The Broadway Revival of "Marvin's Room" by Playwright & AIDS Activist Scott McPherson

Amer playwright & AIDS activist, Scott McPherson died of AIDS in 1992 at the age of 33.  His partner, cartoonist Daniel Sotomayor also died of AIDS the same year.  McPherson's play "Marvin's Room" is not a play about AIDS but it parallels the altruistic caring for a terminally ill loved one.  Bessie (stage & screen actress Lily Taylor) has being the sole care provider for her dying father & doddering elderly aunt for nearly 20 yrs.  She turns to her Dr. to determine the cause of her fatigue & bruising, "Probably just a vitamin deficiency."  The diagnosis is leukemia & she will require a bone marrow transplant.  This brings her sister, Lee (comedic actress Janeane Garofalo) to return home after 17 years with her sons, Hank & Charlie in hopes of being a donor match.  The sister's lukewarm reunion is awkward.  This the first time the sister have been together in nearly 2 decades & the 1st time Bessie meets her nephews.  The awry set changes mirror the plays jumbled mix of weak comedy, stiff drama & disconnected characters.  Lee's older son Hank has serious mental health issues.  The psychiatric double entendre between Lee & Hank's cliched psychiatrist is not amusing.  "What do you think I mean by that?" When Bessie asks how Hank is faring at the mental institution, Lee tells her "It's called a nut house."  The levity to lift the doldrums of Bessie's self-sacrifice & Lee's struggles only leaden the plays' heavy missteps.  Lee's maniacal parenting of Hank is off-putting.  The 2 perpetually butt heads.  Yet Bessie breaks through Hank's hostilities.  Bessie & her sister find a kinder middle ground.  While waiting the results from the bone marrow tests,  the family takes a trip to Disney World.  Bessie faints & a cartoon character calls for her rescue.  Marvin remains behind opaque glass.  We hear his groans but only vaguely observe the continuous care he receives from Bessie.   The admirable self-sacrifice for ailing loved ones is measured against the costs missed out on living one's own life.  I didn't care for this unanchored play.  It was drowned by scrambled scenes & messages.  Its emotional impact was garbled like speaking with a mouthful of dice.