Legendary six-time Tony Award-winning director Martin Kerner is the kind of guy any ambitious theatre-loving kid would look up to. When a 16-year-old Long Islander writes his hero a fan letter requesting a lunch meeting, he initiates a complex mentor-mentee relationship that unfolds over the course of a decade. Playwright Jonathan Tolins explores this complex ebb-and-flow in his laugh-out-loud, charming, bittersweet new love letter to the theatre, SECRETS OF THE TRADE.

Noah Robbins and John Glover raise a glass to a promising future. Photo by James Leynse

As portrayed by John Glover, Martin Kerner is an overwhelmingly gregarious, leonine presence – an Uncle Mame of sorts. Or as young Andrew Lipman sees him, a Willy Wonka figure whom he hopes will one day open the doors of the chocolate factory-like world of the professional theatre to him. Glover’s Kerner drops bon mots and juicy anecdotes as Andrew (and the audience) devours every word. Glover perfectly channels this seductive character, and it’s easy to see why Andrew looks up to him like a deity, despite the enormous gaps in time between encounters.

Noah Robbins convincingly tracks Andrew’s growth from wide-eyed, talented and slightly pushy teen (Kerner thinks he could be the next Mike Nichols) to a mature young man whose life didn’t turn out how he imagined... And that’s okay. Robbins’ last New York outing was 2009’s ill-fated (but critically-praised) Broadway revival of Brighton Beach Memoirs – it’s a pleasure to see that this talented, funny young actor has also grown despite initial disappointments.

The rest of the cast is equally fine, including Bill Brochtrup as Kerner’s enigmatic, cynical assistant who once harbored ambitions similar to Andrew’s, and Mark Nelson as Andrew’s proud but wary architect father who gave up dreams of his own.

Special mention is due to Amy Aquino in a beautifully realized performance as Andrew’s mother. A former dancer who gave up her dreams of the performing arts to teach English, Joanne Lipman gradually watches her young charges’ eyes glaze over as her son outgrows her ability to guide him.

“What is it about talented gay men who pass along their secrets?” she wonders aloud. Paradoxically, Andrew doesn’t understand why Kerner, with all his power and connections, is unable (or unwilling) to provide anything more than simple encouragement. Why bother taking someone under your wing? Why give someone a glimpse at the magic behind the scrim? Kerner simply replies “It gives me such a kick.”

At their first encounter over lunch at Café des Artistes, Kerner tells Andrew that “someday, you’re going to have plenty of stories of your own.” In the sweetly satisfying denouement of SECRETS OF THE TRADE, Andrew continues the circle. What I did for love, indeed.

Performance Schedule: Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m., Thursdays & Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m., with Sunday matinee at 3:00 p.m. on August 15, and Wednesday matinees at 2:00 p.m. on August 18, 25 & September 1. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased by calling Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200, online at www.TicketCentral.com, or at the 59E59 Theaters Box Office. For additional information about Primary Stages, please visit the website at www.primarystages.org. Theater Patrons 35 and under: Specially priced $20 tickets available for Theater Patrons 35 and under. Advance tickets are available through Ticket Central using code PS35. Maximum two tickets per valid ID. Failure to present a valid ID will result in an additional $40 fee. All tickets are subject to availability. Group Tickets (10+) are $45.00 each, and are available by calling (212) 840-9705, ext. 219.