Category Archives: Drama

The Saviors

Drama, Off-Broadway, World Premiere July 28, 2026 Leave a comment

You can imagine a pitch meeting along these lines: “I’ve written a play that depicts the difference between being religious and acting godly.  Oh, and the lead roles are 13 and 14 year old boys.”  Fortunately for the prospective audience for The Saviors, the pitcher in question was Bubba Weiler who cemented his reputation as a playwright well worth backing with his acclaimed Well, I’ll Let You Go.  Fortunately for Weiler and his go-to director Jack Serio, the producer who picked up the challenge was the Atlantic Theater Company.  Their main-stage, The Linda Gross, is located in a converted church.  To paraphrase a line from The Saviors script, if that isn’t the hand of god, what is it?

A complaint I’ve sometimes made about The Linda Gross is that the performance space is often blocked to be wide and shallow.  This set by David Zinn is gorgeously expansive, with tall delicate stained glass windows and light colored steps leading up to humble statuary and a candle covered altar.  Director Serio also makes use of the aisles as an extension of the upfront interior (necessitating a strict no-late-seating; no-reentry policy).  Sound by Leah Gelpe that accompanies the cast member entrances lets us experience the chilly winter world just outside the heavy church doors.  Stacey Derosier’s shadowy lighting design of the sanctuary nearly qualifies as a fifth character.

Ivan Howe and Julius Rinzel in The Saviors; production photos by Ahron R. Foster

Into this subdued scene of reverence tumble altar boys Michael and Paul.  The young teens are obviously close and have turned each assigned task into a lighthearted contest.  The differences between the two slowly unfold.  Michael has embraced the Catholic teachings with manic enthusiasm.  They give structure to a life that is otherwise filled with anxiety-inducing choices.  Paul is more questioning of the strict prescribed path that seems to lie ahead.  Two adults with disparate views on Christian faith become entwined in the boys’ bond.  Judy, a congregant whom Michael asks to be his Confirmation sponsor, is so devoted to the parish that Michael has come to regard her as a Mary figure. Concurrently, Paul befriends Julian, a homeless man with an unclear connection to the community who comes into the church seeking refuge and comfort.  

Much of the play consists of pairs in hypnotic conversation.  That Weiler began working on the script when he was not much older than the current stars is a factor in making the dialogue so genuine.  There is elegant world-building within the exchanges, with an underlying tension that rivals many psychological thrillers.  

It is nearly impossible not to feel protective of both Ivan Howe’s exuberant Michael or Julius Rinzel’s probing Paul.  Both actors are heartbreakingly brilliant (and neither has an understudy.)  Making his stage debut is an impassioned Stanley Simons as the older but equally vulnerable Julian.  Completing the first-rate company is Crystal Finn who expertly traverses Judy’s rough terrain.

The Saviors will undoubtedly have a different impact on practicing and lapsed Catholics than it did on me, but it doesn’t take a background in religious doctrine to feel its sting.  This World Premiere has been extended through August 15 at The Atlantic’s Linda Gross Theater, 336 West 20th Street.  Running time is a tight 90 minutes without intermission.  Tickets start at $56.50 for standing room and top out at $121 for premium seating at select performances.  To purchase, visit https://atlantictheater.org/production/the-saviors/

Hadestown: The Musical — The Film

Drama, Live Capture, Musical, Theater Event July 23, 2026 Comments: 2

On July 24, Cross Walk (a division of Bleeker Street Films) and LD Entertainment will be releasing their much-anticipated live theater capture of the West End production of Hadestown: The Musical.  The filmed performances took place on February 28 and March 1 of 2025 during the reunion run of the cast that included five of the original principals of the Tony winning Broadway production.  

In the sung-through script, writer Anaïs Mitchell blends two traditional Greek myths — the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice and that of Hades, King of the Underworld, and his bride Persephone — to explore modern themes including class division and climate change.  Along the way she has drastically altered the two heroines and their control over their own fates.  Rather than dying tragically from a snake bite shortly after her marriage, Eurydice willingly chooses to follow Hades to the underworld and signs away her freedom.  And in place of being kidnapped by her uncle Hades and forced into marriage, Mitchell’s Persephone is a boisterous illicit saloon owner who loves her husband enough to feel jealousy towards the younger Eurydice when Hades develops a wandering eye.  

Filmed on location in London’s Lyric Theatre under director Brett Sullivan, there is little attempt to recreate the feeling of sitting in the best seat in the house.  Rather, Sullivan seems to draw from his experience on concert films, attempting to visually bridge the divide between onstage and off.  Opening with glimpses of backstage preparation, Sullivan employs swooping camera work that takes the viewer below, above and beyond the stage. Though the initial descent into hell is dramatic, it is more often quite hard to spot Rachel Chavkin’s Tony winning staging.  David Neumann’s choreography is even harder to detect.  

Eva Noblezada as Eurydice in Hadestown: The Musical; image courtesy of Crosswalk and LD Entertainment

The film’s creative team evidently had Hadestown’s rabid fan base firmly in mind.  Patrick Page tore his achilles tendon shortly before the show’s limited engagement.  In lieu of using Phillip Boykin who performed the role for most of the run in Page’s stead, for the capture, they chose to fit Page with a customized boot and rework the staging to minimize the strain on his injury.  While that choice will certainly thrill anyone who loves his signature combination of menace and seduction, the Lord of the Underworld should not limp.  So while I deeply respect Page as a performer, his inclusion here doesn’t serve the production as fully as a different talented actor with two fully functioning ankles.  

As for the rest of the cast, the legendary André De Shields is our host, sing-talking with emphatic articulation the role of narrator Hermes.  The often drunk and raunchy Persephone is played with verve by Amber Gray who has appeared in every iteration of Hadestown.  Reeve Carney was, by 2025, rather long in the tooth for the Orpheus role, creating an unlikely match for the radiant Eva Noblezada’s Eurydice (The pair are currently appearing on Broadway as Jay and Daisy in The Great Gatsby, so they apparently have great chemistry when experienced in person.)  The Three Fates — Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne and Allie Daniel — are full throated and lively.

Recognized by theater critics and ticket holders alike as an enterprising offering in a season of adaptation and revision, Hadestown became a certified hit, recently crossing 2,300 performances.  With its energetic cast and committed live audience, this release of Hadestown: The Musical on film is sure to be a treat for the devotees of the initial concept album through to those who were able to enjoy any one of the many live performances.  It will be in movie theaters for five nights only beginning on Friday, July 24.  Ticketing information available on https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/hadestown-the-musical-83319.  Running time is 141 minutes.  

Pied-À-Terre

Drama, Off-Broadway July 2, 2026 Leave a comment

At first glance, John S. Anastasi’s Pied-À-Terre appears to be just another version of an oft-repeated story.  Jack, a middle-aged, financially successful lawyer, picks up Katie, a teen prostitute, and installs her in his New York City apartment away from his Connecticut-based family.  The tale takes an alluring turn when instead of using Katie to indulge in a bit of fun on the side, Jack chooses to focus on the young girl’s educational and cultural development.  Thereafter, we learn that despite her profession, Katie is a devout Christian, while Jack is a religious skeptic.  We see their incongruous relationship progress in a series of flashback scenes while in the present Katie’s residence has been discovered by Jack’s newscaster wife, Julia, whose marriage to Jack has grief as one of its foundational pillars.  

Having completed an Off-Broadway run in 2007 and notwithstanding an intriguing premise at its core, the play’s current production has some obvious strikes against it.  The positive evolution of medical treatment and the shifting views on power dynamics between the genders have poorly aged some of the plot elements.  And even in the TikTok age, the timeline of events strains credulity.  Six months doesn’t seem long enough for even the most ambitious and clever of young women to undergo Katie’s transformation and yet it seems too long for Jack to keep up his deception.  

Director Mitch Poulos, who has worked with Anastasi’s material on multiple occasions, has been put at a disadvantage by being saddled with the stodgy set constructed for the theater’s main occupant, The Perfect Crime.  While this decision no doubt threw the producers a budget lifeline, the fixed doorway upstage right and downstage secretary desk dictate much of the staging. Moreover, the stuffy decor complete with 20” TV and squashed upright piano, is a tonal disaster in the critical  “role” of a Greenwich Village co-op.   There is also an on-going swapping of paintings on the mantelpiece which interrupts the flow with blackouts.  It is unfortunate that Carlo Sabusap’s projections aren’t more creatively employed to modify the atmosphere. 

Jordan Allen Bell (as Jack) and Macy McGrail (as Katie) in Pied-À-Terre; photo by Lee Wexler

Despite this stylistic misadventure, the cast of three is a reminder of the many talented individuals giving their all for intimate audiences in smaller houses across the city.  Michelle Serje (Julia) and Macy McGrail (Katie), both graduates of the famed improv program Upright Citizens Brigade, deftly negotiate the hairpin turns in their dynamic, even when the script piles on superfluous melodramatic details at the 11th hour.   The more seasoned Jordan Allen Bell has a warm Everyman quality that serves the character of Jack Davis well and helps ground some of the dialogue’s odder details. 

With Pied-À-Terre, playwright Anastasi has captured what is intrisically interesting about people in relationship working their way towards a shared truth.  And I appreciate The Theater Center’s General Manager Catherine Russell’s commitment to providing opportunities for the Off-Broadway community.  But I question whether this earnest work — dedicated to the memory of the late Tony-Award-winner producer, Lauren Stevens — is the best fit for the mission.  In the final analysis, Pied-À-Terre pulls on heartstrings and maybe a few purse strings rather than adding imaginatively to the breadth of the summer season.  

Produced by 22Q Entertainment, the open-ended engagement of Pied-À-Terre continues in the Anne Bernstein Theater at The Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street on the 4th floor.  Performances are Wednesdays at 2PM and Sundays at 5PM.  The script contains profanity and descriptions of sexual situations.  Running time is approximately 2 hours including a 10 minute intermission.  Standard admission begins at $60.85 though less expensive options are available for assigned-by-the-box-office seats.  Visit https://www.piedaterreplay.com/ for ticketing information.

Fear & Wonder

Comedy, Drama, Off Off Broadway June 22, 2026 Leave a comment

In the new comedic drama Fear & Wonder, two teen boys meet at a Christian summer camp in Orlando, Florida.  Ryan is an African American with dreams of becoming a Youth Minister.  Jabez — whose name we learn means “he makes sorrowful” — is an amateur musician and Harry Potter fan whose feelings about the church are far murkier.  Initially joking they’ve been thrown together as the two token non-whites males in the program, they strike up a friendship which leads to a genuine and alarming attraction.  The year is 2003 when Anita Bryant and her kind are waging a particularly cruel war against anyone not on the far end of heterosexual on the Kinsey scale.

The simultaneously humorous and deeply sincere script is by queer, non-binary Chinese-American playwright, Jason Tseng, and inspired by their personal experience. Running on two tracks in time, Tseng’s work is laid out like a church Order of Service, with songs, testimonies, and blessings.  Your participation is encouraged from the moment you arrive at the venue.  Buckets of Pride flags and Love is Love bracelets are offered.  There are five interactive stations in the small lobby including an altar with battery operated votive candles, a miniature clothesline on which you can pin a message of encouragement, and a Sacred Texts station with a collection of books that will be donated at the end of the run.

Neil Tyrone Pritchard and Brian Tong turn in fearless performances as Ryan and Jabez.  With music among the binding forces of their relationship, the two also get to show off their singing abilities.  They are warmly encircled by the performance of Tonia E. Anderson as the Transition Minister.  Her character’s function seems to primarily be the creation of a place of safety and reassurance. (She also portrays Ryan’s mother and, for a few glorious minutes, the smooth jazz singer Sade.)  Portions of the play’s “ceremony” are accompanied by Benjamin Balatbat on keyboards stage left.

Neil Tyrone Pritchard and Brian Tong in Fear & Wonder; image provided by Flux Theatre Ensemble

Along with input from intimacy director Braxton Rae, director Emily Hartford also draws on her experience guiding vulnerable and emotional interaction to build the trepidatious intensity between the young men.  The chapel shaped set by Will Lowry embellished with a rainbow of silks facilitates the slight of hand that moves the action between years.  Well chosen props adorn each teen’s bedroom.  Perhaps it was Izzy Fields’ experience on The Righteous Gemstones that inspired the dazzling and fanciful clerical robes that are among her costume designs.  At points, the mostly-game audience is invited to engage with call and response and a sing-along of “Draw Me In” by Brendan J. Fox.  Brian G. Murphy is the production’s Spiritual/Community Engagement Coordinator.

While Fear & Wonder is a perfect addition to the line-up of Pride entertainment, its celebration of love, self-worth, and private revolution are befitting the other 11 months of the year as well.  Produced by Flux Theatre Ensemble, this World Premiere is an Equity approved Off-Off Broadway Showcase.  Performances continue through June 27th at Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres, 502 West 53rd Street, third floor.  Running time is two hours including a 10 minute intermission/communion.  Note that the content includes religious trauma and sexual themes and is intended for mature audiences. 

The wondrously diverse audience is at least in part driven by the company’s Living Ticket model.  There is no financial barrier to entry, though there are suggested ticket prices of $26, $53, or $66.  (Even the bottled water is being sold with a “suggested price” of $2.)  To learn more and to purchase seats, visit https://www.fluxtheatre.org/productions/fear-wonder.

Titus Andronicus

Drama, Off-Broadway, Shakespeare March 30, 2026 Leave a comment

Titus Andronicus was Shakespeare’s first “stab” at tragedy.  Unlike his soon-to-arrive Romeo and Juliet, it has no characters to fully invest in and bears many of the hallmarks of a brilliant and driven playwright who has not yet grasped the subtle art of developing a tragic hero.  The excitement is derived from the adrenaline of brutality, a device not apparent in the rest of his Folio. In fact scholars now think that Act 1 (maybe more) was written contemporaneously with George Peele.

The title character is a brave General in the Roman Army recently returned victorious over the Goths.  In front of his captives including the Goth’s Queen Tamora and her paramour, the Moor Aaron, he orders the Queen’s eldest son to be butchered as a religious sacrifice to honor those lost in battle.  This act of cruelty immediately earns the military leader two calculating enemies and sets off a cycle of chaotic and bloody revenge.

I have recently taken up needle felting.  It’s wonderfully cathartic to stab something beautiful into being.  I imagine Red Bull Theater’s Artistic Director Jesse Berger must have felt a similar tug towards reshaping Titus Andronicus after absorbing current events.  As director, he has used the flatness of the characters to craft an experience akin to a live video game illustrating the purposeless of vengeance and violence.

The period has been updated to a time of business attire, smooth jazz and neon chandeliers.  The escalating blood lust is reflected in all the creative elements from the bright red accessories of Emily Rebholz’s costumes to the torture instrument design of the bows by Anya Kutner.  Sounds orchestrated by Adam Wernick that could be wind or whispers whisk around the pillar-trees by award winning set designer Beowulf Boritt.  These solid white elements are given eery tone with lighting by Jiyoun Chang.

Adam Langdon, Amy Jo Jackson, Jesse Aaronson in Titus Andronicus; photo by Carol Rosegg

Literally frothing at the mouth as Titus Andronicus is the Shakespeare-fluent and magnetically edgy Patrick Page.  But this has always been an ensemble work and Berger’s entire cast deserves a chef’s kiss for their commitment to his giddy vision.  Many moments are positively hilarious, a word rarely applied to this play.  When Matthew Amendt’s Saturninus accepts the Emperor’s crown with a goody-goody-gumdrops of delight you know this is not your great-great-great-great-grandfather’s production.  Likewise the purring of Francesca Faridany’s Tamora who’s slide into death is perfection. Also of note are the smirking Jesse Aaronson and Adam Langdon who skin-crawlingly out “Bro” each other as Tamora’s sadistic sons Chiron and Demetrius.  McKinley Belcher III portrays Aaron in a more classic style as befits his more traditional path to villainy.  Many actors play multiple parts.  A character map and “about” pages are provided to help you keep track of the relationships along with 430 year old spoilers and trigger warnings.  A more complete content advisory is posted on the Red Bull Theater website.

Popular in its day, Titus Andronicus still appeals today in the lurid vein of tabloids and clips on Musk’s X.  Berger’s interpretation smartly puts what could be melodrama through Martin McDonagh’s black comedy grinder to serve up something rip roaringly entertaining.  Performances continue through May 3 at The Pershing Square Signature Center’s Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre (480 West 42nd Street).  Running time is a little over 2 hours including a 15 minute intermission.  There is more legroom though less rake at the entry aisle F.  Aisles are used for entrances, so there are multiple reasons for wanting to keep your arms and legs to yourself.  Tickets start at a welcome $49.  Visit https://www.redbulltheater.com/titus-andronicus-off-broadway to make a purchase or to get more information.

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.

Meet the Cartozians

Drama, Off-Broadway November 19, 2025 Leave a comment

What establishes our identity?  Skin color?  Language?  Scientific evidence?  In a country comprised primarily of immigrants, how do we balance our cultural heritage with our recognition as Americans?  In Meet the Cartozians, Talene Monahon, “a playwright of actor descent,” explores these weighty and often murky issues with keen insight and a knowing sense of humor using an Armenian family as her instruments.  With its complex history and even more complicated geography,  Armenia provides a wellspring of arguments about nationality, culture, and sense of self.  And if the play’s title brings to mind the most famous Armenian American of all, that, too, is very intentional.

In Act 1 we meet Tatos Cartozian, a character based on the man who was at the center of an Oregon court case in 1924.  As was true for the real Tatos, Monahon’s variation has been classified as a non-white Asian and on those grounds had his citizenship revoked.  It does not help his argument that his company makes Persian “oriental” rugs and employs “Islamics”.  To say more would detract from the delights of experiencing the reasoning of the family — Tatos’s mother Markrid, son Vahan, and daughter Hazel — along with their lawyer Wallace McCamant as he guides them in their preparation.  Monahon’s ear for dialogue and director David Cromer’s meticulous direction of each exchange should be freshly savored.

Act 2 takes place 100 years later in the Glendale, California home of Leslie Malconian. Several other Armenian Americans have been asked to gather with her to discuss and celebrate their ancestral heritage.  Their conversation will be featured in a special holiday episode of a wildly popular reality television show.  Despite the passage of time as well as that of many congressional bills, the subject of whiteness is no less thorny.  But it has taken on a very different hue.

The same six actors — Raffi Barsoumian, Will Brill, Andrea Martin, Nael Nacer, Susan Pourfar, and Tamara Sevunts — play parts in both acts.  Martin delivers her characters’ retorts with the wry “who me?” inflection we’ve come to expect from the seasoned comedian.  Fellow Tony winner Will Brill gets even bigger laughs with his quiet earnestness.  But a work this dialogue-heavy only succeeds because of the talent of the entire ensemble. The 2 ½ hour piece sails along at a satisfying clip.

Will Brill, Andrea Martin, Nael Nacer in MEET THE CARTOZIANS ; Photo by Julieta Cervantes.

The artistry behind the scenes is equally accomplished, particularly Enver Chakartash Act 2 costumes in relation to their Act 1 counterparts.  Scenic designer Tatiana Kahvegian creates the illusion of expansive depth in both living room settings.  Stacey Derosier’s lighting shifts from the muted tones of low watt bulbs and filtered sunlight to the intensive glare of actual spotlights.

Those who, like me, consider our country to be less of a melting pot and more of a stew — with distinct ingredients that complement each other — will find the brainy banter of Meet the Cartozians a sparking and engrossing entertainment.  The story also serves as eye-opening education as we witness a renewed struggle against those who wish to “preserve America’s white, Christian identity”.  It’s an auspicious opening for the 47th Season for celebrated 2nd Stage.  Performances continue through December 7 in the Irene Diamond at the Pershing Square Signature Center, 408 West 42nd near 10th Avenue.  The house is comfortable and well raked, but noticeably breezy.  Tickets begin at $86 and can be purchased at https://2st.com/shows/meet-the-cartozians#info.

Robert Icke’s Oedipus

Broadway, Drama, West End November 14, 2025 Leave a comment

Restrict your liquids and buckle up for the ride.  Robert Icke’s multiple Olivier Award Winning Oedipus has landed on Broadway.  The writer/director phenom transforms the 2500 year old Greek myth to tell the story of Oedipus, a warm and ambitious politician on an election night that should be full of celebration.  Though he is an immigrant whose marriage to the widow of former ruler, Laius, has prompted gossip, his messages of acceptance and affordability have resonated with the voting public.  A landslide victory is all but assured.  Yet his promises to release his birth certificate and to investigate Laius’s death have stirred concerns among those closest to him.  Oedipus’s own uneasiness begins to rise when a futurist cult member, Teiresias, is admitted to campaign headquarters and utters a series of dire warnings.  To ensure the now-set ominous mood remains unbroken, the two-hour political thrill ride has a strict no late seating, no re-admittance policy.

Mark Strong and Lesley Manville in Oedipus; photo by Julieta Cervantes.

On stage for the majority of the running time, Mark Strong manifests a charismatic Oedipus, whose worthy purposefulness has a pronounced shadow side.  His chemistry with the radiant Lesley Manville as Jocasta makes their critical relationship positively pop off the stage.  Jordan Scowen, James Wilbraham and particularly Olivia Reis are terrific as their flawed offspring Eteocles, Polyneices, and Antigone.  (No Ismene exists in this edition.)  Joining the production for the US run is the steady John Carroll Lynch as Creon, Oedipus’s affable campaign manager and brother-in-law. Bhasker Patel brings stateliness to the faithful Corin.  Though his appearance is short, Samuel Brewer makes an affectively disturbing Teiresias.  While it is truth that Merope is supposed to be stressed and guilt-ridden, the usually stellar Anne Reid could use a bit of an energy boost to reach the cheap seats.

As an extension of the election night conceit, the lease is up on Oedipus’s campaign quarters.  This allows for the poetic disassembly of Hildegard Bechtler’s industrial modern set, starting with draining the color out of the space.  To illustrate the initially relaxed state of the characters, costume designer Wojciech Dziedzic has primarily adorned the family members in athleisurewear, with the formal attire set out for the approaching victory.  Tal Yarden’s videos add realism and reminders.  The ticking clock and mood music incorporated in Tom Gibbons’ sound design is aural gilding of the tension lily.  

For those unfamiliar with Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street), there are a few features to keep in mind.  The acoustics are particularly good throughout the space.  Though they get you closest to the action, there is almost no rake in the first dozen rows of the orchestra.  The front mezzanine, with the previous chair back only reaching to ones knees is a strategic alternative. But the steepness of the stairs left some white knuckling the handrail.  

Apologies to Liam Neeson, but it really takes a particular set of skills to tell a story with an ending so infamous it has its own complex and still keep an audience on the edge of their seats.  By tethering the tragedy of Oedipus so beautifully to today, Icke infuses what could be a cold classroom flashback with deep humanity and chilling emotion.  Tickets are being sold for performances through February 8, 2026.  Visit Oedipustheplay.com for details and to purchase tickets.

Road Kills

Drama, Off Off Broadway August 19, 2025 Leave a comment

In art as in life, there is captivating drama to be mined when mismatched strangers are thrown together by circumstance.  So it is in Sophie McIntosh’s Road Kills currently in an Off-Off-Broadway run after a well-received series of readings.  Owen (D.B. Milliken) runs a small company responsible for collecting the carcasses of animals who have been hit by drivers too distracted to notice or care about the deer crossing sign.  He picks up extra money by taking on assistants who are working off their community service hours.  The current pair of hands belongs to Jaki (Mia Sinclair Jenness) who was arrested for drunk driving.  There is a spilling of guts along with the gut spills.  Together each Saturday on relatively deserted stretches of highway in Wisconsin there is little to do but pry open each other’s long-closed emotional doors. 

Mia Sinclair Jenness and D.B. Milliken in Road Kills; Photo by Nina Goodheart

Though some of the details are telegraphed, for the most part McIntosh’s biting script keeps us unbalanced.  With a title like Road Kills, it is unsurprising that the content has a high “ick” factor.  Warnings can be found on the production website in two flavors: “broad strokes” and “gory details”.  In the current space, everything is up close and deeply personal, but there is some sweetness mixed in with the ewwww.  

Since I prefer my readers to have the experience of allowing a play to unfold, I will only say that Owen’s and Jaki’s peculiar relationships to animals goes beyond their handling of mangled body parts.  Though their experiences as social outliers are dramatically different, the result is a similar inability to connect with humans in a traditionally healthy way.  Their expression of sexuality would likely be found in the DSM-5.  Protective reflexes are particularly askew in Jaki’s dealings with Neil and Miles, both portrayed by Michael Lepore.  (That the two characters look similar is a serendipitous plot enhancement.)

As staged by director Nina Goodheart in the three-row venue, the meticulous attention to detail heightens the intimacy of the performance.  We are seated at set designer Junran “Charlotte” Shi’s double yellow line where a dead fawn lies surrounded by dark red spots that are revealed to be frozen blood.  Passed-its-peak shrubbery lines the upstage side of the road.  Unlike most crews, stage manager Damayanti Wallace and team work silently in total darkness to set each scene.  From the black, the prerecorded voice-over cast of 11 depict the events that lead up to an accident, with each incident being an escalation of the previous one.  Lighting designer Paige Seber and sound designer Max Van add realistic sensory input.  Sean Frank’s props range from tragic to amusing.  While some audience members laughed though the disconcertion, it was the craftsmanship and care that I found comforting.  

Produced by McIntosh and Goodheart’s Good Apples Collective alongside ryan duncan-ayala, the twisted ride of Road Kills continues through September 6.  Runtime is approximately 85 minutes with no intermission.  Performances take place on the second floor of the Paradise Factory, 64 East 4th Street in New York.  Masks are strongly recommended and provided at the check-in desk.  The A/C is an overachiever and a sweater will come in handy.  Tickets begin at $18 and are available at https://www.goodapplescollective.com/road-kills.  

Lunar Eclipse

Drama, Off-Broadway June 4, 2025 Leave a comment

When the earth, moon, and sun are in alignment, the moon moves into earth’s shadow blocking light from reaching the moon’s surface.  This lunar eclipse is the featured event of Donald Margulies play of that name.  It also serves as a somewhat strained symbol for the darkness that has engulfed the long marriage of 70-something George and Em.

The piece opens with George alone on stage crying in the vastness of night in a field on his Kentucky farm.  Soon Em arrives with a gigantic bag filled with items that might make him more comfortable, though he doesn’t show much interest in her offerings.  They talk as they wait for the moon to take on its eery red glow.  The phases of the astronomical phenomenon — umbra, penumbra, total — are projected behind them, inserting breaks in flow of their conversation.  It soon becomes clear that much as the moon’s shine is being swallowed up, so have they been swallowing their fears and sadness.

George is intellectual with a particular interest in the stars and a strong need to stop and appreciate his surroundings.  Em is more an instinctual “city girl” and her relative ignorance allows George to explain events to us as well.  As time elapses and the bourbon flows, their increasing levels of honesty and respect break chinks in the wall between them.  Despite all the disappointments they’ve had to face, they are reminded why they chose each other in the first place.

Lisa Emery and Reed Birney in Lunar Eclipse; Photo by Joan Marcus

Marital every day moments and eventual strain is not new territory for playwright Margulies, who previously won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2000 for Dinner with Friends.  Much of the terrain here is as well-ploughed as George’s family farm.  But director Kate Whoriskey has been blessed with her cast.  Lisa Emery and Reed Birney — reprising his role from Shakespeare & Company’s 2023 production in Lenox, Massachusetts — remain two of the most reliable stage performers and watching their exchange is enthralling.  The dialogue may not be radical, but much is communicated in a touch, a look, or a pause. Their poetic descriptions of worry, loss, and grief ring true, though the fog doesn’t just roll across the skies.  

Scenic designer Walt Spangler has created a thick black box around the proscenium, restricting the space and cushioning the actors’ movements with earth (though what that does to the audience view from the first few rows is unwelcome.)  Just a few wild flowers add color to the landscape.  The tinkling of a piano lulls the audience upon entry to the theater.  Occasionally the soft sounds of the surrounding nature join Sinan Refik Zafar’s soundscape.  Lighting by Amith Chandrashaker provides metaphoric bright and shadow building to the crescendo of S. Katy Tucker’s video.

Unsurprisingly, though seeped in tragedy, Lunar Eclipse with its slow reveals and well-earned sorrow, is a master class in acting.  Performances take place on The Irene Diamond Stage in the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street. Runtime is approximately 90 minutes without an intermission.  Tickets are available through June 22 at https://2st.com/shows/lunareclipse