5
Main navigation
Ghosts
Searching the Past.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).Published about 5 hours ago • 3 min read
Robert M Massimi
Ibsen's "Ghosts" at the Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center is a modern piece with very good acting. The direction by Jack O'Brien is at a slow pace for most of the one hour and forty five minutes. Although this show should have had an intermission, the play for the most part locks in tightly.
Staying mostly to the original story, Mark O'Rowe adds a different take with the modern and it seems to work well for the most part. The costumes by Jess Goldstein blend with the script. In the modern, many costume designs are very overt, here, they are neither garish nor boring. Goldstein gives us more interesting than anything else. Japhy Weideman's lighting draws a wider swath in that we get big sides and broad overheads. The lighting in this play draw the back-beat of movement that is before us and is well done.
Ibsen has always questioned many things in his writing style. Here, Pastor Manders (Billy Crudup) and Helena Alving (Lily Rabe) banter about God, society and the people who live in it. Ms. Alving is a slow boil here; at first we don't know why, her language at the beginning is tepid, until...
The pastor is eager to do please. He is charismatic and faithful to the Dogma of The Word of God. He is also informative to the ways of the world. As he builds his orphanage, his concern is more how it looks on its face than the good that it will do for children. He also would rather avoid conflict than face it head on; he goes along to get along in society. What is popular and less confrontational is where the pastor sets his focus.
The dialogue between the pastor and Helena can be tense at times. This maybe due to sexual tension; tension with the social status of both. Watching these two great actors interact makes "Ghosts" in of itself worth the price of admission. Regina (Ella Beatty) and Oswald (Levon Hawke) too are very deft in how they interact. The daughter of an embattled Engstrand (Hamish Linklater), she accepts her maid duties more because of her crush on Oswald. Regina is constantly torn between leaving the Norwegian estate and dedicating her life towards the family.
In one setting, director O'Brien is limited in how the actors move about, and yet they all move and speak systematically, with great charisma. It is the preciseness with the entire play that makes it work so well. Each character has a secret, secrets that will be exposed as the play goes on. The way that Ibsen and the direction lets each one out slowly and at the right time makes this classic timeless.
.........................................................................................................................
As the Broadway spring season gets underway, next up is Dorian Grey and Glengary Glenn Ross. Shortly after these two shows will be Boop and Smash. The steady flow from there will all meet the Tony deadline for best play/musical. The two shows that are really crimping the pocket books of audiences are: Othello and Goodnight, and Good Luck. Tickets for these two shows are through the roof! Othello is rumored to be charging &1,000. a ticket, and the seats are in the middle of the orchestra, not even close to the stage! It is rumored that the mezzanine seats are going for $500. and up! This is for a show that I thought was awful. While "Goodnight" is not as bad, it is still very costly. Rear mezzanine seats are going for $250. Orchestra seating can be as high as $750 per ticket.
"Ghosts", Billy Crudup, "Othello", Denzel Washington, Jake Gylennhal, George Clooney, Broadway, Tony Awards.
About the Creator
Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).
I have been writing on theater since 1982. A graduate from Manhattan College B.S. A member of Alpha Sigma Lambda, which recognizes excellence in both English and Science. I have produced 14 shows on and off Broadway. I've seen over700 shows
Reader insights
Insights submitted by your readers will appear here.
Comments
Allow comments on this story
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.
Share your thoughts…(Optional)
Comment
Keep reading
More stories from Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob). and writers in Art and other communities.
Grangeville.
"Grangeville" at The Signature Theatre is a soulful piece written by Samuel D. Hunter and is strongly directed by Jack Serio. As a two actor play, both Brian J. Smith and Paul Sparks work off of each other very well. It Is Sparks, however, that takes the show on his back and carries it over the goal line. As a country bumpkin living in Grangeville, Idaho, Jerry is a strong, but lost soul. He tries to keep what is left of his family together.
ByRobert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).9 days ago in Art
This is Suse Lowenstein
Four years ago, I wrote of a time/circumstance that told of a very dark place of which I was going through...a transition that I had not wanted to experience. But sometimes, neither dread nor prayers can prevent that part of life.
ByShirley Belk14 days ago in Art
!!+[OffiCial@!]* England U20 v Italy U20 LIVE STreams U20 Six Nations | Mar. 07, 2025
England U20 and Italy U20 are set to clash in an exciting encounter in the U20 Six Nations Championship. Both teams will be eager to make a strong impression, with young talents looking to showcase their skills on the big stage. This matchup promises intense action, as both sides aim for a crucial victory in their campaign.
ByDena Olson4 days ago in Art
I Hope Death Is Like...
When the day comes that death knocks on my door I hope that I am greeted like meeting a long lost friend who embraces me
ByEllie Hoovsabout 17 hours ago in Poets
Written by Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).
Find us on social media
Miscellaneous links
© 2025 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
