Brooklyn Laundry | 1hr 20mins. No intermission. | Manhattan Theatre Club | 131 West 55th St | 212-581-1212
John Patrick Shanley’s new play, Brooklyn Laundry, spotlights the poignant encounters of romantically challenged New Yorkers. The complex characters — feisty and wounded, yet tinged with grace — stir a narrative spanning themes of love, honesty, and redemption. Set in a laundromat where Owen and Fran’s lives intertwine, the story explores the profound collision of harsh reality and the yearning for romance.
With an enigmatic mix of heartfelt dialogue and whimsical interactions, the production weaves through a series of scenes unraveling the fragile connections between individuals. The characters of Fran and her sisters — Trish and Susie — embody a pivotal contrast between whimsical fantasy and blunt pragmatism, with Fran caught in the struggle to find a balance between these opposing forces. Owen’s persistent charm and Fran’s guarded apprehension give rise to a nuanced romantic comedy underpinned by existential musings on life and the choices we make.
However, despite the cast’s engaging performances and the play’s thematic depth, Brooklyn Laundry can seem hurried and thinly spread — the emotional through-line not fully realized, lending to a conclusion that feels somewhat premature. The production’s craftsmanship, featuring Santo Loquasto’s ingenious set design, earns commendation, but the narrative’s effect is diminished by an array of loose threads.
