22 years in the future, two lab assistants hatch a plan that could change the world. All they need are a few volunteers. A raucous and provocative world premiere by Kate Douglas about sacrifice, ambition, and honeybees, directed by Kate Whoriskey (Clyde’s).
That’s the setup, if nowhere near the payoff, of the “The Apiary,” a bright, strange and mesmerizing marvel by Kate Douglas, making her professional playwriting debut with this Off Off Broadway production. Unlike most such debuts, though, “The Apiary,” which opened on Tuesday at Second Stage’s Tony Kiser Theater, is receiving a nearly perfect, first-class staging under the almost too good direction of Kate Whoriskey.
There’s a reason Twilight Zones episodes were a mere half-hour, including commercials. Most of the episodes’ premises, however ingenious, couldn’t really sustain a longer running time. The new play by Kate Douglas receiving its world premiere at Second Stage Theater could have fit in nicely in Rod Serling’s classic series, thanks to its vaguely futuristic setting and blending of sci-fi and horror. Unfortunately, The Aviary, which clocks in at a relatively brief but draggy 70 minutes, lacks the substance to fuel an evening of theater, feeling simultaneously underdeveloped and overlong.
2024 | Off-Broadway |
Second Stage Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | The Lortels | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play | Carmen M. Herlihy |
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