david adjmi’s stunning

i caught lct3’s production of david adjmi’s stunning last night. 

i have not stopped thinking about it since the final blackout.

in a nutshell, it’s a play about a teenage bride living in the syrian jewish community in midwood.  she hires an umberto eco reading african american maid and their relationship changes both of them in an irrevocable way.

i’ve been a fan of david’s for a few years now, but this is the first time i’ve seen a play of his on stage (it’s his first professional new york production, i believe).  everything that i admire about his work was in full effect here: it is philosophically rich, darkly humorous, and exceptionally courageous.  i admired the dexterity with which david was able to maneuver the tonal shifts in the work and the generosity he displays as an artist as he never lets his characters lose their humanity even when they descend into the darker places of their psyches.

the production was equally exceptional.  it’s no surprise anne kaufman directed this play with elegance and intelligence.  the performances are incredibly beautiful particularly cristin milioti’s panic attack prone lily and charlayne woodard’s beautifully complicated blanche.  they rank as two of the best peformances i’ve seen in a while.

the play opens officially on thursday and it runs just until the 27th.  please run and see it not only to support the incredible artistry of this production but this exciting new lct3 initiative where Lincoln Center Theater dedicates itself to bringing exciting new work at affordable prices to new audiences.  also make sure to read this article from the new york times about david adjmi. 

~ by Alejandro Morales on June 17, 2009.