Antigone: This Play I Read in High School (The Public Theater)

By Harry Forbes

Playwright Anna Ziegler reframes Sophocles’ Antigone through a feminist lens, yielding an absorbing drama with unmistakably contemporary urgency. In place of the original conflict—whether the heroine may bury her brother Polynices —Ziegler centers the story on bodily autonomy: Antigone (Susannah Perkins), daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, defies her uncle Creon (Tony Shalhoub) over her decision to terminate a pregnancy resulting from her relationship with his son Haemon (Calvin Leon Smith).

Here, Creon is less tyrant than hesitant bureaucrat, insisting that Antigone must publicly repent or face a law that mandates death for the forbidden procedure—even if it means condemning his own niece. Haemon, along with Antigone’s dutiful sister Ismene (Haley Wong), argues passionately against such severity.

Ziegler establishes Antigone’s fierce independence early on, in a provocative flirty encounter with a bartender, Achilles (Ethan Dubin). From the outset, she is unwavering in her resolve. By the second act, having carried out her decision, she confronts Creon head-on, articulating her claim to bodily autonomy in stark, unflinching terms—after a backstreet clinic proprietor (Katie Kreisler) reveals the truth.

Framing the action is a contemporary figure known as “Chorus” (Celia Keenan-Bolger), a pregnant woman in her forties who becomes fascinated by a fellow airline passenger (also Perkins) reading Antigone. Long captivated by the mythic heroine, she searches for clarity about her own dilemma, linking the ancient narrative to present-day anxieties.

The second act is particularly charged, driven by a series of taut and lively confrontations—between Antigone and Creon, Antigone and Haemon, and Antigone and a comically unhinged palace guard (Dave Quay). These encounters give the play some of its strongest dramatic momentum.

The performances are uniformly solid. Perkins is compellingly resolute; Keenan-Bolger brings nuance to the conflicted observer; and Shalhoub captures Creon’s wavering authority with palpable unease. Kreisler, Quay, and Dubin double effectively in lighter roles as palace guards, providing moments of comic relief.

While this Antigone may not achieve the same imaginative heights as the current reworking of Oedipus uptown, it remains a thought-provoking and often persuasive reimagining. Ziegler’s fusion of ancient and modern worlds does not always cohere seamlessly, but it underscores the enduring relevance of Sophocles’ themes.

Director Tyne Rafaeli makes effective use of the former Anspacher’s intimate playing space, framed by three-sided stadium seating. The spare design by David Zinn keeps the focus on the actors, while Jen Schriever’s lighting adds texture and variety.

(Barbaralee Theater at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street; publictheater.org; through April 12)

Photo by Joan Marcus: (l.-r.) Keenan-Bolger, Perkins

The Ally (the Public Theater)

By Harry Forbes

Playwright Itamar (“The Band’s Visit”) Moses’ latest work is a provocative drama concerning university writing teacher Asaf (Josh Radnor) who signs a social justice manifesto on the urging of his student Baron (Elijah Jones) after the death of the latter’s cousin at the hands of the police. But his action ignites a a firestorm as the document equates the #BlackLivesMatter situation with that of Palestinians by Israelis. 

As Asaf is of Jewish descent, his involvement raises the particular ire of Judaica student Reuven (Ben Rosenfield) who bursts into Asaf’s office and passionately defends the Jewish side, and excoriates Asaf. And later, when Asaf decides his name should be removed from the manifesto after all, he comes under fire from both Palestinian student Farid (Michael Khalid Karadsheh), who argues the other side just as intensely and persuasively, and Asaf’s ex-girlfriend, Nakia (Cherise Boothe) who, in fact, wrote the manifesto. 

Moses is, like Asaf, of Israeli descent, and his play is a smart summation of all the arguments of the Middle East conflict. Both sides receive balanced, highly charged airings, and Rosenfield and Karadsheh are superb in their lengthy monologues as they argue their respective positions. No one applauded after either of these superbly acted speeches, as if cheering histrionic virtuosity might be mistaken for allegiance to one political side or the other. Or so it seemed.  

The play is a lengthy two hours and 40 minutes, but by the end, there is no actual resolution, as indeed the never-ending conflict in the Mideast seems to bear out. So, too, it was written before the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, and all the horrific carnage that followed, so there’s no reference to any of that, but the arguments remain pertinent, and no less potent.

Director Lila Neugebauer who did such a fine job with the current “Appropriate,” keeps the action fluid, and one scene morphs into another without pause. She draws fine performances from all, including Joy Osmanski as Asaf’s wife Gwen, a community relations administrator at the college which is planning to expand its campus; Madeline Weinstein as student Rachel who, though Jewish herself, joins with Farid to sponsor a campus lecture by a best-selling author espousing anti-Zionist sentiments. 

Radnor is ideal as the ever well-meaning Asaf who gets embroiled in such a maelstrom of controversy. Never less than likable, he earns the audience empathy from the start and retains it throughout.

The profusion of ideas is intriguing certainly, though “The Ally” frequently seems less a play than a stimulating debate. But, in fairness, there is a surprising amount of humor amidst the heavy arguments, and just enough domestic conflict in the scenes between Asaf and Gwen, and later, Asaf and old flame Nakia to keep us involved. 

(The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street; publictheater.org or 212-967-7555; through March 24)

Photo by Joan Marcus: Ben Rosenfield and Josh Radnor

The Harder They Come (The Public Theater)

By Harry Forbes

The 1972 Perry Henzell Jamaican film starring Jimmy Cliff was an international hit and spawned an influential soundtrack album that put reggae on the map. But still, the story of singer Ivan, who comes to Kingston from the country with dreams of becoming a singer and, frustrated at every turn by the establishment, turns to crime, might seem an unlikely subject for a musical. 

The remarkable Suzan-Lori Parks has made it work, melding the Cliff songs with new ones of her own for a seamless whole. The plot and much of the dialogue mirrors the film but there are significant revisions. As a program note informs us, Parks “creates a new set of complex, vital relationships  between Ivan and everyone around him…What is the personal cost of fighting against systemic injustice? When is violence justified? And ultimately, how can we rediscover our collective sense of joy?”

That may sound a bit high-handed, but the revamp worked for me, and despite a tragic fate of its antihero, the overall tone is surprisingly joyous and upbeat. (Actually, in its juxtaposition of cheerful music and ultra-serious plot, I was reminded of Paul Simon’s short-lived “The Capeman.”)  Music supervisor Kenny Seymour’s orchestrations and arrangements beguile the ear throughout. The movie songs like “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Many Rivers to Cross,” which were used as underscoring in the film, become character songs for Ivan and the others.

The production is superbly cast, headed as it is by Natey Jones as anti-hero Ivan who gives an outstanding performance both dramatically and vocally. (Jones has an impressive resume of West End credits, as well as the National Theatre and RSC.) You get a real visceral sense of his character’s frustration and growing impatience with the continuing roadblocks in his way to getting his song played. Ivan becomes more of a hothead and increasingly difficult to love as the show goes on, but Jones offers a vivid warts and all portrayal.

Meecah is lovely as the sweet girl he meets and falls in love with when he at first seeks refuge with a church group run by Preacher, the girl’s questionable guardian, and there’s good work by Jeannette Bayardelle as Ivan’s mother. Also outstanding are versatile Jacob Ming-Trent as Pedro who befriends Ivan and, when the chips are down, convinces Ivan to be part of drug lord Jose’s (Dominique Johnson) gang, and Ken Robinson as Hilton, who rules the Kingston music scene with an iron hand, exploiting Ivan and presumably everyone else. 

Beautifully staged by Tony Taccone (with co-direction by Sergio Trujillo) with choreography by Edgar Godineaux, the show holds your interest from start to finish. Clint Ramos & Diggle’s scenic design, atmospherically lit by Japhy Weideman, and dressed by costume designer Emilio Sosa, conjure up the Kingston milieu skillfully. And Walter Trarbach’s sound design is nicely balanced, and not the assault on the senses of so many musicals these days.

Perhaps in 2023, the movie’s title doesn’t have the cachet it might have once had, limiting its commercial appeal. But in every other respect,  I’d say the show is Broadway worthy. 

As it is, the Public’s run ends this week, but if you can find time during these busy days of Passover and Easter, “The Harder They Come” is very much worth your time..

(The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street; publictheater.org ;through April 9)

Photo by Joan Marcus: Natey Jones (center) and the company

Topdog/Underdog (Golden Theatre)

By Harry Forbes

Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning 2001 play, essentially concerning brotherly love and family identity, and imbued with a symbolism that is never heavy-handed, is now enjoying a highly absorbing 20th anniversary revival. 

The narrative concerns whimsically named brothers Lincoln and Booth uneasily living together in a single room where they plot an uncertain future and rehash their painful past. This production features two absolutely superb performances from Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in roles originated by Jeffrey Wright and Don Cheadle at the Public Theater. (Mos Def assumed Cheadle’s role when the play opened on Broadway the following year.)

I didn’t see that production, but I can’t imagine that the roles’ originators could have been better than the present cast who balance comedy and underlying sadness with masterful aplomb. 

Elder brother Lincoln (Hawkins) works in an arcade as, with supreme irony, a white-face Abraham Lincoln impersonator where patrons can pretend to reenact the latter's assassination; his brother Booth (Abdul-Mateen) is a shoplifting hustler who’s never had a real job in his life, but dreams of joining forces with his big brother Lincoln who had previously excelled as a three-card monte con artist, bilking passers-by with enviable skill. (in fact, Booth announces with total solemnity that he wants to change his name to 3-Card.)

Lincoln, however, wants nothing more to do with the cards, though he fears he’s about to be made redundant by a wax likeness of Abe, and rehearses some extra business for his impersonation that just might persuade his employer to keep him. Booth, for his part, returns home wearing layers of spiffy clothes guaranteed to impress the ladies, especially a gal named Grace. His preparations for a date with Grace is a comic high point. 

Along the way, there are sobering revelations about their childhood: abandoned by their parents while the boys were still teenagers and having to fend for themselves. The frequent tonal shifts from the humorous to the poignant are masterfully handled by the two actors under the assured direction of the great Kenny Leon.

The enactments of the much discussed card scam, played out on a sheet of cardboard over a couple of milk crates in full view of the audience, are authentically executed, a marvel in themselves.

There’s a good deal of interstitial music, some at rock concert decibels. But within the play, Hawkins gets to perform a compelling blues number accompanying himself on guitar. A lovely moment, even though there’s a sinister subtext to the scene.

Arnulfo Maldonado’s claustrophobic and very plausible boarding house set is framed, paradoxically, by an elegant gold curtain  Dede Ayite’s costumes, from Lincoln’s presidential costume to the cool duds shoplifted by Booth are a show in themselves.

So who’s the top dog and who’s the underdog? Lincoln or Booth? Parks keeps us guessing right up to the end, in a most thoroughly entertaining fashion.

Highly recommended.

(Golden Theatre, 252 West 45th Street; Telecharge.com or 212-239-6200; through January 15)

Photo by: Marc J. Franklin: (I.-r.) Corey Hawkins, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Suffs (The Public Theater)

By Harry Forbes

First, let it be said that Shaina Taub, who has already composed highly entertaining scores for “Twelfth Night” and “As You Like It” for the Public Theater at the Delacorte, is an amazing talent. As if creating the book, music and lyrics of her latest musical weren’t enough, she also plays the leading role of suffragist Alice Paul.

“Suffs,” for so the pioneering suffragists called themselves, tells the story of these early 20th century activists who fought over a period of seven years before the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment, banning voting discrimination based on gender.

The narrative traces how rabble-rouser Paul butts heads with Carrie Catt (Jenn Colella) of the National American Woman Suffrage Association over the latter’s (in Paul's view) overly cautious tactics. In retaliation, Paul founds the National Woman’s Party in Washington, D.C. She and her fellow suffragists -- including Paul’s friend Lucy Burns (Ally Bonino), Polish union organizer Ruza Wenclawska (Hannah Cruz), young Doris Stevens (Nadia Dandashi) and socialite lawyer Inez Milholland (Phillipa Soo) -- plan a demonstration just before President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, Milholland dramatically leads the protest on horseback. Wealthy socialite and activist Alva Belmont (Aisha de Haas) helps finance their activities. 

For all of these ladies' progressive notions, they fail to see eye to eye with their fellow black suffragists, journalist Ida B. Wells (Nikki M. James) and Mary Church Terrell (Cassondra Jones), over the issue of full integration in the march, as societal racism dictates that the latter group march at the back of the procession. This prompts a strong rebuke from Wells who sings of her refusal to “Wait My Turn,” which James sings powerfully.

Wilson (an amusingly unflattering portrayal by Grace McLean in this all-female cast) condescendingly blocks the women’s efforts at every turn. Even the efforts of Wilson advisor Dudley Malone (charming Tsilala Brock), fails to loosen the implacable Wilson. Malone eventually resigns and marries Doris Stevens. The two of them share one of the score's lighter duets, “If We Were Married.” 

It’s easy to think of Taub as the female Lin-Manuel Miranda, and indeed there are similarities to “Hamilton” in the telling of the story and the musical style. Admittedly, “Hamilton” covered a wider canvas of characters and time span, and had greater variety to its musical texture. So “Suffs” feels a bit inflated at its nearly three-hour length. But with its tuneful score and first-rate cast, it’s certainly a worthy musical in every way, not least in popularizing the story of these pioneering women.

Some may remember the 1974 “Masterpiece Theatre” presentation of “Shoulder to Shoulder,” which told the story of the British suffragists Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters, and will notice a similar dramatic arc as Alice Paul and her colleagues meet fierce resistance, are imprisoned, force fed when they go on a hunger strike, and eventually, prevail against seemingly impossible odds to get the amendment passed. 

Mimi Lien’s staircase setting -- lighted by Natasha Katz -- makes for a versatile playing area on the wide Newman stage. Toni-Leslie James has designed the excellent period costumes.

At several points, the all cast engages in vaudeville turns which underscore the salient themes. “Watch out for the Suffragettes,” is one such. Wilson’s sardonic “Ladies” is another. The flavorsome choreography by Raja Feather Kelly

Music direction and music supervision of the 12-piece orchestra are in the accomplished hands of Andrea Grody who not only conducts, but plays keyboard. (Orchestrations are by Mike Brun.)

In  spite of Leigh Silverman’s seamless and accomplished direction, and the first-rate cast, some trimming would, as indicated earlier, be advantageous, but “Suffs” is sure to have a future beyond its limited run at the Public.

This is clearly Alice Paul’s theatrical season, as she figures -- in a quite humorous if tangential way -- in Selina Fillinger’s current Broadway comedy “POTUS.”

(Newman Theater, 425 Lafayette Street; publictheater.org or 212-967-7555); through May 15)

Photo by Joan Marcus:

(I.-r.) Ally Bonino, Phillipa Soo, Shaina Taub, Hannah Cruz, and Nadia Dandashi