Theresa Rebeck is a prolific playwright; however, her latest offering, I Need That, needs higher stakes, better-written jokes, and more nuanced characters. Making this subpar script work falls largely on the cast’s shoulders, and Danny DeVito does his damndest to make something of it. But is his performance is enough to make this monotonous snoozer worth the ticket price? Meh. Like Sam says, “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to come.”
New York Times Review of I Need That
It’s hard to imagine what more one could make of an upbeat play about hoarding. The condition is not funny. Some hoarders suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder; more show strong indications of depression. To avoid a psychiatric rabbit hole, Rebeck has not only made Sam a sprite instead of a slug but also given him sympathetic, almost sensible, reasons for clinging to his stuff. … Danny DeVito commands interest without having to do much, and rewards it with funny readings of even unfunny lines. Yet despite his likability, the only parts of “I Need That” that feel authentic are those, near the end, in which the nonissue of Sam’s hoarding is momentarily swept offstage to make space for a few minutes of real father-daughter drama. To this, the DeVitos bring a vibrant understanding — part pride, part dismay, all mess — of what it means to be related. Sometimes what’s neat just isn’t as compelling as what’s not.
TimeOut Review of I Need That
The most interesting moments of this good-natured but threadbare comedy, which Rebeck wrote during the pandemic lockdown, touch on the relationship between physical objects and memory. To Sam, each knickknack is a time machine to a meaningful moment; his inability to let go of the past is a major factor in whether or not, in the end, he can bring himself to take out the garbage. DeVito is a star for a reason: His vulnerable, hilarious performance is a certifiable gem. If only this treasure weren’t so often lost in the piles that surround it.
Deadline Review of I Need That
Clutter – physical, emotional – is the subject of Theresa Rebeck’s new Broadway play I Need That, a comedy-drama that star Danny DeVito works mightily and with increasing futility to stuff with laughs and meaning. Co-starring DeVito’s daughter Lucy DeVito and Ray Anthony Thomas, I Need That (as in, Hey, Don’t Throw That Away) takes a thin premise – a hoarder (Danny DeVito) lives amidst a house-full of life’s detritus in an unwinnable attempt to hold onto the past – and crams it with repetition, filler and character developments that are either predictable or unconvincing.
The New York Post Review of I Need That
Theresa Rebeck’s new play, which opened Thursday night on Broadway in a production starring Danny DeVito, is not like [Hoarders]. Not at all. It’s nowhere near as compelling, focused or human. Yes it’s a drama about someone’s mess, but it needn’t be so messy. … “I Need That” relies entirely on the boisterous energy and charm of DeVito to keep viewers engaged. … Rebeck sets up Sam’s hoarder scenario and backstory well enough early on. She just can’t build a satisfying play around the condition. Every step the character takes is totally predictable, until a few brow-raising twists that strain credulity. … However, the actor’s likability and prodigious skill can only get the play so far.
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