“The Disappear” is a wildly delightful comedy written and directed by Erica Schmidt and playing at the Minetta Lane Theatre at 18 Minetta Lane in lower Manhattan. It is quite witty, engaging, and comes up with an amusing storyline about a struggling, philandering movie director, his famous novelist wife, their country residence, their troubled marriage, a new movie project, and a young woman who wants to be a star and will do “whatever” it takes. The production is having a marvelous world premiere and will definitely be something you will enjoy. Held in this intimate space, at Minetta Lane, it is a total delight, but also with a serious aspect. You need to make plans to go see “The Disappear” because it is a lot of fun and you only have until Feb. 22 to do so.
The cast is absolutely phenomenal. Hamish Linklater is perfect as Ben, the philandering movie director, who is very egotistical and incredibly jealous of his wife Mira, played by Miriam Silverman. Ben needs constant praise and takes no responsibility for his actions, whether that involves cheating with his new actress/muse in his living room or taking their affair to the bedroom. Silverman is phenomenal as Mira, a successful novelist who has to deal with their daughter Dolly’s unhappiness and a childish husband who cheats on her, but then claims he’s the victim. The emotional highs and lows of her character are, at times, painful to watch. You feel complete empathy for her plight in this troubled relationship. Madeline Brewer is amusing, determined, and at times has an odd charm as Julie, the upcoming star who will do whatever it takes to get fame. She learns a hard lesson about being careful of what you wish for and succeeding by any means necessary. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is a charming delight as Raf, a successful actor who shares the pitfalls of stardom. He also demonstrates his commitment to his craft and what it’s like to live just for your next role. Dylan Baker is hilarious as Michael, someone working on the film with Ben, who tends to coddle Ben, no matter what that involves. He tries to get Ben to see reason, but he also knows that Ben has a fragile ego and, sadly, he is willing to feed into that. Anna Mirodin is feisty as Dolly, the unhappy daughter of Ben and Mira, who has to witness her parents’ arguments and watch as their family goes down in flames.
Every creative aspect of this production works so well, including set design by Brett J. Banakis, costume design by Jennifer Moeller and Miriam Kelleher, lighting design by Cha See, and sound design by Palmer Hefferan. For tickets, visit audiblexminetta.com.