Posted: 3/27/17 at 9:17am
Sally, it's quite possible that none of the characters in The Humans would have voted for Trump. But the play is about the cultural, political, and financial anxiety that produced this presidency. Your interpretation of Brantley's meaning may well be correct, but my objection to his wording remains.
Posted: 3/27/17 at 9:21am
I feel like Brantley will be warmer towards Indecent. It feels more in line with stuff he usually goes for.
Posted: 3/27/17 at 9:29am
The discussion of the photo reminds me of the Times ultimate spoiler: their original review of "Disgraced," and the photo that accompanied it. To this day, I can't wrap my brain around that decision. I can't think of any play produced in the past 10 years that deserves the audience shock that the "Disgrace" induces in the theater. The Times ran with it.
Posted: 10/20/18 at 3:22am
I saw Sweat last month at ACT in San Francisco, and while I understand Brantley's critique, I can't agree with it. The play is one long tragedy about a way of life that was taken away from people, told from a variety of perspectives, and thankfully grounded in reality. (The comparison between this play and the too-clever-by-half A Doll's House Part 2, which is playing at the Berkeley Rep, was striking when I saw both recently.)
The twist at the end is devastating, even though I really should have seen it coming. My only quarrel was with the last line, with felt a little too pat. But I wasn't too bothered by that. Despite its Pulitzer, the play feels underappreciated for reasons that baffle me, especially given its timeliness.
Posted: 12/8/18 at 9:59pm
Saw the London production of this tonight at the Donmar.
I thought it was great, the cast were uniformly fantastic.
That ending hit me like a freight train!
