Cellino v. Barnes Off-Broadway Reviews

In the end, Cellino V. Barnes is sublimely stupid and a bit brilliant. Relishing in the tabloid elements of the true story, its playwrights spin a yarn that doesn't lean so hard into the real attorneys that an unfamiliar audience might be left in the cold. Committed and kooky, Morris and Weisberg create characters whole cloth that are as hilarious as they are compelling. Combined with a snappy direction, this play's humor hits so fast and hard, it's not just thrilling. It might be exactly the kind of the shock to the system its crooked counselors would drool to litigate over.

Cellino v. Barnes is a tight two-hander that sails by thanks to the chemistry of its two leads. Eric William Morris is a buffoonishly braggadocious Ross Cellino with a sprinkle of daddy issues, and Noah Weisberg (in a comically ill-fitting bald cap) is a slightly skeevy, yet endearingly dedicated Steve Barnes. We follow the two of them at breakneck speed from the moment young nepo baby Cellino catches first year associate Barnes rooting through company files, trying to get a leg up for his hiring interview.

For one thing, they get a number of laughs out of the various ways to prop a foot on a desk drawer handle for maximum manspreading posture. Yes, even at 75 minutes, this gets a little baggy about two-thirds of the way through. Yes, the creators can’t resist throwing in a splashy closing scene that feels more like an excuse for a few video effects. But for pure silly fun, Cellino v. Barnes hits the mark.