Four-time Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad (A Doll's House, Part 2) stars as one of history's greatest heroines in a major new production of Bernard Shaw's epic work directed by Daniel Sullivan (Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes).
Set in 15th century France, Saint Joan follows a country girl whose mysterious visions propel her into elite circles. When the nation's rulers become threatened by her popularity and influence, they unite to bring her down and she finds herself on trial for her life. This timeless and powerful play dramatizes the limits of an individual in a society dominated by overwhelming political and religious forces.
Burn me at the stake for heresy if you must, but I'll say it. Even when done well, Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan is a slog. And since Manhattan Theatre Club's Broadway revival of the 1923 play isn't done very well, it's even more of a slog than usual. The production has been anticipated for the starring turn of three-time Tony nominee Condola Rashad in the title role. Unfortunately, this talented actress fails to galvanize the lengthy proceedings, making the play feel longer than it is. And at nearly three talk-filled hours, it's already very long.
Any production of the play thus hangs on how the director and star decide to deal with the negatively defined presence at its center. In Daniel Sullivan's thoughtful if mostly becalmed staging at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater on Broadway, he and Condola Rashad, his chipper Joan, stick close to the author's brief. Their Maid of Orleans is, as Shaw writes in the play's preface, 'a born boss.'
1923 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1936 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1951 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1956 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1968 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1977 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1993 | Broadway |
Broadway |
2013 | Off-Broadway |
Theatre Bedlam Production Off-Broadway |
2018 | Broadway |
Manhattan Theatre Club Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Condola Rashad |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Condola Rashad |
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