Theater Review: Revolution Row - Page 2

JoAnn Bromley brings naturalistic grace to her scenes as the Warden's motherly secretary, and Craig Jessup is very good as Peter, the vain pretty-boy whose character, unlike the others, grows and changes during the course of the play. Jessup's intensity and focus hint at what a good prison drama might have been made from this premise. His character is also at the center of the shocking act of violence that serves as a climax to the action and is followed by a denouement of heartfelt farewells and song that proceed, inexplicably, as if nothing untoward had happened, leaving the viewer with a sense of disbelief and confusion that could not have been intended.

The play is subtitled "A Call To Arms," but to be a good polemic it would need to be much more effective as a drama. To be fair, I saw the play on its first weekend and the actors were obviously still getting a feel for their lines, so some improvement might come naturally as they get more performances under their belts. But the fundamental problem is in the play itself. Character-driven drama needs characters who express themselves and communicate with each other in recognizably human ways, and not, as is too much the case here, as mere mouthpieces for causes and opinions, however noble those may be.

Page 1 — Page 2

Article tags

Spread the word
Bookmark and Share
Profile image for jon-sobel

Article Author: Jon Sobel

Jon Sobel is Blogcritics' Culture and Theater Editor. In addition to reviewing NYC theater, he writes a semi-regular round-up of independent music releases. By day he is a writer and editor, and at night he's a working musician: lead singer, songwriter, …

Visit Jon Sobel's author pageJon Sobel's Blog

Read comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own
  • Bent Bent

    Renowned British stage director Sean Mathias directs Martin Sherman's "powerful and provocative" (The New York Times) screenplay about one man's struggle to maintain his dignity while imprisoned in a ...

Article comments

Add your comment, speak your mind

Personal attacks are NOT allowed.
Please read our comment policy.
Please preview your comment.

blogcritics lists for Mar 21, 2010

fresh articles Most recent articles site-wide

fresh comments Most recent comments site-wide

most comments Most comments in 24hrs

top writers Most prolific Blogcritics for February

top commenters Most prolific Commenters in 24 hrs

Upcoming Stories from Blogcritics
  •