New York | John Slattery | Lynne Meadow’s Manhattan Theatre Club | Beth Gilman

THE REAL THING

There was a time when New York theater wasn’t produced by Disney. Both the beauties and the beasts were human. A lot of times, none sang. Non-musicals, or “straight plays,” were considered positive experiences. This month, and next if you’re in New York, take advantage of the high-season chances you have to look back in wonder.

First, a true old one. Brit modernist Harold Pinter’s unnerving 1978 drama BETRAYAL fields just three people, one love affair, one friendship — and it runs backward. John Slattery of HBO’s Sex and the City is in this staging mounted by Broadway’s nonprofit Roundabout Theatre. Check out www.roundabouttheatre.org for dates, tickets, the works.

Now consider a new one, but still a non-musical. This is BOY GETS GIRL, by playwright Beth Gilman. But hold on, the title isn’t as sweet as it sounds. He gets her because he’s a stalker who doesn’t know when a blind date is over. This one is at artistic director Lynne Meadow’s Manhattan Theatre Club. It’s technically an off-Broadway venue, but it’s up in Midtown Manhattan, operating at the City Center and shipping a lot of shows over to Broadway. The site: www.mtc-nyc.org.