I remain as admiring of the Furious ensemble’s ambitions, energy and talents as I am troubled by their seeming lack of interest in admitting anything more than a brief flutter of sincerity or innocence to alight on their busy stages. “No Good Deed” is flashy and entertaining, but falls way short when it tries to get us — that is, me — to care about the characters, or even take them seriously as fellow human beings. And this is something I’ve fretted over in their work before.

I honestly believe that if they set aside their reflex cynicism to blend some sustained feeling into their extravaganzas, they can really mature and flourish. But not till then, I think. I can’t think of a single major theater company that was ever able to get by on snideness and cynicism alone. Even Joan Littlewood’s Theater Workshop — the darkest and most furious troupe I’ve ever encountered — found the need to let some genuine heart intrude.

(Side note: Can anything be done about the acoustics at [Inside] the Ford? The space’s echo makes every speech a puzzle to be worked out on the fly.)

Anyway, a link to my Variety review may be found here.