THE HANGOVER REPORT – Amelia Roper’s tantalizingly-structured ZÜRICH falls just short of its ambitions

Carolyn Holding and Austin Smith in Colt Coeur's production of "Zürich" by Amelia Roper at Next Door at NYTW.

Carolyn Holding and Austin Smith in Colt Coeur’s production of “Zürich” by Amelia Roper at Next Door at NYTW.

The brilliant Broadway revival of Tom Stoppard’s Travesties isn’t the only play causing fictitious mischief in Zurich, Switzerland. Indeed, the aptly-named new play Zürich by Amelia Roper – currently running Off-Broadway at Next Door at NYTW, courtesy of Colt Coeur – is also set in that hereinbefore idyllic Swiss city. The premise of Ms. Roper’s play is tantalizing. Set in a luxurious five-star hotel, Zürich is comprised of about a half dozen disparate but interlocking scenes which, when taken in totality, gradually reveal the unsustainable deficiencies of modern society.

However, despite its considerable promise, the play falls just short of its ambition of being a provocative, disquieting social critique. Ms. Roper’s characters seem to be operating on a plane of desperation that’s unearned, at least from the audience’s limited perspective of their respective situations. Nevertheless, I commend the playwright for experimenting with scene structure and thematic building blocks. Perhaps reexamining and adding some nuance to character motivation would benefit the play.

The production at NYTW’s intimate Next Door space, directed by Colt Coeur artistic director Adrienne Campbell-Holt, is stylish and handsomely-appointed – the sterile, glass-enclosed set design reminded me strongly of the harrowing production of Yerma at the Park Avenue Armory, which Zürich bears more than a passing resemblance to – which is even more impressive considering the production’s surely limited budget. The acting displayed by the show’s young cast was mostly solid, although some actors unfortunately felt the need to project in an overly broad manner. Subtle naturalism would have gone a long way in this case.

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ZÜRICH
Off-Broadway, Play
Colt Coeur at Next Door at NYTW
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Through May 4

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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