‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Christopher Jackson, Rita Wilson & Nia Vardalos. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Created by Eugene Pack
Developed & directed by Eugene Pack & Dayle Reyfel
Through June 21, 2026
Shubert Theatre
225 West 44th Street
https://celebrityautobiography.com/

By Scott Harrah

Originally created in 2006, Celebrity Autobiography gained a cult following through recurring engagements at the Triad Theatre Off Broadway after first being developed in Los Angeles, featuring famous actors and show-biz luminaries reading autobiographies, memoirs and poetry by other well-known entertainers. Two decades later, the show has arrived on Broadway with a rotating roster of boldface names. The show’s got a gimmick: Actors read excerpts from celebrity memoirs whose complete sincerity turns them into accidental camp. Since the celebrity lineup changes frequently, audiences should check the website or box office for current casting.

Pulp nonfiction

Bad books, like bad movies, can be unintentionally entertaining. As the late Susan Sontag wrote in Notes on “Camp,” “In naïve, or pure, Camp, the essential element is seriousness, a seriousness that fails.”

As a result, the books selected for the evening offer plenty of examples of the accidental camp Ms. Sontag described, with many of the celebrity memoir excerpts proving far funnier than their authors likely intended.

Celebrities in the readers theater roundup on opening night included morning TV talk-show icon Gayle King; Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz; Tony winner Andrea Martin; former “Saturday Night Live” stars Bobby Moynihan and Kenan Thompson; Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame; actresses Rita Wilson and Jackie Hoffman; Hamilton star Christopher Jackson; comedian Mario Cantone; TV actors Scott Adsit and Emmy winner Jeff Hiller; as well as Celebrity Autobiography creators Dayle Reyfel and Eugene Pack.

The cast at the performance this reviewer attended commits fully to the material and earns steady laughs from passages that often seem unintentionally ridiculous. Mr. Pack pops onstage early in the show to explain that the concept of Celebrity Autobiography was inspired by “Wheel of Fortune” star Vanna White’s 1987 memoir Vanna Speaks, in which she devotes an entire chapter to the grueling task of turning letters on the classic TV game show.

‘Reading’ the stars

Actor Scott Adsit opens the evening by reading a chapter from David Hasselhoff’s 2007 memoir Don’t Hassel the Hoff about the arduous demands of starring on Broadway in the musical Jekyll & Hyde for three months. Theater fans may remember the “Baywatch” star’s performance was savaged by critics and find the passages amusing. However, those unfamiliar with Hasselhoff’s infamous attempt at treading the boards on Broadway might not fully appreciate the unwitting humor.

Highlights include reflections on the late Neil Sedaka’s healthy food choices (and digestive issues). Jeff Hiller gets many laughs reading from one of Cher’s books about why she loves M&Ms and finds eating fruit too much work.

From Dolly to Dion

Dayle Reyfel captures the essence of Dolly Parton’s down-home humor by reading a passage from the country superstar’s memoir Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business about how she eats whatever she wants but only in small portions, chewing and savoring all the flavors and then spitting the food out. To many, this may sound like the country icon has a serious eating disorder, but Ms. Reyfel reads it with winning warmth in Ms. Parton’s bubbly Southern accent, making the concept sound lighthearted and guileless instead of disturbing.

Meanwhile, Rita Wilson is hilarious reading, in a thick French-Canadian accent, an absurd excerpt from Celine Dion’s My Story, My Dream about swimming with a manatee in a canal near her Jupiter, Florida home.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Mario Cantone & Bobby Moynihan. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

Carol, Liza & Oprah

Elsewhere, Mario Cantone is outrageous as ever, reading from Carol Channing’s memoir Just Lucky, I Guess in the late star’s inimitable gravelly voice. He milks every laugh from Channing’s reflections on Barbra Streisand and a particularly memorable moment in Broadway and Hollywood history. Mr. Cantone also does spot-on impersonations of Liza Minnelli and Arnold Schwarzenegger with manic aplomb.

Jackie Hoffman elicits chuckles by reading Oprah Winfrey’s ludicrous literary ruminations about why she loves chai tea.

Kenan Thompson and Andrea Martin crack up the audience by poking glorious fun at two often-ridiculed celebrities and their books containing passages about the Louvre and the Mona Lisa in Paris. Mr. Thompson reads a vacuous, narcissistic excerpt from Justin Bieber’s First Step 2 Forever while Ms. Martin reads an equally silly passage from Kris Jenner…and All Things Kardashian.

Ben Mankiewicz mines Geraldo Rivera’s memoir Exposing Myself for nonstop laughs as the famed journalist and TV talk-show host brags about his romantic exploits. Nia Vardalos clearly relishes delivering gloriously vapid passages from Khloé Kardashian’s memoir and lifestyle book Strong Looks Better Naked. Christopher Jackson wrings every possible laugh from Type A, Ryan Seacrest’s memoir, including reflections on his love of prosciutto pizza and what he describes as the most erotic experience of his life.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Kenan Thompson & Andrea Martin. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

Debbie, Eddie, Liz & Dick

Appropriately, the grand finale revisits one of Hollywood’s most infamous celebrity scandals involving Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Ms. Reyfel draws from Debbie Reynolds’ Unsinkable, Mr. Pack tackles Eddie Fisher’s Been There, Done That, while Rita Wilson delivers excerpts from Elizabeth Takes Off and Mr. Adsit takes on selections from The Richard Burton Diaries. Anyone familiar with the tangled relationships and tabloid frenzy surrounding the stars will appreciate how the production milks the melodrama for wild comic effect.

Direction & design

The staging is intentionally simple, with minimal set pieces and understated lighting that preserve the intimate feel of an old-school readers theater while keeping the focus squarely on the performers and the absurdity of the material.

Mr. Pack and Ms. Reyfel wisely keep the presentation simple and the pace brisk, allowing the performers and the absurdity of the source material to remain center stage. Not every selection lands equally well, however, and some of the evening’s celebrity references may resonate more with audiences old enough to remember when these personalities dominated tabloids, TV and bookstore shelves. Younger theatergoers, for instance, may be unfamiliar with books by figures like football legend Joe Namath or the late “Three’s Company” star Suzanne Somers and miss some of the humor that comes from recognizing their public personas.

Breezy summer fare

Ultimately, the cast’s total commitment keeps the evening entertaining even when the references feel dated. Much of the comedy comes not from mocking celebrities but from hearing stars describe ordinary experiences with complete sincerity and outsized importance. In that sense, Celebrity Autobiography succeeds by embracing exactly the kind of accidental camp Susan Sontag described: seriousness that somehow becomes funny.

Celebrity Autobiography is not a perfect show, but it makes for breezy, lighthearted summer entertainment for audiences eager to watch celebrities “read” the stars of the past and present.

Published May 23, 2026
Reviewed on May 18, 2026.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Gayle King and Nia Vardalos (top left); Andrea Martin (top right and bottom left); Jeff Hiller (bottom right). Photos: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Gayle King. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: (left & right) Kenan Thompson. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Rita Wilson. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Jackie Hoffman. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Scott Adsitt & Rita Wilson. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Dayle Reyfel, Christopher Jackson, Eugene Pack & Jackie Hoffman. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

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‘FALLEN ANGELS’: Kelli O’Hara, Mark Consuelos & Rose Byrne. Photo: Joan Marcus.

FALLEN ANGELS
By Noël Coward
Directed by Scott Ellis
Through June 7, 2026
Roundabout Theatre Company
Todd Haimes Theatre
227 West 42^nd St.
https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2025-2026-season/fallen-angels/performance

By Scott Harrah

Broadway veteran Kelli O’Hara and Oscar nominee Rose Byrne are a hilarious dynamic duo as two booze-swilling best friends in this knockout revival of Noël Coward’s 1928 comedy Fallen Angels.

Mr. Coward’s play hasn’t been on Broadway since 1956. That production featured a revised script by Mr. Coward, moved the story from London to New York, and starred Nancy Walker.

Now, 70 years later, Fallen Angels returns in its original form as a sophisticated, zany farce set in a posh London apartment. Julia (Kelli O’Hara) and Jane (Rose Byrne) are two wealthy society women who spend a girls’ night swilling champagne and dishing about everything from their husbands to a former lover with whom they both allegedly had an affair. While their husbands are away on a golf trip, the two best friends discuss the impending arrival of former French lover Maurice (Mark Consuelos) and argue over whether to stay in London and face him or leave town entirely.

As they slowly get drunk on champagne, they reflect on whether they are still happy in their marriages. They grow increasingly competitive and revealing as they become more inebriated. Watching Ms. O’Hara and Ms. Byrne’s comic chemistry is completely riveting and consistently hilarious.

Comic masterclass

Ms. O’Hara is best known for playing leading ladies in musical theater and serious dramas. She received a Tony nomination in 2024 for her portrayal of struggling alcoholic Kirsten Arnesen in Days of Wine and Roses. As Julia, Ms. O’Hara plays a more lovable drunk who may remind some of Edina Monsoon in the 1990s BBC Brit-com “Absolutely Fabulous.” She delivers Edina-style physical pratfalls, juggling cigarettes and champagne, pacing nervously, and falling into furniture.

Ms. Byrne received an Oscar nomination this year for playing Linda in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a disturbing drama about a psychotherapist unable to cope with caring for a daughter with a severe pediatric feeding disorder. She is also renowned for her work in the blockbuster comedies Bridesmaids, Neighbors, and Spy. As Jane, Ms. Byrne is more impulsive than her friend. She staggers and flings herself across the room with a mix of excitement and hysteria. Every emotion manifests physically as she drinks, like a more refined version of Patsy Stone in “Absolutely Fabulous.” Ms. Byrne brings a sense of elegance and cosmopolitan wit to the character of Jane. Both Ms. Byrne and Ms. O’Hara have a harmonic rapport onstage. They truly seem like two friends having a blast together.

Fallen Angels is a classic comedy by Noël Coward, steeped in posh, Art Deco elegance. Nearly a century later, it still sparkles, thanks largely to the electrifying performances of Kelli O’Hara and Rose Byrne. Both actresses lean fully into Coward’s champagne-soaked farce, playing society women who go off the rails into giddy, uninhibited chaos. Ms. O’Hara reveals a dazzling comic edge as Julia, tossing off physical gags with precision while steadily descending into deliciously sloppy drunkenness. Ms. Byrne matches her beat for beat, and together they create a whirlwind of impeccable timing and gleeful excess.

Coward’s world

Noël Coward’s world is one of polished surfaces and carefully curated appearances, where even a casual remark carries weight. He peppers the dialogue with references to London neighborhoods and fashionable destinations, using geography as a sly marker of class and taste. A passing mention of a hotel in Bayswater signals status, aspiration, and the subtle hierarchies that define these characters’ lives. The joke lands differently depending on what you know, but it always lands.

Julia and Jane aren’t the only ones getting laughs in this evening of excess. Tracee Chimo plays the lovable maid Saunders, often serving as a deadpan counterpoint to their antics. Saunders loves to interrupt the ladies with long-winded, often irrelevant anecdotes. She also boasts about how knowledgeable and worldly she is, citing her work with the Red Cross, the Foreign Legion, concert pianists, and countless aristocrats.

Saunders also hilariously condones the duo’s drinking. “Several drinks never do any harm,” she quips. “It is only the first which is dangerous, after that the damage is done.”

Later, when Jane mentions a hotel in Bayswater, it’s not simply a generic line. Mr. Coward plays the same game “Absolutely Fabulous” perfected decades later, using London neighborhoods like Shepherd’s Bush and Holland Park as a wink to those in the know and a subtle dig at social climbing for everyone else.

When the men arrive

Julia and Jane’s husbands Fred (Aasif Mandvi) and Willy (Christopher Fitzgerald) soon come home and instantly know things aren’t normal. The apartment is a mess, and both women try far too hard to appear sober, insisting that everything is fine and nothing out of the ordinary transpired.

Maurice soon arrives and chaos ensues. He is now much older and less handsome than the women remember. (Mark Consuelos, of course, is still very dashing and attractive in real life and he’s perfect as Maurice.) Julia and Jane realize they have risked their marriages for nothing.

Both husbands grow suspicious as they try to figure out what really happened, while the wives attempt to do damage control.

Direction & design

Scott Ellis directs this gifted ensemble with skillful precision, allowing each actor to shine. The set design by David Rockwell is gorgeous, and Jeff Mahshie’s period costumes are stunning, particularly those for the leading ladies. Noël Coward’s comedies are best known for sending up the shortcomings of the British upper classes with razor-sharp dialogue. One could argue that Mr. Coward is not known for plays that are slapstick-driven vehicles. However, in Fallen Angels, the physical chaos really is the story. Watching the two women come unglued before pulling themselves together is what makes the show so much fun.

Aasif Mandvi, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Mark Consuelos provide strong comic support in less showy roles. The three men help give the farce just enough structure as everything spirals delightfully out of control. Fallen Angels is an effervescent, bubbly comedy and one of the best revivals of a Noël Coward play in many years.

Published April 26, 2026
Reviewed at press performance on April 23, 2026.

‘FALLEN ANGELS’: Christopher Fitzgerald, Mark Consuelos & Aasif Mandvi. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘FALLEN ANGELS’: Tracee Chimo & Aasif Mandvi. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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‘BEACHES’: Kelli Barrett & Jessica Vosk. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

BEACHES: A NEW MUSICAL
Book by Iris Rainer Dart & Thom Thomas
Music by Mike Stoller
Lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart
Directed by Lonny Price & Matt Cowart
Through May 24, 2026
Majestic Theatre
245 W 44th St.
https://beachesthemusical.com/

By Scott Harrah

The beloved 1988 hit “chick flick” Beaches, starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, arrives on Broadway as a new musical. Composer Mike Stoller provides the score, while Iris Rainer Dart returns to write the book and lyrics. The film was a box-office blockbuster. However, does this adaptation hold up, and does the story still resonate nearly 40 years later?

An iconic film like Beaches does not need reinvention. It needs restraint. The musical closely follows the original emotional blueprint. It traces a lifelong friendship shaped by ambition, class differences, loyalty, and loss. As a result, longtime fans will find much that feels familiar. At the same time, the show offers enough theatricality and vocal power to engage new audiences. Still, the shift from cinematic intimacy to stage spectacle raises a key question: Can a quiet, deeply personal story sustain itself when the emotions must carry the narrative through song?

Beaches follows more than 30 years of friendship between Cee Cee Bloom (Jessica Vosk) and Bertie White (Kelli Barrett). Cee Cee is brassy and ambitious. Bertie is shy and comes from a wealthy, conservative family.

Under the boardwalk

As in the film, the story chronicles the two women from a childhood meeting on the Atlantic City boardwalk through years of letters, reunions, and diverging paths. Cee Cee pursues show business with relentless drive. Meanwhile, Bertie searches for identity beyond her family’s expectations. She dreams of becoming a lawyer and navigates love, marriage, and motherhood.

Scenes featuring the younger versions of Cee Cee and Bertie stand out. Mayim Bialik famously got her start as Little Cee Cee. Here, Samantha Schwartz and Zeya Grace deliver engaging performances. The young actors feel natural and well-cast. As a result, they ground the early scenes with warmth and authenticity. However, from a mid-orchestra seat, some dialogue and lyrics are difficult to understand.

As the years pass, the two women drift together and apart. Their friendship reflects ambition, circumstance, and the different lives they choose. Cee Cee remains driven by her career. In contrast, Bertie seeks stability while wrestling with her own sense of identity.

Mama’s girls

Both women feel the strong influence of their mothers. Leona (Sarah Bockel), Cee Cee’s mother, is flashy and boisterous. She favors garish clothes and Yiddish-inflected humor. She is like a Jewish Mama Rose, pushing her daughter toward stardom at any cost. Meanwhile, Bertie’s mother Rose (Lael Van Keuren) is the quintessential patrician “WASP,” controlling and icy. She dismisses Cee Cee as “vulgar” and insists Bertie marry well. Ms. Bockel delivers strong comic energy. At the same time, Ms. Van Keuren gives the role a haughty, imperious edge.

The relationship between Cee Cee and Bertie cycles through closeness and conflict. Long stretches of separation follow. Letters and reunions reconnect them. Ultimately, the story leans into sentimentality in its final act. The emotional arc feels familiar. Its success depends on how well the production earns those moments.

‘BEACHES’: Jessica Vosk & cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

The old razzle-dazzle

The show opens with Cee Cee’s TV variety-show number, “You Believe in Me.” Jessica Vosk belts the song alongside backup singers. The staging recalls Bette Midler’s early work with the Harlettes. It also evokes the glossy look of “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.” Iris Rainer Dart once wrote for that series, which makes the reference feel intentional. The number sets a razzle-dazzle theatrical tone from the start.

Vosk commands the stage immediately. She delivers powerhouse vocals and a brassy confidence that fits Cee Cee perfectly.

Star turns & spotlight moments

Jessica Vosk and Kelli Barrett anchor the show. Both bring strong acting chops and emotional weight. Their voices are powerful and expressive. Songs like “My Best” highlight their range and control.

Brent Thiessen plays John Perry with charm and complexity. He creates a character who attracts and unsettles Bertie. Ben Jacoby plays Michael Barron, the wealthy suitor favored by Bertie’s mother. He represents the “appropriate” match she expects.

Where it washes ashore

Lonny Price and Matt Cowart direct the production. The show runs over two and a half hours with an intermission. As a result, it feels long, especially in the first act. The directors extract strong performances from the cast. However, the material would benefit from tighter editing. Several scenes and songs could be trimmed.

The adaptation stays faithful to its source. It delivers the expected emotional beats. Still, the heavy use of flashbacks creates challenges. Onstage, time shifts feel abrupt at times. The musical feels more like a translation than a reinvention. The episodic structure across the years seems rushed, a problem that is common with epic films turned into musicals.

The show also reflects a familiar creative pattern. Iris Rainer Dart’s earlier 2011 World War II musical, The People in the Picture, used similar themes. Both works blend memory, humor, tragedy, and Jewish cultural identity. At times, sentimentality dominates. The tone feels heightened, with emotions pushed beyond what the material earns.

The finale, set to “Wind Beneath My Wings,” embraces spectacle. The staging is visually striking and slightly camp in a fun way. Multiple versions of Cee Cee and Bertie appear together, including the younger performers. The moment is a crowd-pleaser. However, a tighter journey would make the payoff stronger. Beaches is a fun musical that makes waves but struggles to stay afloat.

Published April 22, 2026
Reviewed at press preview on April 17, 2026.

‘BEACHES’: Jessica Vosk & Kelli Barrett. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BEACHES’: Jessica Vosk & Kelli Barrett. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BEACHES’: Zeya Grace (left) & Samantha Schwartz. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BEACHES’: Jessica Vosk. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BEACHES’: Kelli Barrett. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BEACHES’: Brent Thiessen & Ben Jacoby. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BEACHES’: Kelli Barrett (center) & cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

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‘THE BALUSTERS’: (clockwise from left) Ricardo Chavira, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Richard Thomas, Anika Noni Rose, Jeena Yi, Marylouise Burke & Kayli Carter. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

THE BALUSTERS
By David Lindsay-Abaire
Directed by Kenny Leon
Through June 21, 2026
Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47th St.
https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/shows/2025-26-season/the-balusters

By Scott Harrah

Everyone in Vernon Point thinks they are progressive and open-minded. That is the first misconception and the most revealing one in this blisteringly funny look at bigotry, bias, and 21st-century culture wars. The play draws big laughs even as it cuts close to the bone. In The Balusters, playwright David Lindsay-Abaire sets the scene for a neighborhood association meeting where civility feels carefully staged. At first, the group debates mundane topics like safety, zoning, and aesthetics. Soon, the tone shifts.

What begins as a polite discussion about community values quickly turns into a competition over who can sound the most enlightened, while revealing just the opposite. Brooks (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) recounts a visit to a local store and describes a man’s glare as “an I-hate-gay-people look.” The comment sets off a wave of narrow-minded conclusions about religion, identity, and intent. Vernon Point may be fictional, but The Balusters mirrors modern American tensions around prejudice and identity. As a result, the satire lands with uncomfortable precision. Laughter ripples through the audience. Often, a brief hush follows as the implications sink in.

Civic pride and prejudice

The play opens in the stately Victorian home of Kyra (Anika Noni Rose), a newcomer eager to make a good impression. She and her housekeeper Luz (Maria-Christina Oliveras) prepare for the meeting. Luz knows the neighborhood well because she has worked for several families, including association president Elliot (Richard Thomas).

Kyra’s hopes for a pleasant evening dissolve quickly. First to arrive is Melissa (Jeena Yi), the sharp-tongued vice president, whose awkward misstep with Luz sets the tone. Penny (Marylouise Burke), a well-meaning but often oblivious longtime secretary, follows. Then comes Ruth (Margaret Colin), the blunt and dry-witted treasurer who says what others avoid.

Soon, the room fills with clashing personalities. Isaac (Ricardo Chavira) bristles at political correctness. Alan (Michael Esper) tries to be the “nice guy” but retreats when challenged. Willow (Kayli Carter) polices language with earnest intensity. Brooks observes it all with dry, knowing detachment. Elliot, the self-appointed guardian of the neighborhood’s traditions, arrives ready to preside. As Brooks puts it, “It’s not too late, Kyra. You can still escape.”

Biases simmer beneath the surface

At first, the meeting sticks to routine business. Then an innocuous conversation about safety and whether or not to put up a stoplight exposes deeper biases. What begins as practical concern quickly turns personal. A passing remark about suspicious activity spirals into a debate over racial profiling. Meanwhile, attempts at inclusive language spark their own tensions. The terminology some use starts petty squabbles. For example, one character pushes back against being labeled “Latinx,” calling it “retro woke bulls**t.” Another character objects to the term “lame” as being “ableist.”

The script spares no group. It shows how quickly good intentions give way to defensiveness.

Gavel down, gloves off

Under Kenny Leon’s direction, tensions build steadily before everything unravels into something far messier. Mr. Lindsay-Abaire’s rapid-fire, overlapping dialogue creates strong momentum. Punchlines land in quick succession and often overlap, as if the characters are racing to outdo one another. The staging turns Kyra’s stately home into a pressure cooker. As a result, polite conversation gives way to barely concealed hostility. Each character struggles to maintain composure.

The ensemble is uniformly strong. Anika Noni Rose anchors the production with quiet authority and holds her ground as the room spirals around her. Richard Thomas balances Elliot’s easy charm with an undercurrent of control. Carl Clemons-Hopkins delivers the evening’s driest humor. Marylouise Burke finds both comedy and pathos in Penny’s well-meaning obliviousness. Margaret Colin is especially sharp as Ruth and lands her barbed observations with precision. Together, the cast maintains cohesion even as their characters pull in opposite directions.

Nothing off-limits

By the end, The Balusters shows that nothing is off-limits. Early jabs at anti-fur activism, introduced with Ruth’s arrival, establish the tone for a play that steadily widens its target. Mr. Lindsay-Abaire takes aim at everything from debates over Muslims and gays to casual bigoted perceptions of Jews, Black, and Latino communities. As a result, the play becomes an equal-opportunity lampoon where no one is spared. The humor is relentless and at times uncomfortable. It underscores how true to life the story feels.

Few recent Broadway comedies land laughs this consistently or this uncomfortably.

The Balusters plays like a sharply observed slice of American life. The effort to be thoughtful, inclusive, and aware often veers into something far messier. Mr. Lindsay-Abaire captures both good intentions and high-wire tension in a culture that talks over itself. Every word is scrutinized and every misstep is amplified. In Vernon Point, everyone wants to get it right. That may be the problem. David Lindsay-Abaire’s The Balusters may be the funniest and most incisive look yet at political correctness in American life.

Published April 21, 2026
Reviewed at press preview on April 19, 2026.

‘THE BALUSTERS’: (seated) Jeena Yi, Marylouise Burke & (standing) Michael Esper & Richard Thomas. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘THE BALUSTERS’: Anika Noni Rose & Carl Clemons-Hopkins. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘THE BALUSTERS’: Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Margaret Colin, Michael Esper & Jeena Yi. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘THE BALUSTERS’: Kayli Carter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Anika Noni Rose & Jeena Yi. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘THE BALUSTERS’: Anika Noni Rose & Marylouise Burke. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘THE BALUSTERS’ (collage, left to right): Margaret Colin & Maria-Christina Oliveras. Photos: Jeremy Daniel.

‘THE BALUSTERS’: Ricardo Chivira & Margaret Colin. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

‘THE BALUSTERS’: Richard Thomas & Anika Noni Rose. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

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‘BECKY SHAW’: Patrick Ball & Lauren Patten. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

BECKY SHAW
By Gina Gionfriddo
Directed by Trip Cullman
Through June 14, 2026
Second Stage at The Hayes Theater
240 West 44th Street
https://2st.com/

By Scott Harrah

Second Stage’s outstanding revival of Becky Shaw centers on an emotionally volatile family and what happens when a blind date sets off a chain reaction of chaos. As a result, family secrets slowly surface, exposing uncomfortable truths with caustic wit.

Playwright Gina Gionfriddo’s acerbic, darkly comic play debuted Off Broadway at Second Stage in 2008 and later became a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Here, characters carefully manage how they come across to others, until that control begins to crack. Becky Shaw unfolds as a tightly coiled dramedy, where tension stems not only from what is said, but also from what is avoided, misheard, or ignored. Ultimately, it becomes a portrait of relationships shaped by deflection, control, and emotional instability. The outstanding cast leans into that instability with precision.

A family on edge

The story begins before Suzanna Slater (Lauren Patten) is married, as she meets with her newly widowed mother, Susan (Linda Emond), alongside Max (Alden Ehrenreich), a troubled young man who was taken in by the family years earlier. Suzanna’s father has just died, and everyone is already on edge. Here, grief manifests as tension rather than shared family anguish.

As the conversation unfolds, Max comes across as disarmingly likable, but he quickly grows uncomfortable when questions turn to his past. Meanwhile, Susan shows little outward sign of mourning and instead complains throughout the evening. What begins as a strained family interaction soon gives way to something more impulsive and revealing, setting the tone for the instability that follows.

The play then jumps forward several months. Suzanna is now married to Andrew (Patrick Ball), and she has set up a blind date between Max and Andrew’s coworker Becky Shaw (Madeline Brewer), a temporary office employee, who enters the story at this point. What begins as an awkward social encounter quickly spirals into a series of messy, destabilizing interactions. As a result, long-buried tensions and contradictions begin to surface, exposing the fragile dynamics at the center of these relationships.

A finely tuned ensemble

Consistently sharp director Trip Cullman has assembled a finely tuned ensemble, with each actor contributing to the play’s carefully controlled instability.

The women, in particular, leave a lasting impression, each delivering sharply defined performances that deepen the play’s emotional complexity. Madeline Brewer gives Becky a layered mix of vulnerability and unpredictability, keeping the audience guessing about her true intentions. Lauren Patten stands out with her precise command of Suzanna’s staccato dialogue and emotional acuity, capturing both her need for control and the rigidity beneath it. Meanwhile, Linda Emond is consistently compelling as Susan. Despite limited stage time, she commands attention with a performance of remarkable authority and nuance that lingers well beyond her final scene.

The men match that intensity with performances that add structure and tension to the ensemble. Patrick Ball (of “The Pitt”) draws early attention as Andrew, fully embracing the character’s conflict-averse nature while revealing the limits of his passivity. Alden Ehrenreich is equally strong as Max, bringing a magnetic unpredictability that gradually exposes the character’s defensiveness and discomfort with intimacy. Together, their performances sustain the production’s uneasy balance and reinforce the instability that drives the play forward.

A sharply observed revival

Like the fragile, volatile relationships it portrays, Becky Shaw offers no easy resolution. None of the characters fully arrives at a place of clarity. Even so, that sense of incompleteness feels deliberate and effective. Anchored by a strong cast and driven by performances that capture both what is said and unsaid, the play lingers. Not because it ties everything together, but because it reflects the unsettled nature of human relationships.

Published April 16, 2026
Reviewed at press performance on April 9, 2026.

‘BECKY SHAW’: Patrick Ball. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BECKY SHAW’: Lauren Patten & Alden Ehrenreich. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BECKY SHAW’: Alden Ehrenreich. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BECKY SHAW’: Madeline Brewer. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BECKY SHAW’: Alden Ehrenreich & Madeline Brewer. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BECKY SHAW’: Linda Emond. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BECKY SHAW’: Lauren Patten & Linda Emond. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘BECKY SHAW’: Alden Ehrenreich & Madeline Brewer. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

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‘SEAGULL:TRUE STORY’: (left to right) Eric Tabach, Elan Zafir & Andrey Burkovskiy. Photo: Kir Simakov.

SEAGULL: TRUE STORY
By Eli Rarey
Created & directed by Alexander Molochnikov
Through May 3, 2026
LuEsther Hall at the Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street
https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2526/seagull-true-story/

By Scott Harrah

Seagull: True Story ranks among the most topical productions now playing in New York, following sold-out runs in 2025 at New York’s La MaMa and London’s Marylebone Theatre. It reflects the grim realities of war in both Ukraine and the Middle East in 2026. However, it avoids being a straightforward political drama. Instead, it filters these tensions through a darkly comic and theatrical lens.

From Russia, with no love lost

Alexander Molochnikov creates and directs the production, while Eli Rarey provides the script. Together, they draw on real-life experience. They reshape it into something surreal and meta-theatrical. In Moscow in February 2022, Kon (Eric Tabach),  a young director, attempts to stage The Seagull as political forces close in and the “special military operation” in Ukraine unfolds. As a result, the lines among art, identity, and survival begin to blur.

As a result, the piece feels immediate and disorienting. War does not sit in the background. Rather, it invades the creative process. It shapes what artists can say, who can speak, and what risks they must take.

Performing on the edge

The ensemble handles the shifting tone with precision. They move easily from satire and drama to absurdity.

Most notably, Andrey Burkovskiy dominates as the emcee. He steals nearly every scene. His manic delivery, sharp timing, and fearless physical comedy drive much of the show’s momentum. His pratfalls land perfectly. Moreover, his farcical take on a Russian entertainer feels both hilarious and pointed. The irony adds another layer, since Mr. Burkovskiy himself is Russian.

In addition, he delivers a series of rapid transformations. At one moment, he plays an American producer. Next, he appears as a shirtless Vladimir Putin riding a horse. Then, he dances wildly at a disco. These moments heighten the show’s absurdist edge and keep the audience off balance.

Meanwhile, Eric Tabach anchors the production as Kon. He plays the director who risks everything by leaving Russia (and his work behind) to pursue freedom in New York. Mr. Tabach brings clarity and emotional weight to the role. As a result, he grounds the production’s more chaotic elements. He captures both ambition and loss with precision.

Similarly, Zuzanna Szadkowski delivers one of the evening’s most moving performances as Olga, Kon’s mother. At first, she appears cold and demanding. She plays an imperious Arkadina in The Seagull. She criticizes her son and rejects his decision to leave Russia. However, her emotional distance gradually softens. After visiting him in New York, she begins to understand his choice. In the second act, Ms. Szadkowski reveals remarkable depth. Her performance becomes layered, intimate, and deeply affecting.

Meanwhile, Gus Birney brings vibrant energy to Nico. She captures the spirit of a restless, bohemian actress searching for purpose. Ms. Birney blends spunk with emotional openness. Consequently, Nico feels authentic rather than idealized. In her final scene with Kon, Ms. Birney delivers one of the production’s most powerful moments.

Finally, Elan Zafir creates a haunting portrayal of Anton. His performance builds with quiet control. As the character’s fate unfolds, Mr. Zafir underscores the production’s darkest themes. He avoids excess and instead delivers a restrained, deeply human performance that lingers.

The ‘Method’— and the madness

The pacing feels deliberately frenetic. At times, it becomes experimental. Occasionally, it turns interactive. For example, the emcee invites the audience to shout a two-word expletive (best experienced live).

At the same time, the production moves quickly across locations. It jumps from Moscow to a Manhattan subway station to a Bushwick loft. These shifts create constant motion. They also mirror the instability within the story.

Even so, director Alexander Molochnikov maintains control. He keeps the production cohesive, even during its most chaotic moments. He also draws strong performances across the ensemble. In addition, he makes the most of Eli Rarey’s clever and thought-provoking script, even when it feels messy or fragmented.

At first, this reviewer approached the production with hesitation. Chekhov has never been a particular favorite. A prior Broadway Seagull starring Kristin Scott Thomas left a lasting impression, particularly for its plodding pace. However, this production quickly shifts expectations. Rather than revere Chekhov, it challenges him. It pokes fun at The Seagull. At one point, a female character named Pickle (Keshet Pratt) pointedly asks of Chekhov, “So we’re just worshipping at the feet of some dead white male author?”—a line that neatly encapsulates the production’s irreverent stance toward theatrical tradition. The play also sends up the traditions of the renowned Russian theater practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski.

At times, the production may remind audiences of Cabaret. In both works, performance unfolds against a backdrop of political unease. Likewise, the presence of LGBTQ identity within a repressive environment adds urgency. In particular, a gender-bending character named Gorgeous (Ohad Mazor) appears in androgynous clothing—something that would likely not be tolerated in Putin’s Russia, where even expressions of gender nonconformity are policed. These elements deepen the emotional and political stakes.

The price of freedom

Ultimately, Seagull: True Story succeeds because it balances urgency with invention. The script feels sharp and incisive. It confronts difficult realities without losing its sense of humor.

At the same time, the direction remains innovative and controlled. Together, these elements create a production that feels both timely and surprising.

In a season of familiar titles, Seagull: True Story stands apart. It speaks directly to the present moment and the price of freedom. More importantly, it asks why—and how—we continue to create art during times of crisis.

Published March 31, 2026
Reviewed at press performance on March 28, 2026.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Elan Zafir & Gus Birney. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Eric Tabach & Zuzanna Szadkowski. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Andrey Burkovskiy. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Eric Tabach & Elan Zafir. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Gus Birney. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Elan Zafir. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: Ohad Mazor, Myles J. McCabe & cast. Photo: Kir Simakov.

‘SEAGULL: TRUE STORY’: The cast. Photo: Kir Simakov.

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‘BUG’: (left to right) Carrie Coon, Jennifer Engstrom, Steve Key & Namir Smallwood. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

BUG
By Tracy Letts
Directed by David Cromer
Through March 8, 2026
Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47^th Street
(212) 239-6200
https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/shows/2025-26-season/bug/

By Scott Harrah

Bug may sound like the title of a schlocky 1970s exploitation horror film, but it is, in fact, a solid psychological thriller and one of the earlier plays by Pulitzer Prize– and Tony Award–winning playwright Tracy Letts. Originally produced in Chicago in 1996, the play later ran for nearly a year at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York from 2004 to 2005. Now revived on Broadway, Bug arrives in a riveting production that proves its unsettling power has not diminished. Nearly three decades later, the play remains a socially relevant suspense drama focused on drug abuse, paranoia, conspiracy theories, and psychological collapse.

Motel room from hell

The action unfolds almost entirely inside a rundown Oklahoma motel room—something like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho relocated to the Great Plains. “White Lotus” star and Tony nominee Carrie Coon (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) plays Agnes White, a waitress with a drug problem and a troubled past. Coon’s portrayal of a woman in free fall is instantly powerful and haunting. It is difficult to look away as Agnes spirals, her profanity-laced dialogue revealing someone crying out for help while lacking the means to save herself.

Agnes soon meets Peter Evans (Namir Smallwood), a quirky drifter and Gulf War veteran who seems highly educated, his elaborate vocabulary hinting at intelligence, yet also mentally erratic. From there, the two develop a romantic attraction. As they grow closer, their relationship intensifies, revealing psychological fractures and dark secrets on both sides.

The exes

Two additional characters further complicate Agnes’ fragile reality. Her ex-partner and drug dealer, R.C. (Jennifer Engstrom), reinforces dependency while maintaining control through access to drugs, money, and a false sense of protection.

Agnes is also shaken by the sudden reappearance of her ex-husband Jerry Goss (Steve Key), a loud, abusive presence from her past. Jerry represents the danger Agnes already understands—immediate, physical, and unmistakably real—a threat that makes the play’s later paranoia feel less like a rupture than an extension of what she already knows.

Paranoia or reality?

Much of Bug centers on Peter’s belief that the motel room is infested with bugs—first bed bugs, later parasitic aphids implanted beneath the skin. Agnes soon adopts these fears as her own. As the story progresses, however, it becomes clear that neither Peter nor Agnes has a firm grasp on reality. Matters grow even more unsettling with the arrival of Dr. Sweet (Randall Arney), a mysterious figure claiming to be a military doctor who appears to understand both Peter and the alleged infestation.

Fine ensemble

With the action confined to a single space, Bug depends heavily on its ensemble to anchor the production.

Carrie Coon’s Agnes is both dynamic and arresting, capturing a woman whose loneliness and fragility leave her susceptible to nearly everyone in her path. Back in 2012, when Coon appeared in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, this reviewer described her performance as Honey as “manic virtuosity from start to finish.” Fourteen years later, Ms. Coon has sharpened her skills even further, delivering one of this Broadway season’s most physically punishing and relentlessly demanding performances. She is very much an actor at the top of her game.

As Peter, Namir Smallwood brings skillfully restrained and unnerving conviction to a role that demands sustained psychological pressure. His performance balances intimidation with moments of intimacy, allowing Peter’s beliefs to feel sincere even as they grow increasingly outlandish and chart his descent into madness. Together, Ms. Coon and Mr. Smallwood sustain the play’s escalating tension, their dynamic tightening as skepticism gives way to shared certainty.

Great supporting cast

The supporting cast complements the ensemble with equally assured performances.

Jennifer Engstrom gives R.C. a hard-boiled edge that never fully eclipses her concern for Agnes. Though clearly a corrosive influence, Ms. Engstrom suggests a long history of loyalty beneath the bravado. Her R.C. feels less like a villain than a deeply compromised lifeline to the outside world—someone capable of care, but unequipped to offer real help.

Steve Key is sharply effective as Jerry Goss, playing Agnes’ ex-husband as a loud, domineering presence driven by entitlement rather than affection. His scenes crackle with aggression, while Randall Arney’s Dr. Sweet provides a cooler counterbalance. Mr. Arney’s composed authority briefly promises clarity before the story veers toward a more tragic conclusion.

Superb direction and set design

Bug relies heavily on pacing and atmosphere, and director David Cromer keeps the tension tightly coiled throughout, never allowing the production to tip into cheap sensationalism. Takeshi Kata’s scenic design turns the motel room into more than a mere setting, while Heather Gilbert’s lighting and Josh Schmidt’s eerie sound design heighten the sense of claustrophobia and psychological confinement. Together, the visual and sonic elements reinforce the characters’ unraveling and the play’s pervasive sense of dread.

Quietly compelling revival

In the end, Bug proves far more complex than its pulpy title might suggest. While it may not rank as Tracy Letts’ finest play, what begins with the trappings of genre drama ultimately unfolds as a stark examination of belief, isolation, and human fragility. Written long before such thinking felt culturally familiar, Bug reveals Letts’ understanding of how fear can evolve into rigid, all-encompassing belief—an insight he would later expand in August: Osage County, his portrait of a very different, yet equally fractured, American family. For all its discomfort, Bug proves quietly compelling in this Broadway revival.

Published January 11, 2026
Reviewed at press performance on January 9, 2026.

‘BUG’: Carrie Coon. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘BUG’: Namir Smallwood. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘BUG’: Steve Key & Namir Smallwood. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘BUG’: (top photo) Jennifer Engstrom & Carrie Coon. (Bottom) Namir Smallwood. Photos: Matthew Murphy.

‘BUG”: (top) Steve Key & Namir Smallwood. (Bottom) Carrie Coon. Photos; Matthew Murphy.

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‘MARJORIE PRIME’: June Squbb. Photo: Joan Marcus.

MARJORIE PRIME
By Jordan Harrison
Directed by Anne Kauffman
Through February 15, 2026
Second Stage at the Hayes Theater
240 West 44th Street
https://2st.com/shows/marjorie-prime
 

By Scott Harrah

AI (artificial intelligence) is everywhere in our lives in the 21st century. Despite all its hype, many contend that AI cannot truly replicate humans—human emotion in particular. Or can it? This is one of many thought‑provoking questions playwright Jordan Harrison poses in the sublime Broadway revival of his 2014 science‑fiction drama, Marjorie Prime.

The play takes place in the not‑too‑distant future, about 37 years from now, in 2062. Marjorie (Oscar nominee June Squibb) is an 85‑year‑old widow experiencing memory issues. Lonely and still coping with the loss of her husband Walter, she is introduced by her family to a “Prime”—a high‑tech AI projection designed to mimic her late spouse. Primes are not robots, but advanced technological recreations that look, speak, and sound human. The play opens with Marjorie in conversation with Walter, revisiting fragments of their shared past.

Blast from the past

Marjorie pours her heart out to the Prime, recalling memories in bits and pieces. The Prime absorbs these recollections and helps her refine and reorganize her thoughts about life with Walter. But are these memories truly fixed? Can they be edited, altered, or even erased altogether?

At the center of this debate are Marjorie’s middle‑aged daughter Tess (Cynthia Nixon) and son‑in‑law Jon (Danny Burstein), who approach the Prime from opposing emotional viewpoints. Tess worries about the psychological toll of her mother bonding with a technological stand‑in for a deceased spouse, while Jon sees the Prime as a compassionate solution to Marjorie’s loneliness. These conflicting perspectives generate a steady undercurrent of tension throughout the play’s brief 85‑minute running time.

Parable about humanity & technology?

On the surface, Marjorie Prime may resemble an ethical parable about humanity and technology. While that theme is certainly present, Harrison’s play is ultimately more concerned with aging, grief, and how families process loss. The differing perspectives of Marjorie, Tess, and Jon lend the story a sustained sense of dramatic tension, raising questions about memory, truth, and the ways humans adapt—emotionally and morally—to rapidly advancing technology.

June Squibb & Cynthia Nixon shine

June Squibb, at age 96, has received understandable media attention for being one of the oldest actors to perform on Broadway, but it is her commanding stage presence and remarkably fluid approach to Marjorie that make her performance so compelling. With apparent ease, Squibb pivots between wit and cantankerousness, irritation and moments of forgetfulness, allowing each emotional shift to feel organic and unforced. She not only brings Marjorie vividly to life but also strengthens the performances around her.

Cynthia Nixon delivers one of her strongest stage performances to date. She brings sharp emotional clarity to Tess, grounding the play’s futuristic premise in recognizable human anguish. Ms. Nixon captures Tess’s anger, vulnerability, and deep emotional fatigue, particularly in scenes shaped by grief and unresolved memory. Her tightly coiled anxiety stands in sharp contrast to Marjorie’s more easygoing temperament.

Danny Burstein & Christopher Lowell

Danny Burstein offers a warm, grounded performance as Jon, Tess’s husband, approaching the role with empathy and restraint. He allows Jon’s quiet frustration to surface naturally, giving the character a relatable humanity. Together with Squibb and Nixon, Burstein helps anchor the play’s emotional stakes.

Completing the ensemble, Christopher Lowell strikes a careful balance as Walter Prime. He suggests warmth and familiarity while maintaining a subtly unsettling emotional distance, reinforcing the character’s artificial nature without tipping into caricature.

Dynamic direction

Director Anne Kauffman skillfully guides the ensemble, allowing each performance to register clearly while maintaining tonal balance. She never lets the drama drift into sentimentality or melodrama, keeping the production emotionally resonant yet controlled.

Marjorie Prime is a provocative and deeply affecting play, and one of the year’s best. It speaks thoughtfully to the accelerating presence of AI in modern life and humanity’s uncertain ability to keep up with it. The play ultimately suggests that emerging technologies need not be inherently frightening; they may someday help shape how we choose to remember our lives—and one another.

Published December 15, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on December 11, 2025

‘MARJORIE PRIME’: June Squbb & Cynthia Nixon. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MARJORIE PRIME’: Christopher Lowell & June Squibb. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MARJORIE PRIME’: Danny Burstein & Cynthia Nixon. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MARJORIE PRIME’: Christopher Lowell. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’: Nicholas Braun & Kara Young. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES
By Rajiv Joseph
Directed by Neil Pepe
Through December 28, 2025
Lucille Lortel Theatre
121 Christopher St.
https://www.gruesomeplaygroundinjuries.com/

By Scott Harrah

Love literally hurts in this powerful revival of Rajiv Joseph’s one-act play Gruesome Playground Injuries at the Lucille Lortel.

Mr. Joseph’s two-character play was last produced in New York in 2011 at Second Stage Theatre, starring Pablo Schreiber and Jennifer Carpenter. Now, Tony-nominated director Neil Pepe has brought the show back to Off-Broadway with two acting powerhouses in the lead roles: two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young (Purpose and Purlie Victorious) and three-time Emmy Award nominee Nicholas Braun (“Succession”), playing Kayleen and Doug, respectively. Over a 30-year span, we see how the childhood friends’ lives intersect through a series of bizarre physical and emotional injuries.

Three decades of an unusual friendship

The story centers on three decades of a highly unconventional friendship. Its nonlinear structure shifts across different time periods, with both characters ranging in age from eight to 38. Nearly every scene depicts Doug and Kayleen discussing an accident, illness, or incident that has caused yet another wound. Supertitles projected onstage introduce each vignette with grisly labels such as “1. Eight: Face Split Open,” “2. Twenty-three: Eye Blown Out by Firework,” and “5. Eighteen: Pink Eye.”

Doug & Kayleen

Doug is a tall, socially awkward milquetoast who frequently gets into accidents and often harms himself, resulting in a parade of external injuries.

Kayleen, meanwhile, is a petite, nervous young woman who bottles up her emotions, and her anguish often overwhelms her physically. She suffers from assorted stomach and digestive ailments and cuts herself with razor blades to externalize the emotional turmoil she cannot express.

They first meet in an elementary school nurse’s office. Over the 90-minute one-act, their encounters take place everywhere from hospital rooms to a mental institution to a funeral home. Throughout the decades, Doug harbors a massive crush on Kayleen and is infatuated with her. Unfortunately, she insists she feels nothing for him. Despite her indifference, Doug remains unable to abandon his unrequited love, and the pair sustains a symbiotic, co-dependent friendship for years.

Dysfunctional bond

Gruesome Playground Injuries explores how some people use physical pain and self-harm to cope with trauma and psychological chaos. Through their many wounds and tragedies, Doug and Kayleen form a dysfunctional bond steeped in codependency and angst.

The tone is psychologically complex and disturbing, reminiscent of Tennessee Williams’s darker works such as Outcry, Something Cloudy, Something Clear, and Camino Real.

Sparse set, eerie lighting & clever makeup design

The sparse set by scenic designer Arnulfo Maldonado consists of a single, versatile room. Eerie lighting by Japhy Weideman, sound design by David Van Tieghem, and clever makeup work by Brian Strumwasser evoke a constant sense of desperation and vividly convey the characters’ many injuries.

Superlative performances

Veteran director Neil Pepe elicits outstanding performances from both Mr. Braun and Ms. Young. As these “scar-crossed” would-be lovers, they possess rare, magnetic chemistry.

Kara Young is consistently a high-strung spitfire and, despite her petite frame, commands the stage with imposing presence. She brings jittery allure and striking fragility to the role.

Nicholas Braun proved his range playing Greg on “Succession,” portraying a socially awkward outsider among ruthless billionaires. As Doug, Mr. Braun brings quiet humility, dignity, and nonstop tension to the character. Braun’s nuanced portrayal makes Doug deeply sympathetic, and we root for him to overcome life’s many obstacles.

Ambiguous ending

Gruesome Playground Injuries concludes with an ambiguous and somewhat unsatisfying ending, leaving us wondering what will become of these two lost souls. Given its serious themes, it is hardly light holiday fare. However, fans of Nicholas Braun or Kara Young will not be disappointed by the emotional fireworks these two extraordinary performers ignite onstage.

Published November 23, 2025
Reviewed at press preview on November 18, 2025

‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’: Nicholas Braun & Kara Young. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’: (left) Nicholas Braun & (right) Kara Young & Nicholas Braun. Photos: Emilio Madrid.

‘GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES’: (top) Kara Young & (bottom) Nicholas Braun & Kara Young. Photos: Emilio Madrid.

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‘RICHARD II’: (left to right) Emily Swallow, David Mattar Merten, Grantham Coleman, Michael Urie & Lux Pascal. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

RICHARD II
By William Shakespeare
Directed & adapted by Craig Baldwin
Through December 21, 2025
Red Bull Theater
at Astor Place Theatre
434 Lafayette St.
https://www.redbulltheater.com

By Scott Harrah

Shakespeare’s classics are often revived in some newfangled form on the American stage. For instance, from the late Glenda Jackson playing the titular role in a misguided, gender-bending King Lear in 2019 to an equally ill-conceived one-man Macbeth starring Alan Cumming on Broadway in 2013, the Bard’s works are frequently updated to attract new audiences. However, director Craig Baldwin’s Off-Broadway iteration of Richard II introduces two refreshing twists: the setting shifts from the 1300s to 1980s Britain, and King Richard becomes a flamboyant gay man, portrayed by the always-outstanding Michael Urie.

This reviewer is rarely a fan of “modernized” Shakespeare because classics work best when performed as written. Otherwise, the richness of Shakespeare’s language and narrative can get lost amid flashy gimmickry. Even so, two modernized adaptations have succeeded in the past 15 years: the 2010 Broadway revival of The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino as Shylock, and now Mr. Baldwin’s Richard II. While Mr. Pacino brought dignity to Shylock, Mr. Urie brings his trademark comic timing and sharp wit to Shakespeare’s egotistical, self-destructive monarch.

Richard the Rebel

This is a stylish reimagining of Richard II, with an ‘80s-inspired set by Arnulfo Maldonado. Mr. Urie plays the doomed monarch whose inflated ego leads to his downfall. When Richard seizes the inheritance of his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke (Grantham Coleman), he ignites a chain of betrayal and rebellion that forces him to confront his own loss of power and identity.

1980s decadence & excess

Mr. Maldonado’s design reimagines the royal court as a sleek 1980s Manhattan boardroom, complete with sharp suits, minimalist décor, and an interviewer (Sarin Monae West) who channels Grace Jones. Meanwhile, snippets of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” and other new-wave hits reinforce the era’s excess and vanity. The result is a clever concept that turns Richard’s deposition into a corporate coup rather than a medieval revolt. Admittedly, some choices—like the bathhouse scene or Richard’s affair with Aumerle (David Mattar Merten)—veer toward camp, yet they fit this production’s aesthetic.

Cast standouts

Not everything works here, but there’s plenty of fine acting onstage. Ron Canada, in multiple roles (especially as John of Gaunt), delivers one of the evening’s strongest performances, with precise phrasing and a masterful command of Shakespeare’s dialogue.

Grantham Coleman, as Richard’s rival and cousin Henry Bolingbroke, brings understated determination that contrasts beautifully with Richard’s theatrical volatility.

Michael Urie has a blast portraying Richard as an entertaining narcissist. Yet beneath the humor, he reveals the character’s tragic vulnerability, proving how effortlessly he can balance comedy with gravitas. His performance is campy enough to amuse, but grounded enough to make the downfall sting.

Accessible & entertaining

Purists may not embrace this Richard II, yet Mr. Baldwin has created a visually dynamic, thematically relevant version that speaks to modern politics and power struggles. Ultimately, his production makes Shakespeare’s complex history play accessible, entertaining, and unexpectedly poignant—a triumph of bold direction and fearless performance.

Published November 10, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on November 8, 2025

‘RICHARD II’: (left to right) Ron Canada, Grantham Cole & Michael Urie. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘RICHARD II’: (left to right) Kathryn Meisle, Ron Canada, Michael Uriie & Lux Pascal. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘RICHARD II’: Sarin Monae West, James Seol & Daniel Stewart Sherman. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘RICHARD II’: Sarin Monae West, Lux Pascal, Michael Urie, David Mattar Merten, Ryan Spahn & James Seol. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘RICHARD II’: Michael Urie & David Mattar Merten. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘RICHARD II’: Michael Urie. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘RICHARD II’: Grantham Coleman & Michael Urie. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

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