Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In Laurence Fishburne’s LIKE THEY DO IN THE MOVIES, the film star unpacks his identity and bares his soul

• By drediman
• March 22, 2024
• No Comments

Also opening last night at the super-flexible, newly-constructed Perelman Arts Center in Lower Manhattan was Laurence Fishburne’s soul-baring Off-Broadway solo show Like They Do in the Movies. Despite his status as an A-List film star, Fishburne is no stranger to live theater, having made critically acclaimed stage appearances in Thurgood and the most recent Broadway revival of David Mamet’s American Buffalo.

In his return to the New York stage, the focus is squarely on Fishburne. In a series of monologues — some autobiographical, others where he embodies others — Fisburne generously gives audiences full access to his inner life. It’s a fascinating constellation of tales that collectively fleshes out and explores his identity as a Black Man, both personally and through a broader societal lens. The effect is prismatic, actively illuminating different aspects of his identity in an act of thorough self-examination. Unsurprisingly, the most affecting segments of the show are the candid autobiographical bits — largely centering around his separated parents and his respective relationships with them — which have the immediacy of actively reliving raw, complicated, often painful personal experiences.

I relished the opportunity to spend such intimate “fireside” time with Fishburne. His prowess and ease with spoken word is exceptional, which is especially evident in a show as dense and richly lavered as this one is. Make no mistake, you are in the hands of a master storyteller, at once graceful and authoritative. Once again, Fishburne has collaborated with director Leonard Foglia (the two had worked together in Thurgood), who has framed the star with a production that accentuates his labyrinth of diverse tales with warmth and wit.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

LIKE THEY DO IN THE MOVIES
Off-Broadway, Play
Perelman Arts Center
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through March 31