★★★★ One of Cassavetes greatest masterpieces that is also the definitive masterpiece of his group of friends, dedicated to creating fictions that reflect on the art of creating fictions. Here everything revolves around a theatrical premiere (hence the title) and an actress in crisis of representation or vocation. There is also – in a subtle twist to the fantastic – a ghost that is much less an allegory than a symbol of various things. But what matters is the tone: between tension and happiness, between irony and the naivety of the purest creation. There is a lot of humor in this film that shows that all the participants are happy to do what they are doing. A unique film about representation and its meaning, about the ritual of acting for others, is essential.
