Monthly Archives: December 2025

Predictor

Off-Broadway, Play December 15, 2025 Leave a comment

Too few productions hit that magical sweet spot of addressing a pressing issue while remaining entertaining and even funny.  This is what makes Predictor such a refreshing addition to the winter Off-Broadway lineup.  Jennifer Blackmer has written an inspired bio-comedy about Meg Crane, the inventor of the home pregnancy test whose name has been all but erased by the male-led corporation that swindled her out of her patent.  Choosing her words and micro aggressions with loving exactitude, Blackmer combines fact with recognizable cultural references circa 1967 to fill out Crane’s little-known history.  It is no surprise that the 2024 winner of the  American Theatre Critics Association/Harold and Mimi Steinberg Foundation Citation for Best New American Play (for I Carry Your Heart With Me) would tell this story with artfully applied fury and humor.

Predictor featuring Jes Washington, April Ortiz, Lauren Molina (r) and Caitlin Kinnunen (f);
Photo credit Valerie Terranova

Though fans of Mad Men are well acquainted with the corporate culture of companies like Organon Pharmaceuticals, it may be hard for anyone under the age of 40 to picture a world in which a woman’s husband had to accompany her to a physician’s appointment.  Then she would wait several crucial weeks in order to know for certain whether or not she was pregnant.  Blackmer uses the popular television of the times including a Donna Reed-like family portrait and a buzzy game show to convey the impactful images and genuine emotions related to this lack of agency.  The sound design by Daniela Hart, Noel Nichols, and Bailey Trierweiler includes original music that invokes the tunes and tones used in these programs, adding an intergenerationally-familiar period element.  Cat Raynor’s scenic design features medicinal green walls, delightfully dated harvest gold chairs and an upstage glass enclosed “control booth”.   These enhance the storytelling while also providing the small stage space with an expansive feeling.  Colorfully illuminated side panels similar to ones used on TV are incorporated into the lighting design by Zach Blane.  Like parochial school uniforms— another theme from Crane’s life —  costumes by Alicia Austin consist of coordinated plaid dresses for the ladies and suits for the gentlemen who grab sweaters, jackets, and glasses to differentiate their multitude of characters.

Alex Keegan’s deft direction fits each script beat so perfectly she and Blackmer could be creative twins.  The action all takes place inside Meg’s head and has both very real and very dreamy qualities as a result.  The essential Meg Crane character is played by Tony nominee Caitlin Kinnunen, who came to prominence during her run as Emma Nolan in The Prom.  She lends that same flustered-but-right affectation to the graphic artist who finds her muse in an outer building of a pharmaceutical company.  Kinnunen is lifted up by a crack ensemble with seemingly boundless energy as they take on a broad range of supporting roles.  Lauren Molina can add “credible tears on cue” to her many hyphens with her compassionate turn as Crane’s deeply religious mother as well as Mary, a comically earnest executive assistant.  April Ortiz gives depth to the more conservative female roles including Crane’s teacher Sister Bernadette and Crane’s grandmother.  Nick Piacente is flirty and sweet as Bertie, a friendly lab assistant, and Ira, an experienced marketing executive.  Amping up the blowhard factor is Eric Tabach’s Jack, the executive to whom the home pregnancy project is assigned.  Taking on both father figures and Crane’s actual father is a down-to-earth John Leonard Thompson.  A refined Jes Washington portrays Jody, Crane’s encouraging roommate, and Lillian, a troubled secretary from Organon’s pool among others.

Predictor paints a vivid backdrop to our times when Roe is gone, Planned Parenthood is under attack, and the FDA itself is being tested.  But it also provides a portrait of a selfless and remarkable crusader and moments of genuine laughter.  While you may feel Crane’s grit and frustration, ultimately its exhilarating to share time with her and Blackmer’s sharp dialogue.  Predictor runs through January 18th at The AMT Theater, (354 W 45th St) with performances at 7PM Tuesday through Sunday and 2PM matinees on weekends.  Runtime is two hours and fifteen minutes including an intermission.  The house is small, but comfortable with good sightlines even from seats against the far wall.  Tickets ($49-$110) are available for advance purchase at www.predictorplay.com.

Lennox Mutual

Immersive Experience December 4, 2025 Leave a comment

Post pandemic lockdown, I have taken an interest in theater that can be enjoyed from home.  There are many people with mobility, childcare, and transportation issues who deserve to be thoroughly entertained.  So when I was told about an award-winning performance conducted entirely on the telephone, I was excited to learn more.  I booked three calls — the recommended minimum — with Lennox Mutual.  This fictional “life en-surance” company would have a customer service representative reach out at the agreed upon times.  Beyond that description, I did not know what to expect.

Normally, I don’t insert myself into my reviews or reveal details.  It is impossible to write about Lennox Mutual without doing a little of both.  However, I don’t believe these to be spoilers.  Each interaction with the work is dependent upon your personality, your decisions, and to some extent the actor on the other end of the phone.

Photo by Candle House Collective

My confirmation email from Lennox Mutual insisted that I remain open and honest throughout my engagement.  The only way to approach the exchanges with my “scene partners” was as Me.  Me is risk-adverse: When given the choice between a door that has obviously witnessed catastrophe and one that has music playing beyond it, I will avoid the scorch marks.  Me is also a problem solver.  When being told a descriptive, somewhat rambling story, Me listens for clues that could unlock more pieces of the puzzle rather than simply finding joy in the narrative.  

My first contact — who by coincidence or plan also conducted my final session — did a wonderful job of guiding me through the sprawling maze of story even while maintaining her AI inflection. The in-between rep seemed to do his level best to goad me into filing a complaint.  Consequently, by the end of that second sitting I felt deflated, frustrated and not at all sure I was spending my time wisely.  

Lennox Mutual was created by Evan Neiden, Olivia Behr, and Joel Meyers, and directed by Neiden along with Jacob Leaf.  It’s hard to imagine what the script looks like, but the audition process must have been a bear.  There are elements of improvisation, puzzle making, psychodrama, guided meditation, and interactive gaming, plus pure gut instinct.  Each call lasts between 20 and 25 minutes and comes from an unknown number.  You will need to be somewhere you can be alone and in dim lighting when you answer.  You should also be prepared to sing, respond to unusual questions, and complete potentially disturbing scenarios.  You will receive multiple reminders about your appointments and a safe word you can use if the conversation gets too intense.  Recordings of any kind are prohibited.

In the 1990s, I took a vacation with a friend who believed that the journey was the destination.  We would leave the hotel with my carefully crafted itinerary for the day complete with lunch reservation and well-researched potty breaks.  She would turn a corner and say, “that bus looks cool; let’s get on and see where it goes.”  If you are like her, you should definitely visit https://www.candlehousecollective.com/tickets/lennoxmutual and explore Lennox Mutual’s ticketing options.  Around the same time as that trip, I had a co-worker who loved playing Myst and The 7th Guest for hours on end.  If you are like him, you should consider the Lennox Mutual Eternity Plan with unlimited calls. Even if you are a risk-adverse completionist like Me (I had him tell me the plots once he’d completed the games), keep an eye on the Candle House Collective.  They are evolving a new theatrical art form.  These things take time.  

Archduke

Comedy, Drama, Off-Broadway December 1, 2025 Leave a comment

Of all the action leading up to World War I, the chapter most remembered by students of that era is the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the vast Austro-Hungary empire.  In Archduke, playwright Rajiv Joseph focuses less on explaining the political situation and more on the young, inept members of the assassination team.  Less interested in portraying history than in tinkering with it, Joseph compresses the time frame and leverages the lore surrounding the trio, particularly the role a sandwich played in the mythologizing of the bungled plot.

Set in the days leading up to the murder, there exists in Archduke a backbone of facts, from an overview of essential geography to pairs of uniting black gloves, a nod to the Black Hand nationalist group that aided in the real boys’ training.  Joseph recruits the Serbian Nationalist army officer and likely organizer of the plot, Dragutin Dimitrijević — better known by his nickname Apis — as a main character.  Religion is both a comfort and a tool for manipulation, with dreams, beliefs, and conscience playing roles equal to struggle for state independence.  In concentrating his story on the indoctrination of vulnerable teens, Joseph brings modern depth and understanding to a long-ago event.

Under the direction of Blanka Zizka, the artistic production at Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater in the spring was steeped in Eastern European influence. Serious themes of violence and conflict were mixed with theater of the absurd and old fashioned clowning.  Two middle aged women took on the roles of Gavrilo (Suli Holum) and Nedeljko (Sara Gliko) skillfully infusing their characters with adolescent discomfort.  The third less showy would-be assassin, Trifko, was played with comparable gravitas by Barrymore Award winner Brandon J. Pierce.  Steven Rishard with his Baldwinesque delivery portrayed Apis as a blustering moody fatherly figure.  For the lone female, Apis’s housekeeper  Sladjana, Zizka employed Black company member Melanye Finister, who gave the character a true touch of the Black Arts.

There was heavy emphasis on 3-D imagery designed by Jorge Cousineau to augment Thom Weaver’s traditional lighting that illuminated the vast dark space.  Intense projections reminiscent of the black light shows of the Czech Republic were among the most memorable features. So mesmerizing were the effects and so memorable were Zizka’s choices that the visual impact upstaged whatever was on the page.

I had the opportunity to revisit Archduke as Roundabout’s Off-Broadway fall offering.  Their rendition is directed by Darko Tresnjak who was born in Zemun where much of the action takes place.  As his set designer, he chose to work with frequent collaborator Alexander Dodge who emphasized topographical and language boundaries to set the scene.  More like acrobatics, the fight scenes with movement by Rocío Mendez have dance-like athleticism.  Gavrilo’s haunting visions are given aural presence in Jane Shaw’s sound design, but the images are left to our imagination.  

Patrick Page, Jason Sanchez, Adrien Rolet and Jake Berne in Archduke; photo by Joan Marcus

Tresnjak’s Gavrilo and Nedeljko are Jake Berne and Jason Sanchez, young men making their Off-Broadway debuts.  The third assassin in training is portrayed by Londoner Adrien Rolet in his first professional role.  There is a delightful freshness to all three performances.  As for the calculating Apis, Patrick Page, whose voice has become synonymous with chilly seduction, gives him a lowkey “I’ve got this” vibe.  Another Broadway vet, Kristine Nielsen, gnaws on Sladjana’s lines, coming across like a bewitched herbalist.

That two respected companies in two terrific theater cities — Philly’s Wilma and New York’s Roundabout — chose to include Archduke in their 2025 season is significant.  In a way, the script shares characteristics with the history that inspired its writing.  It isn’t the strongest of Joseph’s work which makes it ripe for differing emphasis and interpretation.  With all the talk of masculine toxicity taking up space in our national conversation, it’s important to be reminded that free will can overcome even the most enticing manipulation.

Archduke continues at the Laura Pels Theatre, 111 West 46th Street, through December 21.  Running time is about 2 hours with one intermission.  Tickets start at $69 and can be purchased at https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2025-2026-season/archduke.