A: Is for and the Tony will go to.............

On March 8th God of Carnage won the Olivier Award for best new comedy and it is easy to see why. This is the Virginia Woolf for this age. With sardonic wit and a dose of reality thrown like cold water, God of Carnage makes us look at marriage, at ourselves and at the childish behavior that never leaves but only hides it's ugly face. We think we are here to witness a civilized discussion between two couples, where one son has whacked the other son in the face, causing him to lose two teeth. As the evening progresses, the barriers drop, and a no holds barred, free for all ensues. The parents become so exposed and the all-star ensemble cast is so outstanding that at times you feel like you are watching a ping pong game with the skill and precision of tennis. James Gandolfini performance sneaks up on you like a toothache. You don't realize how nasty it is until you are in pain. Jeff Daniels plays obnoxious with glee. Marsha Gay Harden loses her battle with humanity as she becomes delightfully unhinged. Hope Davis shows how a facade can come crumbling down even as one is indisposed and all of them make you laugh as they fail miserably. In the 50's we thought of marriage through the eyes of Father Knows Best. The late 60's brought The Brady Bunch, by the 80's Married with Children and now no longer afraid to admit our failing God of Carnage shows us where we have landed. With 45.8% of marriages ending in divorce Yasmina Reza words become deliciously savage. I personally think that every engaged couple should be made to watch this. Director Matthew Warchus who also staged Ms Reza's masterpiece "Art" keeps this at a face paced clip. Designer Mark Thompson set makes you want to live in that house, as long as the residences have moved far away. God of Carnage is exactly what we need to shock us back to reality. This is the play to see and that is a F.A.C.T.