On Stage: “Left on Tenth”
Left on Tenth
All her life, genial Delia Ephron has lived in the shadow of her more famous older sister, writer-director Nora Ephron. As romantic comedy writers, they often collaborated (“You’ve Got Mail”) and shared a genetic predisposition for leukemia.
But that revelation comes midway through Delia’s 2022 memoir adaptation “Left on Tenth” that just opened on Broadway.
Set on a street in Greenwich Village, her story, as related by Delia (Julianna Margulies), begins with seemingly endless calls to Verizon. A while ago when her husband died and she had his phone disconnected, Verizon also deleted her internet connection — a frustrating situation she’s been unable to remedy.
After the New York Times published her amusing essay about this dilemma — which Verizon eventually rectified — Delia is e-mailed by charming widower Peter Rutter (New Milford resident Peter Gallagher), a Jungian psychiatrist in Northern California, who recalls they were introduced by Nora and actually went on a couple of dates many years ago. None of which Delia remembers.
Their long-distance relationship predictably evolves into real-life romance. “I began to believe I was falling into my own romantic comedy,” she notes, revealing she’s been obsessed with love since she first watched the 1954 movie musical “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”
Running one hour, 40 minutes without an intermission, it grows increasingly tedious as Delia bravely battles agonizing chemotherapy with stalwart, solicitous, stoic, saintly Peter at her side. (Apparently, he slept on a cot in her hospital room.)
Problem is: the superficial script suffers from awkwardly interminable affability. There’s too little character development and even less friction or tension. What you see is what you get, including the inevitable happily-ever-after ending.
Directed by Susan Stroman with various supporting roles played by Peter Francis James and Kate MacCluggage, it’s enhanced by Beowulf Boritt’s elegantly book-lined set design, Jeff Mahshie’s costumes, lighting by Ken Billington and Itohan Edoloyi, sound by Jill B.C. Du Boff, projections by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, wigs by Michael Buonincontro, and the obedient dogs are credited to Theatrical Animals Inc.
“Left on Tenth” is at the James Earl Jones Theater at 138 East 48th Street.
Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood. Her natural father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a director and producer at M.G.M. and Columbia Pictures. Her adoptive father, Armand Deutsch, produced movies at M.G.M.
As a child, Susan appeared in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Margaret O’Brien, and Lassie. She attended Mills College in California, studying journalism with Pierre Salinger, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism.
During her adult life, Susan has been on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie and drama critic, syndicating her reviews and articles around the world, including Video Librarian. She has appeared on American Movie Classics and Turner Classic Movies. In 2017, her book 150 Timeless Movies was published by Hannacroix Creek Books. Her website is www.susangranger.com.