She has starred in New York’s ‘worst show’ for 40 years. Why?

[mitchern]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 6:57am

https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/perfect-crime-off-broadway-catherine-russell-w5wckfkkb?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdA3bRNw_a0ReZsKU_byOH-bSinZfN_wesboONTRER13Z_WqiftzXY5ZWTCrbM%3D&gaa_ts=696f7100&gaa_sig=EOzdxv2bmR0IZEE5ZwDpt0qyY1V9Ym-YA1UjEjHzIL1Nj0Ay6ftvrrTD3A4h0J3-iQXP51VGfqTvC80M00EViA%3D%3D

Hilarious read. Has anyone actually seen this show? 

[John Adams]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 10:17am

From the article: "it starred a blond, leggy knockout. Now 69, that knockout is still knocking about in the role".

I'm sure the author of the article (whose name I choose not to publish here) is pleased with themself re: their "clever" wordplay. 

Personally, I find that demeaning an actress' reputation from "knockout" to "knocking about" is cheap, vulgar and unprofessional. What an a$$-O.

Updated On: 1/20/26 at 10:17 AM

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 10:37am

There is a whole thread on Reddit talking about how this woman is completely "toxic" and "massively abusive". 

[John Adams]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 10:57am

Maybe so, but does that justify publication of an article for the singular purpose of t(h)rashing both the show and the actress? ...and an additional  post here directing my attention to it?

What's the purpose of that? Now I'm aware of both the show and the actress who (per the reddit thread) should remain in obscurity. congrats.

Updated On: 1/20/26 at 10:57 AM

[EvanstonDad]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 11:09am

That one quote pulled out of context sounds snarky, but the article in full seems very complimentary to the actress.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 11:34am

The reading literacy crisis in this country (and elsewhere I guess) is really something.

[John Adams]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 11:44am

EvanstonDad said: "That one quote pulled out of context sounds snarky, but the article in full seems very complimentary to the actress."

Yes, you're right. (sort of...)

IMO, it's Russell who saves herself from the reporter's stinted/biased commentary with their comments like, "watching this play is what I imagine it would be like to experience the onset of dementia", "Most of the people I spoke to afterwards told me that they enjoyed the play. Two of them even claimed to have understood it. I was not one of them, which colours my ability to appraise Russell’s performance" , and in the same paragraph, "At the same time, Russell has a magnetic, irrepressible stage presence, impossible to look away from as she barrels through the material. I found her fascinating".

FWIW, I have a hard time reconciling the reporter's conflicting duality with their (in)credibility as a writer. I can applaud Russell for how she's handled this interview, with this particular writer. I'm open to the possibility that she's a better actress than the writer is willing to give her credit for.

I have to admit that the article/reporter hasn't really offered any solid perspective on either the play, or the actress so... What's the point?

[Melissa25]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 11:47am

EvanstonDad: That one quote pulled out of context sounds snarky, but the article in full seems very complimentary to the actress.

I don't think that one quote was pulled out of context. I felt this author's condescension throughout and did not think he was being professional either. I was surprised this article was in the Times instead of the Post, the usual rag that employs him.  Here is another example: However it manages to keep going, the play has put food on the table for scores of theatre professionals over the years. 

Edit: My bad...I saw "thetimes" in the link and mistook it for NYTimes. I just should have never clicked on that link or this thread for that matter.

Updated On: 1/20/26 at 11:47 AM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 12:11pm

Honestly, no clue how this show is still open. They get about 20 people per performance and it's always tourists. The show is stale and the theater is falling apart.

 

Gotta love the Reddit comments that she refuses to have her understudy go on but instead has cancelled shows if she's out sick.

Updated On: 1/20/26 at 12:11 PM

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 1:08pm

"It is the lowest-ranked out of 28 live shows listed on the site Show Score, where a third of its reviews give zero, one, or even half a star out of five."

Even half a star? Does Kawaller (the writer) think half a star is a lower rating than zero stars?

Obviously, Perfect Crime's Show-Score rating of 40% Positive, 19% Mixed, and 41% Negative isn't great but still a net majority of audience members are getting something out of it. For a production created to appeal to the tastes of audiences in 1987, that's not insignificant. In contrast, a new production of Anna Christie written by Eugene O’Neill, directed by Thomas Kail and starring an A-List actress is only getting mildly better reviews on Show-Score.

Kawaller is taking the most post negative possible framing of Perfect Crime running for nearly 39 years and is oddly fixated on him finding Catherine Russell hot when he was a teenager. The article is half dumb click bait, half a reasonable profile of an actress juggling 5-6 other jobs at once.

[two ladies tickets]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 4:16pm

I worked for this woman about 20 years ago, she is a horrible human being. She makes Scott Rudin look like a saint.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 4:19pm

I've never even heard of this woman or her show until now. Do I need to get a ticket?!

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 4:29pm

I saw Perfect Crime about 10 years ago and did not enjoy it and would never see it again. That said, this article has me siding with and identifying with Catherine Russell, mostly because of the obnoxious, condescending tone of the writer. If someone like the the writer doesn't like her, then I probably would. I also appreciated how she said that she just likes doing the show so why would she stop? Because the reddit mob is after her?  That's so silly.  

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 4:36pm

I need a comp to this. Hit me up someone. Should I drink before ?

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 7:01pm

I'm gonna laugh if this douchebag causes a spike in ticket sales from sheer curiosity factor.

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 8:23pm

Why did Kad’s comment get deleted? 

[Kad]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 9:02pm

Per a DM from a moderator, it was considered a personal attack against Russell. It was not. 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 9:12pm

Kad said: "Per a DM from a moderator, it was considered a personal attack against Russell. It was not."

No, it wasn't. It was certainly not worse than comment #3 (as I read this thread), quoted below.

Unrelated, I've never gotten a DM about any of my past deleted posts, though admittedly it's not a mystery to me why they were deleted.

Comment #3: There is a whole thread on Reddit talking about how this woman is completely "toxic" and "massively abusive". 

 

Updated On: 1/20/26 at 09:12 PM

[John Adams]

Posted: 1/20/26 at 11:49pm

The post that launched this thread is rife with personal attacks on Russell, which the OP found to be a "Hilarious read".

I get that there's a difference between a linked article and an alleged violation of the posted guidelines for registered users. Still... there's a lack of "balance" in regards to this particular thread and its subject.

A Mod took the time to PM Kad (very civil, IMO). If Kad's alleged violation of the guidelines was thought to be more offensive than the contents of the original post (in regards to 'personal attacks' and the OP's description of them as being hilarious), maybe, in this instance, the Mod's PM could have included instruction to modify the specifically offensive text before deleting his post.

Just a thought.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/21/26 at 12:06am

kdogg36 said: "Kad said: "Per a DM from a moderator, it was considered a personal attack against Russell. It was not."

No, it wasn't. It was certainly not worsethancomment #3 (as I read this thread), quoted below.

Unrelated, I've never gotten a DM about any of my past deleted posts, though admittedly it's not a mystery to me why they were deleted.

Comment #3:There is a whole thread on Reddit talking about how this woman is completely "toxic" and "massively abusive".

"

Moderator DMs are infrequent and inconsistent. And my post certainly was not any more of a “personal attack” than others here.

I was relaying firsthand knowledge of Russell’s reputation and actions in the industry. 

I will say that a show does not run for 4 decades in NYC and yet not win its star/producer/GM any industry recognition without good reason. 

 

Updated On: 1/21/26 at 12:06 AM