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.
You know a piece of theater has done something right when, many days later, it is still provoking pin-pricks of intrigue, revelation, and mystery in one’s mind. And so it is with Stereophonic (Playwrights Horizons, to Nov. 26)—one of the most original, stunningly designed, and technically dazzling plays in New York right now. Stereophonic is a must-experience, rather than simply a must-see.
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.
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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