother, also has an exit speech that's equally funny and equally brutal:

"My friends are strangers and my children are sad and unforgiving. Lisa, I cannot live, every day, under the mountain of tragedy you create. Your life is too treacherous and too exhausting. A cloud passes in front of the sun and you see Armageddon! Curtis, whatever your childhood was, it’s an old book and the pages are faded. You refuse to forgive anyone for anything and it’s enough! I realize you are who you are and I bear responsibility. But the days turn into years and it has to end!"

I feel, as I'm writing this, like I'm sort of talking myself into hating the play — and I really don't. Could be I just wasn't in the mood for it right now. But I keep coming back to a line Curtis says at one point:

"You are a horrible person. You are all horrible people. I hope I live the rest of my life and never lay eyes on any of you again!!"

Ba-dum-bump!

[Mahtab Safdari · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first act is amazing, the first scene of the second act is not as brilliant as the other parts, still good enough, and the second scene of the second act is just awe-inspiring, there are some moments of frank conversations between the mother and the children which make you stunned. Such a hilarious play could not be more serious than that. It's the best form of comedy when the characters never try to be funny or make jokes, yet say the most serious dialogues in a way that you cannot stop laughing. The Lyons is very well-written, the characters are very honest, especially Rita is brutally frank, and such a trait makes her both really funny and fascinating. Silver brought the unsaid and the unsayable into the casual talks, there are always such unspoken words among family members and generally people, but they do not dare to say them aloud. In The Lyons these feelings become naked since the very beginning of the play. The unveiled behavior causes such an outrageous atmosphere to the point of making the play somewhat grotesque in many parts.
All in all, The Lyons is a fantastic piece, both for reading and watching.

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plays are always better when seen instead of read. I only read this because I was auditioning for the part of Ben. ( I did get a callback, but ultimately not cast.)

Anyway, if you enjoy plays about dysfunctional families, you’ll love this one. I did not find any of the characters easy to like.

[mengwe · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow i really enjoyed that, what interesting characters!!

[David Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection!

[Jessica Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really wild ride - I flew through it! Dark and sad but so off the wall and funny.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of very good moments, and strong writing, but overall just doesn't stick the landing for me. The first act alone is a great read. The second act is where things get kind of shaky. The first scene probably should have been more flushed out, and there is a moment in the second scene that really kind of halts the story, and should have been taken out. (You'll know it when you see it.) So, the first act is VERY strong, but is not able to keep up the momentum.

[Pgregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family deathbed comedy/drama; they snipe at each other. Nicely done.

[Brian McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Loved Rita's reference to Judy at Carnegie Hall.