Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Tom Stoppard’s relatively brisk THE HARD PROBLEM poses large questions, with brilliant intellect and heart

• By drediman
• December 4, 2018
• No Comments

Chris O’Shea and Adelaide Clemens in LCT’s production of Tom Stoppard’s “The Hard Problem” at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

This past weekend, I caught the New York premiere of Tom Stoppard’s The Hard Problem at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater, courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater. This latest from Stoppard – arguably the greatest of living playwrights – tells the story of Hilary, the play’s smart, likable, but deeply troubled heroine who endures a sort of long-term, slow-burning existential crisis. Hilary’s dilemma stems from her need to believe in God and the possibility of goodness, versus a Darwinian reality in which consciousness is merely computer code and all behavior self-serving. I won’t divulge any spoilers, but I think it’s safe to say that she has good reason for her staunch and steadfast philosophical stance.

Despite the play’s relatively brisk running time (100-minutes, with no intermission), the play poses some rather large questions, many of which have occupied Stoppard throughout his brilliant, storied career. These include debates regarding science vs. religion, altruism vs. selfishness, the overriding power of real love, the nature of consciousness, and the existence of God. Heavy stuff, yes, but the play skillfully sprinkles these arguments throughout in a way that ultimately serves Hilary’s very human drama. Even if The Hard Problem ultimately isn’t tip top tier Tom Stoppard – in my book, that distinction would go to a three-way tie between The Real Thing, Arcadia, and The Coast of Utopia – it’s still miles more literate and intellectually robust than most plays out there.

I had seen the play’s world premiere at the National Theatre in London three years ago in a production directed by the then outgoing artistic director Nicholas Hytner. Although I admired that production, I found that it didn’t fully draw me in, even with its cosmic themes. I’m therefore very happy to report that director Jack O’Brien – a trusted and longtime interpreter of the Stoppard canon (he helmed the excellent New York productions of The Coast of Utopia and The Invention of Love) – has managed to tease out a compelling, elegantly-paced production of the play for LCT. In his hands, The Hard Problem is a lot warmer and accessible than I remember it being, which may be because of the grounded performances he’s coaxed from his fine cast. Particularly, in the central role of Hilary, young actress Adelaide Clemens gives a deeply-felt performance that’s the sorrowful, searching glue that holds Mr. O’Brien’s production together with brilliant intellect and heart.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THE HARD PROBLEM
Off-Broadway, Play
Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Through January 6