Haddad, 34, is known for monologue-style works about being a gay man with cerebral palsy. He plays himself in this heartfelt if familiar comedy-drama, but the starring role belongs to a relative. Meet Charlie (Jonathan Raviv), his beloved gay uncle \u2014 actually, as he points out, his dad\u2019s first cousin \u2014 who was instrumental in shaping who and where Haddad is today. Thirty years Haddad’s senior, Charlie informed Haddad\u2019s passion for the arts and lent encouragement to be himself. Move over, Auntie Mame.<\/p>\n
Charlie, mad for movies and theatre, is no carefree party boy as the title might suggest. His life is complicated, as seen when the play digs into the past. He becomes a dentist after his parents, Charlie Sr. and Joan (Nael Nacer and Artemis Pebdani), squash his dream of studying theatre. They later ice him out because he is gay. Ryan\u2019s backstory threads through as a counterpoint: His coming out is essentially a non-event played for laughs. Besides Charlie, Haddad’s parents, Bob and Judy (also Nacer and Pebdani), and his gay aunt Janice (Beth Malone) support him.<\/p>\n
Charlie, a born caretaker, finds love with Lou (Somebody Somewhere\u2019s Tim Bagley), a divorced film studies professor who\u2019s two decades older. Through Lou, he meets Sheldon (Michael Cristofer), who runs an arty cinema and becomes Charlie\u2019s BFF and another gay mentor. They make cheeky insider arts allusions to Mame, A Star Is Born, and Fun Home that lend a fun lift. A running bit with characters editing the script is also amusing, and director Danny Sharron\u2019s fine ensemble is another plus.<\/p>\n
Haddad\u2019s play is intimate and engaging, even as it inevitably covers material about the gay experience that\u2019s been very well-traced. At times, the show sinks into overstatement. Sheldon\u2019s final speech about the arts and chosen family is too on-the-nose and tilts toward gaysplaining.<\/p>\n
But one line stood out. \u201cThere is no curtain,\u201d Ryan tells Charlie, referring to how shows typically conclude. But there\u2019s a second meaning, and it\u2019s easy to admire Haddad for pulling back the veil to expose tough truths. Plays, like gardens, need light to grow.<\/p>\n
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Good Time Charlie summary<\/p>\n
Ryan J. Haddad\u2019s autobiographical play Good Time Charlie spans more than three decades. It tells the story of Charlie, a gay man who dreamed of performing on stage but whose mom and dad pushed him toward dentistry instead and regarded his homosexuality with cold disapproval. Charlie\u2019s support for Haddad, both in his life and career, can\u2019t be overstated.<\/p>\n
Good Time Charlie is making its world premiere at The Public Theater<\/a>.<\/p>\n What to expect at Good Time Charlie<\/p>\n Before the play begins, iconic songs from Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, and Guys and Dolls set the scene for the characters we\u2019ll meet and what\u2019s often foremost on their mind. Brief musical interludes from such shows as Grey Gardens, Mame, Into the Woods, and Knickerbocker Holiday are used for amusing and more poignant impact.<\/p>\n Along with Afsoon Pajoufar\u2019s leafy garden setting, Enver Chakartash\u2019s contemporary costumes, and Barbara Samuels\u2019s lighting add texture and dimension.<\/p>\n The show runs 2 hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.<\/p>\n What audiences are saying about Good Time Charlie<\/p>\n Theatregoers at early performances expressed mixed to positive reactions to the show on online forums like Show-Score, where it has a 73% audience approval rating averaged from 15 reviews.<\/p>\n \u201cThis show is so moving, heartwarming, hilarious, and so so much more. It hit so close to home and I need to see it again as soon as possible.\u201d – Mezzanine user xan w![\"1](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1_good_time_charlie-1200x600-NYTG.png\")
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\n\u201cQuirky in all the best ways. Funny. Touching. Relevant. Great acting.\u201d – Show-Score user JoeyFranko
\n\u201cWell meaning but ultimately disappointing. I had seen 2 of Haddad\u2019s previous plays and I loved them. This one had some scenes but not nearly enough of them. Other scenes were overly long and occasionally cliched.\u201d – Show-Score user Stephen 18
\n\u201cYes, it deals with characters and issues that have been covered in recent plays and musicals \u2013 growing up gay, aspiring to a life in the theatre, the importance of family and friends. But watching it, laughing with it, and identifying with it, [the show] felt so original.\u201d – Show-Score user BSonArts<\/p>\n