Winner of the 2022 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Play, Joshua Harmon’s Prayer for the French Republic bursts onto Broadway after MTC’s highly acclaimed extended, sold-out Off-Broadway run. In 1944, a Jewish couple in Paris desperately awaits news of their missing family. More than 70 years later, the couple’s great-grandchildren find themselves facing the same question as their ancestors: "Are we safe?" This celebrated work by the author of Bad Jews and Significant Other is about history, home and the effects of an ancient hatred. The New York Times calls it "thought-provoking, heart-wrenching and wickedly funny." Directing is David Cromer, a Tony Award® winner for The Band's Visit.
The performances by the ensemble, both veterans and newcomers, are exemplary, with Aidem perhaps the standout as the mother desperately trying to hold everything together in the face of eternal forces. Only Edwards seems a bit out of place, and not only because of his celebrity relative to the rest of the cast. But his performance may sharpen as the run goes on.
With so many characters and so many themes, the work could feel overwhelming. But Cromer, as he has done so often, ensures the show flows smoothly and feels much shorter than its running time. However, neither the play, which can feel overwritten at times, nor the production is perfect. For example, Takeshi Kata’s set design is visually too spare for such a long show while Sarah Laux’s costumes feel uninspired. Still, we should be profoundly grateful that a work of such ambition, scope and importance has made it to the stage, not once but twice. The many questions the play poses, not just Marcelle’s, are like most prayers: necessary but not easily answered.
2022 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2024 | Broadway |
Manhattan Theatre Club Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Betsy Aidem |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Play | Prayer for the French Republic |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Amith Chandrashaker |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Betsy Aidem |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Joshua Harmon |
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