Katie Holmes: ‘Dead Accounts’ Opens To Mixed Reviews
Katie Holmes’ first acting job after divorcing Tom Cruise is not filled with glitz, glamor, or big name Hollywood stars. Theresa Rebeck’s Dead Accounts is a story about a woman who lives at home with her parents in Cincinnati. Holmes first appears on stage clad in a ponytail, pajamas and, furry slippers. The show opened on Thursday at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. The play runs through February 24.
A Dead Accounts review in The Washington Post largely depicts both the “thin play” and Holmes’ performance as luke warm. The post-show comments claim that Katie struggled to keep up with stage veteran cast members. Dead Accounts also stars Jayne Houdyshell and Norbert Leo Butz. The review also claims that Director Jack O’Brien appeared to have a difficult time getting the five-actor cast to “really jibe” and get the plot rhythm going.
The reviewer maintains that Katie Holmes relied on a “whiny teenage angst” and guilelessness that may have worked on television but not on the stage. Tom Cruise’s ex-wife did reportedly get two of the biggest cheers of opening evening. The crowd apparently enjoyed the scene where Holmes grabs a cheap box of wine from the refrigerator and when she launched into a bit of a tirade about bankers.
Los Angeles Times Theater Critic Charles McNulty stated that Dead Accounts did not add up to serious drama. McNulty noted that Katie Holmes looked gorgeous on stage, but was not able to give much dimension to her character. Vulture considered Holmes miscast but “sunnily game” in the role of a spinster woman still yearning for her high school crush to ask her out on a date. Some who watched and reviewed the Theresa Beck play felt the storyline was more suited for a sitcom episode than Broadway.
