David Adjmi’s Stereophonic zooms in on a music studio in the mid-1970s, where an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. Will the ensuing pressures spark their breakup — or their breakthrough? Featuring original music by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, this intimate, electric play mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation.
There’s a lot to admire about Stereophonic. The cast gives feel-real performances under the thoughtful direction of Daniel Aukin. David Zinn's recording studio set could pass for the real thing. Enver Chakartash's costumes, particularly the chunky-heeled huaraches, could have walked out of a ’70s closet. On the B-side (er, downside), Adjmi calls the play a “love letter to artists.” In terms of fresh ideas about the creative process, the play doesn’t deliver an LP’s worth of insights. In the end, it feels like a song we’ve heard before.
Fortunately, for Adjmi and viewers alike, Daniel Aukin’s production of the work, now on view at Playwrights Horizons, could not be more immaculate – from David Zinn’s unbelievable re-creation of a California recording studio (aided by the superb sound design by Ryan Rumery) to the stunningly authentic costumes by Enver Charkatash (flares, flares, everywhere), to the deeply-felt performances by a mostly little-known, seven-person cast.
2023 | Off-Broadway |
Playwrights Horizons Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
2024 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Costume Design | Enver Chakartash |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Director | Daniel Aukin |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play | Eli Gelb |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Lighting Design | Jiyoun Chang |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Play | David Adjmi |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Scenic Design | David Zinn |
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Sound Design | Ryan Rumery |
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