Act One at the Beaumont Theatre is One Act to Avoid

"One Act" is based on the autobiography of the same name by Moss Hart.  The play spans the years 1914-1930; from childhood to his 1st Broadway success with "Once in a Lifetime" co-written with George S. Kaufman.  Hart's family lived in a squalid 2 bedrrom tenement shared with renters to make ends meet.  His love for the theatre was embellished by his eccentric aunt who is callously tossed out by  his father.  Having left school after the 8th grade to earn money for the family, he never returns but is determined to pursue a career in the theatre.  By grit & determination, Hart writes his 1st play, a total disaster but it leads to the rare opportunity of working with the established playwright, Kaufman.  Writing is rewriting & laborious.  The arduous & dull process of writing a play is what the audience is left with for those who did not leave after the 1st act.  Tony winning actor Tony Salhoub plays Hart, and Hart Sr. & Kaufman and it all gets too confusing & convuluted.  Same is true for Tony winner Andrea Martin who plays Hart's Aunt, Kaufman's wife & a myriad of other characters that distract from the drama.  The impressive multitiered revolving set needed a break from spinning.  Hart said "theatre is a refuge from unhappiness."  I say this is one play to refuse.