'Good Time Charlie' Off-Broadway review — a love letter to a gay uncle and the theatre

Read our review of Good Time Charlie off Broadway, a world-premiere autobiographical play written by and starring Ryan J. Haddad at The Public Theater.

Summary

• Good Time Charlie is a play by Ryan J. Haddad about his gay uncle Charlie, who helped Haddad discover himself and fostered his love of theatre
• The show is a heavy-handed but heartfelt love letter to Haddad's family at its highs and lows
• The show is recommended for fans of family dramas, Haddad's past works, and classic movies and musicals, with many referenced throughout the show

In Ryan J. Haddad’s Good Time Charlie, a backyard garden in suburban Ohio, bursting with vibrant blooms and feathery grasses towering like showgirl headdresses, is always in view. That fits. A home oasis is a fertile landscape for a story that plumbs a family tree.

Haddad, 34, is known for monologue-style works about being a gay man with cerebral palsy. He plays himself in this heartfelt if familiar comedy-drama, but the starring role belongs to a relative. Meet Charlie (Jonathan Raviv), his beloved gay uncle — actually, as he points out, his dad’s first cousin — who was instrumental in shaping who and where Haddad is today. Thirty years Haddad's senior, Charlie informed Haddad’s passion for the arts and lent encouragement to be himself. Move over, Auntie Mame.

Charlie, mad for movies and theatre, is no carefree party boy as the title might suggest. His life is complicated, as seen when the play digs into the past. He becomes a dentist after his parents, Charlie Sr. and Joan (Nael Nacer and Artemis Pebdani), squash his dream of studying theatre. They later ice him out because he is gay. Ryan’s backstory threads through as a counterpoint: His coming out is essentially a non-event played for laughs. Besides Charlie, Haddad's parents, Bob and Judy (also Nacer and Pebdani), and his gay aunt Janice (Beth Malone) support him.

Charlie, a born caretaker, finds love with Lou (Somebody Somewhere’s Tim Bagley), a divorced film studies professor who’s two decades older. Through Lou, he meets Sheldon (Michael Cristofer), who runs an arty cinema and becomes Charlie’s BFF and another gay mentor. They make cheeky insider arts allusions to Mame, A Star Is Born, and Fun Home that lend a fun lift. A running bit with characters editing the script is also amusing, and director Danny Sharron’s fine ensemble is another plus.

Haddad’s play is intimate and engaging, even as it inevitably covers material about the gay experience that’s been very well-traced. At times, the show sinks into overstatement. Sheldon’s final speech about the arts and chosen family is too on-the-nose and tilts toward gaysplaining.

But one line stood out. “There is no curtain,” Ryan tells Charlie, referring to how shows typically conclude. But there’s a second meaning, and it’s easy to admire Haddad for pulling back the veil to expose tough truths. Plays, like gardens, need light to grow.

Good Time Charlie summary

Ryan J. Haddad’s autobiographical play Good Time Charlie spans more than three decades. It tells the story of Charlie, a gay man who dreamed of performing on stage but whose mom and dad pushed him toward dentistry instead and regarded his homosexuality with cold disapproval. Charlie’s support for Haddad, both in his life and career, can’t be overstated.

Good Time Charlie is making its world premiere at The Public Theater.

What to expect at Good Time Charlie

Before the play begins, iconic songs from Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, and Guys and Dolls set the scene for the characters we’ll meet and what’s often foremost on their mind. Brief musical interludes from such shows as Grey Gardens, Mame, Into the Woods, and Knickerbocker Holiday are used for amusing and more poignant impact.

Along with Afsoon Pajoufar’s leafy garden setting, Enver Chakartash’s contemporary costumes, and Barbara Samuels’s lighting add texture and dimension.

The show runs 2 hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.

What audiences are saying about Good Time Charlie

Theatregoers at early performances expressed mixed to positive reactions to the show on online forums like Show-Score, where it has a 73% audience approval rating averaged from 15 reviews.

• “This show is so moving, heartwarming, hilarious, and so so much more. It hit so close to home and I need to see it again as soon as possible.” - Mezzanine user xan w
• “Quirky in all the best ways. Funny. Touching. Relevant. Great acting.” - Show-Score user JoeyFranko
• “Well meaning but ultimately disappointing. I had seen 2 of Haddad’s previous plays and I loved them. This one had some scenes but not nearly enough of them. Other scenes were overly long and occasionally cliched.” - Show-Score user Stephen 18
• “Yes, it deals with characters and issues that have been covered in recent plays and musicals – growing up gay, aspiring to a life in the theatre, the importance of family and friends. But watching it, laughing with it, and identifying with it, [the show] felt so original.” - Show-Score user BSonArts

Read more audience reviews of Good Time Charlie on Show-Score.

Who should see Good Time Charlie

• Fans of Haddad’s previous solo and mostly solo works like Hold Me in the Water, Dark Disabled Stories, and Hi, Are You Single? will be keen to see him widening his view and working on a more expansive scale.
• The family play is a staple of American theatre. Audiences who appreciate the genre and how every playwright's approach is distinct will want to see Haddad's take.
• Theatregoers who appreciate a well-tuned ensemble will enjoy seeing each actor on stage get moments in the spotlight.

Learn more about Good Time Charlie off Broadway

As it traces parallel lives divided by time and tolerance, Good Time Charlie is a flawed but heartfelt family love letter.

Learn more and get Good Time Charlie tickets on New York Theatre Guide. Good Time Charlie is at The Public Theater through October 25.

Photo credit: Good Time Charlie off Broadway. (Photos by Joan Marcus)