Just two blocks from Washington Square Park, The Lucille Lortel Theatre presents Hold on to Me Darling — a tragicomedy starring Adam Driver. The play is written by BAFTA and Academy Award-winning writer and director Kenneth Lonergan, and is playing from Sept. 24 to Dec. 22. It was written in 2016, the same year Lonergan’s popular film Manchester by the Sea was released. Ticket prices for the play range from $350-$1,000, resulting in an exclusive feel at the performance; the majority of the audience were dressed in designer.

The play originally premiered at the Linda Gross Theatre featuring Timothy Olyphant in the lead role. Although the initial reception was mixed, the play has been revived starring Tony and Academy Award-nominated actor Adam Driver, best known for his roles as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Adam in Girls, and Charlie in Marriage Story.

The narrative centers on Strings McCrane, a popular country music artist and actor, as he grieves his mother. While at her funeral in Oklahoma, he reconnects with his distant cousin Essie (Adelaine Clemens) and finds himself romantically drawn to her.

Following the funeral, he partners with his brother to open a pet food store where Essie visits him. Although the future of their relationship remains unknown, it is implied that they may rekindle their romance. 

The play also chronicles Strings’s reconnection with his long-lost father, showing that this reunion with one parent can heal grief over the other. 

While the storyline focuses on important emotional themes, it lacks a certain depth. The play portrays Strings’ drastic life changes as an unhealthy coping mechanism for his mother’s death, but the suggested resolution — a romantic relationship with his distant cousin — isn’t a satisfying conclusion to the script, it’s just disturbing. This is a good reflection of the fact that sometimes people don’t find healthy coping mechanisms after experiencing turbulence, but it’s hard to believe that Lonergan couldn’t have found a more impactful way to portray this — one that relies less on shock value.

Despite its lackluster storyline, Adam Driver’s performance carried the production. After receiving criticism for his performance in Francis Ford Coppola’s recent film, Megalopolis, Driver’s stage acting proves that any shortcomings were due to direction, not his talent. His character is first portrayed with an exaggerated country accent and over-the-top comedic sobbing, but as the performance unfolds, it slowly delves into something multifaceted and spine-chilling.

During a mournful scene at String’s mother’s funeral, Driver delivers a heartfelt last goodbye to her while alone in the funeral home. His performance in this intimate moment was truly remarkable as he leaned over his mother’s body and began to cry. The room fell silent as he gazed at the coffin, appearing genuinely upset. His emotional delivery in the scene was so intense that I briefly wondered if something was wrong with Driver while he was performing.

While Driver’s performance was nothing short of exceptional, his co-stars fell a bit short. Heather Burns — who played Nancy — seemed to overly exaggerate her southern dialogue, at times to the point of distracting the audience. With less-than-perfect performances and a script in desperate need of fine-tuning, Driver’s acting alone was not enough to save the production from mediocrity.

As far as the atmosphere goes, the ambiance of Lucille Lortel Theatre was generally appealing. Even from the last row, the stage feels close. However, the seating is very cramped, which may lead to some discomfort. The size of the theater also means that the audience must be very quiet; even a trip to the restroom could distract viewers. Despite these issues, it has a very intimate and comfortable feel, causing the audience to be very immersed in the performance.

In terms of production design, it was understandably minimalistic, given the limited space at Lucille Lortel. The stage accommodates three to four sets at once and rotates during the performance. During intermission, the stage crew transitions the sets onstage. The crew’s ability to assemble an entire pet food store, complete with a variety of products, is undeniably impressive in such a short timeframe.

Despite some glaring issues, the production shouldn’t be discredited entirely. Driver’s acting still ensures a pleasant experience for the audience. If you can overlook the plot holes — and get your hands on marked-down tickets — Hold on to Me Darling just might be worth your time.