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Eboni Booths naturalistic thrillerParisis technically a period piece.
But the scope of Booths drama doesnt belong to the past.
We giggle (why on earth did we wear that?
), fractionally delaying our recognition of some workplace insult.
In this case, the cheeseball cinematography distracts us enough that the anti-union message comes before were ready.
He keeps asking random questions shes eager to answer (Name your favorite Talking Heads song!
), but the stockroom position seems to already be hers.
This teetering feeling never actually ends.
Director Knud Adams frames the production like a horror movie.
Each elementfrom Oona Curleys lights to Arnulfo Maldonados costumes to Fan Zhangs soundhas this cinematic precision.
Booth seems to have had only one compositional rule: Every conversation must revolve around money.
Gradually, though, she shows her hand as a plotterslipping thriller elements into herNickel and Dimedrealism.
Things at Barrys arent all what they seem.
The merchandise looks like garbage, but its is worth more than a human life.
But the horrors of life under at-will employment are frightening enough.
I mean, not unless youre on the campaign trail!Ha-ha,were in hell.
Susan Hills 1983 novel is fake Victoriana, crammed full with atmosphere.
(This seems like a mistakeputting a hat on a hat.)
Mallatratts play has been playing the West End in London for 30 years and has gone on 14 tours.
The original commissioning director, Robin Herford, has directed every cast, including this one.
So the bones in this thing are sturdy.
You could bludgeon other shows to death with those bones.
To me, it seemed like a zombie version of something that had once had life.
This show clearly knows a thing or two about refusing to die.
Parisis at the Atlantic Theater Companys Stage 2.The Woman in Blackis at the McKittrick Hotel.
