The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window

 The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Harvey Theater
February 12, 2023 

Photo courtesy of 
The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window at BAM

Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan are wonderful together in The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, now playing at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater.  This lesser known Lorraine Hansberry play is full of fire and conflict.  Director Anne Kauffman keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, which is important with the three hour running time.  The characters are diverse and equally developed, offering divergent points of view on social and political issues.  The story takes place in 1964 Greenwich Village.  

Sidney (played by Oscar Isaac) just closed down his night club and bought a newspaper.  His wife, Iris (played by Rachel Brosnahan), has not been told of his recent project.  She is a waitress/actress/dancer trying to find her way as a theatre artist, while balancing her husband’s many business ventures.  Sidney’s friend, Wally O’Hara (played by Andy Grotelueschen) is running for office and wants Sidney’s newspaper to endorse him.  Sidney wants his paper to stay focused on the arts, and not become a political tool.  Once Wally hangs his political sign in Sidney’s window, there is no going back. 

Photo courtesy of
The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window
 at BAM

In the meantime, Sidney’s friend, Alton (played by Julian DeNiro), has asked Iris’s sister, Gloria (played by Gus Birney) to marry him.  She is holding off on accepting his proposal while she is in Florida.  Alton does not know that Gloria is a call girl.  Iris’ other sister, Mavis (played by Miriam Silverman) is constantly trying to get Iris to dress and act more conservatively, while not holding back on her antisemitic and racist comments.  Sidney and Iris’ upstairs neighbor, David (played by Glenn Fitzgerald) is a gay, struggling playwright.  Among all this controversy and strong opinion, Iris admits to Sidney that their marriage is weakening. 

In Act II, the characters reveal and face their truths, which leads them all down a dark path.  Sidney finds out that the political endorsement he committed his newspaper to was all based on lies.  When personal tragedy strikes Iris and her sisters, it’s time for Sidney to let go of the distraction and be there for Iris.

Ms. Hansberry created a vibrant community of truthful characters in this play.  They are each dedicated to their beliefs, and passionately voice their opinions.  This creates innate conflict and keeps the dramatic action alive throughout the piece.  There is a intensity between Sidney and Iris that Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan play brilliantly.  Their quarrels build into moments of fervent affection.  The love between these two characters is deeply rooted.  Mr. Isaac and Ms. Brosnahan create a genuine connection that fully engages the audience all the way through to the conclusion of the story.

Playwright Lorraine Hansberry
Photo courtesy of Lorraine Hansberry Estate

Ms. Hansberry does not take a political stance in this piece.  Instead she presents the events and their effect on the characters, both socially and personally.  This gives the audience the opportunity to share the experience and draw their own conclusion.  The parallels from these events in 1964 to the social/pollical/personal challenges we face in our present time are astounding.  The play rings with relevance and clarity.

There are strong performance from every member of this cast.  The Act II monologues by Julian DeNiro (Alton) and Miriam Silverman (Mavis) are outstanding.  

The Sign in Sidney Burstein’s Window is playing at BAM’s Harvey Theater through March 24.  It is a powerful piece of theatre, masterfully directed and skillfully performed.

Domenick Danza