Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Uncovering lost plays (and a lost New York): Lorraine Hansberry’s THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW and Betty Smith’s BECOMES A WOMAN

• By drediman
• February 28, 2023
• No Comments

Last night, a pair of flawed but intriguing plays that have been tossed to the wind have been recovered and given important productions. Coincidentally, both works also conjure a New York of yore, if only to insist on level-setting our romanticized notions of it. As always, here are my thoughts on these long lost gems.

THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Through March 24

One of the most anticipated plays of the winter can be found far from the bright lights of Broadway at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAM Harvey Theater. That production would be the first major New York revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s 1964 play The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), led by film and television stars Oscar Isaac (Star Wars) and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). I’d be one of the first say that the sprawling play, which is set in 1960s Greenwich Village, is far from perfect. As written, the characters come in and out of focus, and Hansberry’s dabbling in both naturalism and expressionism can be jarring and perhaps even infuriating (particularly in the second act’s flights of fancy). But as a document of the times and the era’s explosion of ideas, the play is utterly captivating, especially in Anne Kauffman’s detail-perfect yet expansive staging, which she first unveiled in 2016 at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. Both Isaac and Brosnahan (who in the play portray a bohemian couple) are compelling throughout, imbuing their characters with the kind of tempestuous depth that rings of real humanity. Also fabulous is Miriam Silverman, who nearly steals every scene that she’s in with her spectacularly incisive acting.

BECOMES A WOMAN
Mint Theatre Company
Through March 18

Also opening last night at New York City Center was Mint Theatre Company’s long belated world premiere of Becomes a Woman (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) by Betty Smith (a writer who is perhaps best known for penning the semi-autobiographical 1943 novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn). Those of you who follow theater are likely to know that the Mint has had a long and hugely successful track record for dusting off forgotten and lost plays of the past and thoughtfully presenting them to contemporary audiences. Britt Berke’s superlative staging of Becomes a Woman certainly fits that bill and is in my estimation one of the company’s very best endeavors to date – which is saying a lot. That the play predates Ms. Smith’s aforementioned classic novel is fascinating. Indeed, the playwright’s depiction of a painful coming-of-age story of a “good girl” who is prematurely forced to grow into womanhood (due to unfortunate circumstances) is an intriguing look into the mind of a precocious young artist eager to poke at prevalent societal norms. The play also provides an interesting snapshot of a rough-and-tumble New York City (especially Brooklyn) that’s long gone. The performances by 15-strong company are all vividly etched, which is impressive given that there is no performative template for the actors to work off of. Particularly fine are Emma Pfitzer Price in the central role of Francie and Jeb Brown as Francie’s abusive father, as well as Gina Daniels and Jason O’Connell as her friends Tessie and Max.