Did Cheryl L. West's Birdie Blue Fly with New York Drama Critics?

She may be best known for her role as no-nonsense Lt. Anita Van Buren on the television series Law & Order, but S. Epatha Merkerson is also an acclaimed stage actress. Merkerson is currently starring as the big-hearted title character in Cheryl L. West's Birdie Blue, which opened June 23 at Second Stage Theatre. Did the production fly with critics?

Here is a sampling of what they had to say:

William Stevenson in his Broadway.com Review: "Merkerson makes us care about Birdie from the start. It's impossible not to like such a compassionate woman, despite her all-too-human failings. Birdie is a beautifully written, well-rounded character, and Merkerson brings her to vivid life... Thanks to West's heartfelt writing and the actors' superb performances, Birdie Blue is a play that stays with you."

Charles Isherwood of The New York Times: "Ms. Merkerson imbues Birdie Blue with a sturdy warmth, and she is strongly supported by Mr. Weldon, who gives an affecting performance as a proud man bitterly losing control of his mental faculties. Billy Porter displays his versatility and verve in a variety of roles... They are all abetted in their efforts by Ms. West's marvelously pungent dialogue. But Birdie Blue, wanly directed by Seret Scott, is too loosely assembled to hang together compellingly, or even hold the audience's attention."

Howard Kissel of The New York Daily News: "The play jumps backward and forward in time, which can be an effective technique for dramatizing a life. But because the play has no real structure, its emotional impact is somewhat limited. In some respects, the most touching scenes are those in which Birdie cares for her helpless, childlike husband… The evening really belongs to Merkerson, who makes both the joy and sadness of Birdie's life deeply affecting."

Marilyn Stasio of Variety: "While it may be no more than a wisp of a play, Birdie Blue is a sweetheart of a character study. Cheryl L. West's poignant look at the life of a long-suffering woman at the end of her rope gets a dream perf from S. Epatha Merkerson and a production that oozes sympathy from helmer Seret Scott. Show has legs to travel to racially and femme-themed festival venues. But, like razor blades and caustic fluids, you want to keep this one away from the depressed."

Justin Bergman of The Associated Press: "Though uneven in spots and slow to get off the ground, Cheryl L. West's play ultimately captures its audience as the story of the tough-talking but quick-to-laugh Birdie Blue unfolds... A lesser actress may have difficulty with such a complex role, but S. Epatha Merkerson--who was nominated for a Tony for The Piano Lesson and has appeared for 12 seasons on Law & Order--gives a remarkable and emotional performance. Bellowing and fuming one moment, then dancing across the stage wrapped in a fur the next, Merkerson exhaustively embodies Birdie Blue, giving texture to a character that defies easy explanation."

Linda Winer of Newsday: "West's play, which runs just 75 minutes, is pretty much of a mess. Seret Scott's production, which moves back and forth through time and location, has at least one character - an abused gay neighbor-boy named Little Pimp - whose disappearance is unexplained. There is more than a little overwriting about Birdie's identification with Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech. And the inevitable bird metaphor is flown right into the ground."