Russian Troll Farm by Sarah Gancher Directed by Darko Tresnjak Vineyard Theatre February 1, 2024 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Russian Troll Farm was an amazing night in the theatre. It far exceeded any expectations I had as I took my seat. Based on an actual Internet Research Agency in Russia – – we follow professional internet trolls working for days at a time to influence American popular opinion, creating the illusion of consensus—or conflict. There are floors for Twitter, for Facebook, memes, fake news, and comments sections. Mis-information is big business indeed! The play focuses specifically on months leading up to the election of Donald Trump and the defeat of Hilary Clinton. Russian Troll Farm imagines the daily lives of these trolls/workers as they invent characters, stage conflicts, and create conspiracies. What happens to your grasp on the truth when your whole job is lying? How does your identity shift when you impersonate Americans for a living?
I would like to offer my list of the TOP TEN BEST PLAYS and the TOP THREE WORST PLAYS that I saw in 2023. This year I was able to take in 27 plays – and I assure you that my list is totally unlike ANY of the various people that review NYC theatre. Please click on the title of the following plays to read the full review:
Sabbath’s Theater adapted from the novel by Philip Roth by Ariel Levy and John Turturro Directed by Jo Bonney The New Group December 9, 2023 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
I was told that I was going to be offended by the content of Sabbath’s Theatre. The press said this – even signs outside the theatre said this – so I was ready- – and I have been offended many a time in the theatre. And most of the time, I was perfectly fine with it. But this was just too much even for me! It was a super uncomfortable afternoon in the theatre.
The Night of the Iguana Written by Tennessee Williams Directed by Emily Mann James Earl Jones Theatre December 8, 2023 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
The Night of the iguana is one of Tennessee Williams’s later and less successful plays. It takes a haphazard group of people and really just spends too much time with them going repeatedly over the same themes. The story focuses in on Shannon who is struggling with his sanity as he leads a travel group of prim Baptist ladies from America through the backroads of Mexico. Having committed an act of statutory rape on the youngest member of the group he is losing his mind, and, it this is not helped by a group of obnoxious Germans staying at a hotel. The only possible lifeline is Hannah, a well-spoken penniless artist from Nantucket traveling with her 97-year-old frail old poet grandfather.
Purlie Victorious a Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch Written by Ossie Davis Directed by Kenny Leon The Music Box December 7, 2023 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
I was just not “invited” to this play. From the very first moment, this play just roared on by. Leslie Odom, Jr. just exploded on stage – – speaking and moving so fast that I could barely understand what he was saying and what was going on. I really have no idea what was gained by this storm of behavior. It took a good long time before the play settled down so that I could understand what was going on. I just felt that everyone in the play was working too hard – and not to the betterment of the story. They were squeezing each line to get just as much as they could out of each word – – which ended up making all words of equal importance. It was truly hard to connect with any of the characters; they were so busy acting.
