Letters from Max

 Letters from Max
Signature Theatre Company
The Griffin Theatre
The Pershing Square Signature Center
February 22, 2023 

Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre Company

Sarah Ruhl’s Letters from Max, now playing at Signature Theatre, is a heartwarming telling of the relationship between teacher and student that grows into a mutually supportive and creative camaraderie.  It is based on the book Ms. Ruhl wrote with Max Ritvo.  It contains their correspondence over a number of years and through challenging and painful times.  The production is simply and effectively conceived, driven by a combination of direct address and dialogue scenes that depict moments of genuine connection and admiration.  Director Kate Whoriskey sculpts this piece into an intimate journey through pain and fear into understanding, peace, and love.

Sarah (played by Jessica Hecht) first meets Max (played by Ben Edelman) when he attended her playwriting class at Yale.  She immediately notices his light and creativity.  Max, a poet and comic, who never wrote a play in his life, was in remission from pediatric cancer.  He and Sarah share emails, letters, and texts, discussing their creative perspectives.  They quickly bond.  When Max’s cancer returns, their correspondence takes on a more serious tone.  Sarah says that she often felt like the student.  Max was teaching her so much about life, and challenging her to see herself more clearly.  Max undergoes a number of trial treatments for his cancer, yet never loses his creative drive or stops writing.  

Ben Edelman & Jessica Hecht
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre Company

Jessica Hecht is phenomenal in the role of Sarah.  Her heart is open from the first moment, and continues to expand throughout the action of the play.  Her connection with Ben Edelman (Max) is truthful and tangible.  Mr. Edelman’s character faces his mortality with courage and endurance, which is reflected back to him through the relationship he creates with Ms. Hecht’s character.  Their bond is genuine.  They welcome the audience into their story, yearning to share the experience. 

The discussions of life, death, and life after death in the letters are wise, caring, and hopeful.  The audience comes to conclusions along with the characters, as they share their stories and ponder their fates. 

Letters from Max is playing at the Griffin Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Theatre Center through March 19.  Go see it!  It will do your heart some good. 

Domenick Danza

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

Pictures from Home

 Pictures from Home
Studio 54
January 20, 2023 

Photo courtesy of Pictures from Home

In Pictures from Home, playwright Sharr White takes a deep dive into Larry Sultan’s photo memoir of the same title.  She is quoted as saying, “This play is my exploration of Larry’s exploration.”  She takes Mr. Sultan’s probing of the relationship between his parents and his juxtaposition of truth with image to the next level.  Ms. White adds layers of fiction to the story through her dialogue.  The characters speak their truth as they face the masks they wear in order to project the images they desire.  Director Bartlett Sher molds and shapes this play into an emotional engaging piece of theatre.  The direct address seamlessly blends into genuine moments between the characters that are full of spunk and humor.  The cast is truly phenomenal, delivering authentic and heartwarming performances.

The action drops in on year eight of a project undertaken by photographer Larry Sultan (played by Danny Burstein).  He is in the process of interviewing and capturing images of his parents, Irving (played by Nathan Lane) and Jean (played by Zoë Wanamaker).  Irv questions the amount of time Larry has been spending on the project, constantly challenging every question he is asked and every photograph his son takes.  In the midst of these disputes, Irv tells of when he quit his job in New York City and moved his family to California to seek a better life.  His success was hard earned, yet his animosity not easily resolved upon his retirement.  Jean’s success in real estate kept the couple financially secure after her husband’s retirement, yet is underplayed in the shadow of Irv’s demanding ego.  These are the areas Larry explores with his photographs and interviews.  How do his parents project the images of success differently?  Can he capture their vulnerable sides?  Which of these qualities are reflected in him? 

Nathan Lane, Danny Burstein, & Zoë Wanamaker
Photo courtesy of Pictures from Home

Nathan Lane and Danny Burstein create a truthful and intimate father/son relationship as Irving and Larry.  They are direct and unapologetic.  They both have high standards for themselves.  They continually push each other beyond their limits.  No matter how harsh they get, you can feel their mutual respect.  Zoë Wanamaker is their rock.  She is the devoted wife, caring mother, and straight man to both male characters.  The timing between these three actors is impeccable, and surpassed only by their heart and sincerity.

Playwright Sharr White asks more questions in the course of this play than she delivers answers.  This directly corresponds to the purpose of Larry Sultan’s photography.  As his photographs tell a full story in an isolated image, questioning the truth in the perspective, so do Ms. White’s individual scenes.  They are full of subtext and backstory.  The audience is able to respond to each moment, relate to the characters and events, and bring their own perspective to the story.  They become part of the intimacy shared between the characters, their tenderness, their frustrations, their eagerness, and their hesitations. 

The character of Larry Sultan discovers at the conclusion of the story that his greatest joy is in how he touched a culture with his work.  We feel that touch in this play.  Pictures from Home is playing at Studio 54 for a limited engagement.  Don’t miss it!  

Domenick Danza

The Collaboration

 The Collaboration
Manhattan Theatre Club
The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
January 1, 2023 

The Manhattan Theatre Club production of The Collaboration is riveting.  Playwright Anthony McCarten characterizes two iconic figures in modern art.  He exemplifies their distinct personalities, and illustrates their impact on one another and the art world.  The play dramatizes their connection, as well as the conflict in their perspectives.  Director Kwame Kwei-Armah molds the flow of action, clearly laid out by Mr. McCarten, so the audience identifies with each of the artists at different times in the story. 

Jeremy Pope & Paul Bettany
Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

Art dealer and agent, Bruno Bischofberger (played by Erik Jensen) suggests to Andy Warhol (played by Paul Bettany) and Jean-Michael Basquiat (played by Jeremy Pope) that they collaborate.  Both men initially refuse.  Their resistance stems from their own insecurities and unwillingness to bend.  Bruno’s ability to convince them both is due to each artists’ admiration and respect for the other’s work.  They meet and immediately challenge one another.  Basquiat is visceral and instinctual.  He paintings are primal and bold.  Warhol is distant and analytical, having transitioned into silk screening and film making.  Warhol’s main interest is to film Basquiat.  Basquiat pushes Warhol to pick up a brush and paint again.  Their views on art are juxtaposed, yet they are bonded by their level of success and drive to create.  They challenge one another to face themselves. Their bond outlives them both.

Paul Bettany portrays Andy Warhol as a vulnerable, apprehensive man, hesitant to engage.  Warhol’s understanding of art and seeing the need for people to distance themselves is far ahead of his time.  When Andy Warhol’s beliefs are shared, they are easily recognizable in the ways we relate via social media.  Mr. Bettany has full conviction of these beliefs.  He is able to make Warhol’s complex views of art clear and accessible. 

Jeremy Pope portrays Jean-Michel Basquiat as an energetic free spirit, who paints incessantly, creating bold forms and dark images from deep within his soul.  The audience understands what drives him.  We feel it in Mr. Pope’s energy.  Mr. Pope takes his character further than anticipated in Act II when he faces the brutal beating and death of a close friend, and reveals the reason for his painting.  Mr. Pope exposes the heart of his character.  It is truly a revelation. 

Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

These actors initially give the audience a representation of their characters to entice and satisfy the expectation.  They then dive deeply into the truths of these iconic figures, revealing their beliefs, motivations, and hidden fears.  They are magnificent together.  They have a vibrant, palpable chemistry.  They use the opposite traits of their characters to magnetize their performances.  They create a need for their collaboration, and build a genuine bond that is deeper and stronger than the work they create.  

There is video during the intermission, which fills in the blank of how their relationship flourishes.  This is vital to the full impact of the story.  Be sure not to miss it.  

The Collaboration has been extended through January 29.  It is playing at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.  This play will challenge your intellect and satisfy your imagination.  

Domenick Danza

Leopoldstadt

 Leopoldstadt
Longacre Theatre
December 30, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Leopoldstadt

Tom Stoppard has outdone himself with Leopoldstadt.  The play runs two hours and ten minutes without intermission, and flies by.  The characters are rich and clear, full of vigor and continually standing up for themselves.  They are flawed and real, striving to find their place in the world, while struggling to find their place within their own family.

Photo courtesy of Leopoldstadt

It is 1899.  We meet a very well-off Jewish family living in Vienna.  The children are decorating a Christmas tree.  The adults find it amusing when one of the young boys puts the Star of David on top of the tree.  This is a progressive family, who openly discuss politics, the unjust ways of the world, their Jewish heritage, and the choices some of them made with interfaith marriage.  A few of the women are looking through a photo album.  One of them comments that when a family member dies without a photo, their face is lost forever.  This family looks forward to the turn of the 20^th century with optimism, even thought they are well aware of the obstacles and antisemitism they face.

Photo courtesy of Leopoldstadt

The story continues to follow the children and grandchildren of this family through 1924, 1938, and 1955.  Their personal conflicts continue as the political environment in Austria drastically changes, yet their identity remain strong, as they can see in the photo album they carry with them through the decades.

This play has a cast of over twenty phenomenal actors.  Director Patrick Marber keeps the focus sharp through the span of fifty-six years of action, which includes changes of actors as their characters age.  Tom Stoppard’s writing is dense and complex, full of both political commentary and the personal yearnings of the characters.  Mr. Marber and this skilled cast find the through lines of emotion that keep the audience engaged, connected, and on the edge of their seats.  

As in most of Mr. Stoppard’s work, he uses math as a metaphor for the action.  In this piece, it is the cat’s cradle.  The mathematician character ties three knots in string, then shows the children how to play.  He points out the change in location of the knots every time the string changes shape.  These coordinates seem random when looked at independently, yet, as one of the children points out, they are very much determined by the previous position and movement of the string.  This represents the migration of the Jewish people over centuries, never having a land of their own, being forced to move by varied political and social upheaval. 

Photo courtesy of Leopoldstadt

During a political discussions in the 1924 scene, one of the characters asks, “Do you really think it will happen again?”  She is referring to the hatred that keeps the Jewish people persecuted and transitory.  The characters have no idea what is ahead for them.  When we get to the final scene, where three family members are reunited in 1955, they read off the names on their family tree.  They solemnly state the names of their family members who were killed in Auschwitz.  Tom Stoppard gives us pause to identify the hatred that was strongly present int the 20^th Century and recognize it is still alive in the 21^st.  This profound moment pulls the meaning of this fifty-six year story together.  It is a visceral moment of awareness and a bold statement on the continuous legacy of hatred throughout history.

Leopoldstadt is playing at the Longacre Theatre.  You must see this play!

Domenick Danza

Ohio State Murders

 Ohio State Murders
James Earle Jones Theatre
December 26, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Ohio State Murders

Audra McDonald transforms herself into the role of Suzanne Alexander in Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders.  She shares the stage with four skilled actors, yet the piece plays like a one-character show.  The other characters enhance the action and keep it centered in the present, while Ms. McDonald’s character narrates the full story, weaving through time with an emotionally impactful outcome.  Director Kenny Leon carefully finds the moments for Ms. McDonald to explore rich subtext that draws the audience in and fully connects them to the main character’s journey.

Suzanne Alexander (played by Audra McDonald) is asked where the violent images in her work come from.  This questions takes her back to the years she spent at Ohio State University.  As a young Black woman, she faces the limitations place on her and dives into her literature studies.  She is enamored by her professor, Robert Hampshire (played by understudy Christian Pedersen).  He recognizes the brilliance in her papers and assignments.  She is asked to leave the dormitory when she finds out she is pregnant.  Shunned by her parents, she goes to live in New York City with her Aunt Louise (played by Lizan Mitchell).  She gives birth to twin girls, and, supported by her aunt, returns to Ohio State to continue her studies.  Everything is progressing well, until the abduction and murder of one of her twin baby girls.  She stays at Ohio State, hoping to find out who committed this horrendous crime.  It is not until two years later, when her second daughter is murdered, that she finds out.  All is kept private, until she is asked about the violent images in her work.  She then speaks freely. 

Photo courtesy of Ohio State Murders

Adrienne Kennedy’s writing is compelling.  It has a natural flow that keeps the audience hanging on for the next sentence.  The piece is relatively chronological, yet has subtle loops in time that reveal details that deepen the action and propels it forward.  These are powerful moments that make the audience listen more intently and think more acutely.  

Audra McDonald encompasses every nuance in Ms. Kennedy’s writing.  She personalizes the character’s experience at Ohio State in the 1950’s so you can feel the atmosphere and identify with her challenges.  Ms. McDonald finds the richness beneath the written words, creating a character with genuine depth.  She is eager, vulnerable, and tenacious.  You can see the weight of character’s life experiences in Ms. McDonald’s eyes in the opening scene.  By the end of the story, you fully comprehend what she carries. 

Ohio State Murders is playing at the James Earl Jones Theatre through February 12.  The renovation of the theatre is remarkable.  This play is the perfect way to celebrate the new space.  Don’t miss it! 

Domenick Danza

Des Moines

 Des Moines
Theatre for a New Audience
Polonsky Shakespeare Center
December 23, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Theatre for a New Audience

Denis Johnson crafted his play Des Moines with mesmerizing dialogue that captures interest and builds intrigue.  His characters are on the edge, dark, and simmering.  The Theatre for a New Audience production is riveting.  Director Arin Arbus uses Mr. Johnsons rhythms and silences to lure the audience and involve them in the action.  Once engaged, there is no release, just a plunging spiral, fueled by unwavering hope.

Michael Shannon, Johanna Day, & Arliss Howard
Photo courtesy of Theatre for a New Audience

Dan (played by Arliss Howard) is home from work at the Car Barn, where he drives a taxi.  He and his wife Marta (played by Johanna Day) share the news of their day.  A woman, Mrs. Drinkwater (played by Heather Alicia Simms) came by Dan’s work to inquire about a ride he gave her husband to the airport.  It was her husband’s final cab ride.  His plane crashed and he was killed.  Mrs. Drinkwater asks Dan about her husband’s last words, then shows him her husband’s wedding ring, which she accidentally leaves with Dan.  Marta tells Dan that Father Michael (played by Michael Shannon) will be stopping by, which reminds Dan that he saw Father Michael outside a gay bar at closing time, wearing woman’s make-up.  When Father Michael arrives, Marta breaks the news to Dan that the Doctor told her she has two to four months to live.  They decide to go out for a drink, leaving Father Michael with Jimmy (played by Hari Nef) who is in a wheelchair due to complications during sex change surgery.  When Mrs. Drinkwater arrives to pick up her husband’s wedding ring, the drinking begins.  When Dan and Marta return, the drinking accelerates.  They all sing Karaoke, baring their souls in a drunken frenzy.  Morning comes.  They all stand tall to face the day ahead.  

Arliss Howard & Hari Nef
Photo courtesy of Theatre for a New Audience

This cast of actors each create truthful, multi-layered characters, who are all driven by deep need and propelled by boundless energy.  The action builds as these drives connect, uniting them on their journey of facing insurmountable personal challenges.  Each actor has a clear sense of what keeps their characters moving forward.  This is what sustains the audience’s investment in the heightened action.  There is sorrow, but no grieving  There is conflict, but no animosity.  They spiral into darkness, then slowly and steadily rise with hope.

The Theatre for a New Audience production of Des Moines is masterfully conceived and skillfully directed and performed.  Denis Johnson has written a truly unique piece of theatre.  You become one with these character in their bizarre mingling and faithful persistence.  The play is compelling and thought provoking.  This production has been extended through January 8 at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center in downtown Brooklyn.  

Domenick Danza