A group of New York theater people retreat to a house in the Hudson Valley hoping to get away from it all. Except they can’t seem to escape the ambitions, rivalries and fragile egos that follow them everywhere. Chekhov’s sharp satirical eye for hypocrisy and self-absorption among well-meaning people is given fresh, fun emphasis as Thomas Bradshaw returns to The New Group with his contemporary reworking of a classic masterpiece. Directed by The New Group’s Founding Artistic Director Scott Elliott.
Regrettably, the design elements were not enough to transport me into the world of the play. I found myself growing more and more impatient. Having lived for a year in the Catskills, this was not a Woodstock I recognized and certainly not with people I want to spend time. I am also fairly certain I never saw any seagulls there, but that's the least of the problems with The Seagull/Woodstock, NY.
Perhaps the best (the only?) way to enjoy this bagatelle is to abandon any notion of fidelity or depth and roll with the jokes. After all, The Seagull has survived innumerable treatments – respectful and otherwise – over the past 128 years. The play still has insights to impart, though they’re hard to discern here.
2020 | Off-Broadway |
2020 World Premiere Off-Broadway |
2023 | Off-Broadway |
The New Group Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
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