Walking Off The Roof

Couplehood and infidelity are subject to scrutiny in Anthony Clarvoe’s oblique ode to LA RONDE.

   “Mr Clarvoe, previously represented in New York by PICK UP AX, a comedy about corporate intrigue in Silicon Valley that got good reviews when it was produced by 29th Street Rep in 1995, finds himself in an unusual position for a young playwright: two of his works are running concurrently in Manhattan.

   Besides LET’S PLAY TWO, which he wrote several years ago, his newest play, WALKING OFF THE ROOF, is being presented by the Signature Theater Company, the estimable Off-Broadway troupe that devotes each season to the work of one living American playwright. John Guare is the company’s featured writer this year; Mr Clarvoe’s play has been shepherded to production through a separate program for mid-career playwrights.

  Like LET’S PLAY TWO, WALKING OFF THE ROOF is an attempt to clear the spoiled air between men and women, only Mr Clarvoe’s concern in this case is the end of relationships, not the beginning. With a nod to Harold Pinter’s BETRAYAL, the play details a roundel of infidelities committed by a pair of couples, one married, the other not.”

Peter Marks, The New York Times

   “Anthony Clarvoe’s fine ear for dialogue, and the sputterings of men and women ensnared by longing, juices his nervous, edgy roundelay depicting several couples and their bed manners. Sadness and disconnectedness reign with poignance, wit, and credibility.”

Laurie Stone, Village Voice