Dear Theater Fans, "No theater on a dead planet," the climate change protesters chanted at Thursday's sold-out performance of "An Enemy of the People." It was surreal. I was there, and at first I wasn't sure if it was part of the production. Michael Paulson's article about the disturbance described how the actors David Patrick Kelly and Michael Imperioli yelled at the protesters to leave, and Jeremy Strong, in character (naturally!), said a protester should be allowed to speak. Jesse Green was also there. In his review of the revival of Ibsen's 1883 play (which he designated a Critic's Pick), he wondered about the wisdom of protesters interrupting a work that "aligns closely with their views and is a distant source of them." After all, "An Enemy of the People" is "a protest already," he added, "a bitter satire of local politics that soon reveals itself as a slow-boil tragedy of human complacency." (And if you haven't already, read Alexandra Alter's profile of Amy Herzog, who adapted and sharpened the work for this revival.) ● Broadway bound: Michael also reported that "Illinoise" (another Critic's Pick), which recently opened at the Park Avenue Armory, is Broadway bound. This season! The dance-driven musical based on Sufjan Steven's concept album will open on April 24 at the St. James Theater. ● Streaming opportunity this week: Tomorrow the National Theater's production of "The Motive and the Cue" can be seen at select theaters. Directed by Sam Mendes and written by Jack Thorne, the new play imagines the fraught behind-the-scenes negotiations that took place between John Gielgud, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor during rehearsals for a 1964 Broadway production of "Hamlet." The London reviews were enthusiastic, and Roslyn Sulcas chronicled how the show came to be. Find out more about the screening here. ● Streaming opportunity next week: The New Group just announced that it will livestream the final four performances (March 29-31) of Jordan Seavey's "The Seven Year Disappear." The sleekly-designed production features Taylor Trensch as a man whose mother happens to be a world-famous performance artist played by Cynthia Nixon, who takes on multiple roles, Naveen Kumar wrote in his review. Learn more about the livestream here. Read Sarah Bahr's article on the creation of the rollicking new true-crime musical "Dead Outlaw," and then listen to one of the show's catchy tunes "Dead." Please reach out to me at theaterfeedback@nytimes.com with suggestions for stories or to offer your thoughts on what you've read. I'll make note of them in an upcoming newsletter. And urge your friends to subscribe to this newsletter by clicking here. Have a wonderful week, Nicole Herrington Theater Editor (@nikkih04)
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Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Theater Update: Jeremy Strong in ‘An Enemy of the People’
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