The brand-new adaptation of Delia Ephron's novel Left On Tenth premiered on Broadway this week. As a New York Times bestseller, Ephron's memoir captures a remarkable reconnection with a man from her past, balancing romance, humor, and tears beautifully on the page. However, the stage version seems to have stumbled in its translation. Critics have been overwhelmingly disappointed, citing issues with pacing, tonal shifts, and the adaption of source material as significant flaws. Despite the book's acclaim, this theatrical debut hasn't quite hit the mark, leaving audiences longing for the magic of the original novel.

Read what the critics had to say below

The Reviews

Condensing the entire memoir into 100 minutes, many critics found that the stage adaption of the book to the stage was messily done...

New York Stage Review

"Ephron's experience is powerful and affecting, but some stories simply don't translate from the page to the stage."

USA Today

"But despite its very best intentions, the play is frustratingly surface level, rarely delving beyond Hallmark card sentiments about taking the good with the bad. At 100 minutes, the show hastily whips through a life's worth of milestones and minutiae, told mostly through verbose exposition delivered directly to the audience."

New York Theatre Guide:

"But the play, based on Ephron's bestselling memoir, may have a greater impact on the page than the stage. And while it would make a charming rom-com film, it doesn't fully translate to theatre."

Chicago Tribute: 

"And while both of these actors are honest, vulnerable and appealing no faint praise they are not delivering bravura stage performances. I'd argue such zig-zaggingly internal material does not really allow for such performances anyway."

With a novel that balances romance and humor with heavier subjects of cancer diagnosis, many critics found the transitions clunky and tonally confusing...

The New York Times

"The play needs to take the audience by the hand and lead it to and through the most nightmarish depths of Delia's illness, when she is in the hospital, begging to die. Instead it abruptly drops us there and expects us to switch from comedy mode to drama."

New York Post

"Ephron's bio-play might've turned out better had she handed her memoir to a different, less precious writer with a better grasp of what works onstage. As it stands, what's at the Jones right now is a wannabe rom-com that delivers neither rom nor com."

New York Stage Review

"Director Susan Stroman works tirelessly to infuse the static proceedings, which too often feel like an audiobook, with theatricality. But she tries too hard, embellishing scene transitions with musical and dancing interludes that feel jarringly out-of-place."

Deadline

"Left on Tenth is a slight endeavor slighter, probably, than a cancer odyssey has any right to be and certainly falls short of better Ephron Sister efforts. Even so, there can be only one response to it, and that's well wishes for all."

The Wrap

"Is there anything less dramatic on stage than people sending each other email messages?"

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