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.
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.
The Unforgettable Line 