Being a fan of the playwright, John Patrick Shanley, and of many Intiman productions in the past, I had high hopes for "Dirty Story." I want to see Intiman succeed, recover its financial health, and regain its prominent place among Seattle cultural institutions. This, however, could make me reconsider.
There are numerous problems with both the acting and the directing, primarily that the show is miscast. While there are certainly talented performers onstage, they aren't the right ones for these characters.I know, it's tough ding rotating repertory--all of these characters are simultaneously appearing in other productions in Intiman's summer festival--but that can hardly be an excuse. One of the performances is plagued by hitting only one or two notes; another is consistently too LOUD, another goes in and out of accent; and one is about 20 years too young to be believable in the role. Problems also exist with the writing, especially in the second act, where Shanley hammers us over the head with his Middle East metaphor.
I've heard better things about other plays in the festival; perhaps you would be better off seeing one of them.