Of Good Stock **

When Richard Greenberg’s scheduled play wasn’t ready on time, Manhattan Theatre Club replaced it with this piece by Melissa Ross that premiered at South Coast Repertory earlier this year. In it we meet the Stockton sisters — Jess (Jennifer Mudge), Amy (Alicia Silverstone) and Celia (Heather Lind) — the adult daughters of a long deceased famous author, Mick Stockton, an inveterate womanizer whose wandering ways did not even slow down when his wife was dying of cancer. The family is gathered for a long Summer weekend at their Cape Cod home, which Mick left to Jess, along with his literary estate. Jess’s husband Fred (Kelly AuCoin) is a food writer who met Jess when he was Mick’s assistant. The occasion for the get-together is Jess’s 41st birthday, which is significant because it marks the year that she outlives her mother. Amy, a simpering narcissist engaged to the equally vapid Josh (Gregg Keller), is preoccupied by her upcoming destination wedding. Celia, a hippy do-gooder with commitment issues, has invited her current interest Hunter (Nate Miller), whom she met while building houses for Habitat for Humanity in Missoula. If the sisters are accomplished or lead interesting lives, you wouldn't know it from the play. During the course of the weekend, we learn more about all their relationships, usually at a high decibel level. The playwright could not have asked for a better production. Santo Loquasto’s evocative revolving set made me want to head for Cape Cod as soon as possible. Tom Broecker’s costumes suit the characters well. The cast is fine, especially AuCoin and Mudge. The direction, by MTC artistic director Lynne Meadow, does not hide the play’s shortcomings. The three-sister play has a long honorable tradition that includes works by Shakespeare, Chekhov, Henley, Wasserstein and Letts. I wish I could say that this play was a welcome addition to the canon, but after more than two hours of bickering and shouting, the only thing I welcomed was the end. One of the characters makes an exit before intermission. Lucky him. Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes including intermission.

Don't Go Gentle ***

Stephen Belber's new family drama, now in previews in an MCC production at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, raises several interesting questions: Can a conservative retired judge (Michael Crsitofer) recovering from cancer surgery still atone for his past mistakes and find some sort of redemption? Should his remaining time be devoted to repairing the toxic relationships with his adult children -- a divorced, unemployed, recovering addict son (David Wilson Barnes) and an ostensibly successful daughter (Jennifer Mudge) whose lifetime efforts to be family peacemaker have left her with a drinking problem? Or would his time be better spent trying to improve the lives of a black woman (Angela Lewis), whose pro bono case he has taken, and her sullen 16-year-old son (Maxx Brawer)? Can we each learn from our own history or are we condemned to repeat our mistakes? Belber skillfully creates crisp dialogue and complex characters who elicit both sympathy and antipathy. Parts of the plot may be implausible, but are nevertheless dramatically rewarding. The acting is strong, although Brawer looks too old for his part. Lucie Tiberghien's direction keeps things moving along briskly. Robin Vest's set evocatively suggests a prosperous home furnished long ago. Jenny Mannis' costumes are appropriate to their characters. It didn't leave me feeling happier or wiser, but glad I had seen it. Running time: 90 minutes without intermission.

The Big Meal *

Do you like watching people eat? Do you enjoy listening to family squabbles in restaurants? If so, Playwrights Horizons has the play for you. It is playwright Dan LeFranc's conceit to present the story of five generations of a family through a series of short restaurant scenes. As the characters age, the actors keep changing the roles they play. Since the story is told sequentially, it's relatively easy to keep track of who's playing whom. The constant bickering quickly becomes tiresome. The periodic arrival of the server with a plate of food becomes a cause for dread. Tom Bloom and Anita Gillette stand out in a fine cast that includes Jennifer Mudge, David Wilson Barnes, Phoebe Strole, Cameron Scoggins, Rachel Resheff, Griffin Birney and Mollly Ward. With too few stirring scenes, the play becomes repetitive and tedious. The decision by this season's hot director Sam Gold (Seminar, Look Back in Anger, We Live Here) to freeze the action whenever someone starts to eat loses its effectiveness rapidly. The set and costumes are by David Zinn (Seminar, Completeness).The play seemed longer than its 90 minutes.