THE HANGOVER REPORT – Joshua Harmon’s remarkable ADMISSIONS stealthily challenges the status quo

Andrew Garman, Jessica Hecht, and Ben Edelman in Joshua Harmon's "Admissions" at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre, courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater.

Andrew Garman, Jessica Hecht, and Ben Edelman in Joshua Harmon’s “Admissions” at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre, courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater.

This afternoon, I caught a performance of Joshua Harmon’s remarkable Admissions at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre, courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater. Along with Stephen Karam’s works (The Humans, Sons of the Prophet), Mr. Harmon’s previous plays Bad Jews and Significant Other represent some of the most fully realized and skillful playwriting of recent seasons. Their ability to raise provocative questions without compromising  accessibility and artistic integrity have made them commercially viable property, as well as favorites among regional theaters.

I’m happy to report that Admissions finds Mr. Harmon is in tip-top shape. The play takes into account the ideals – and the built-in contradictions – that fuel liberal, upper middle class America. The piece explores this theme through the lens of a progressive high school admissions officer, played with finesse and subtle intensity by Jessica Hecht, at an elite New England boarding school. Her life’s work to bring diversity to the school comes into question when her son, as a young white man (and a senior at the school), is faced with the realities of affirmative action. Race, history, and current systems come into focus and are questioned in ways that stealthily challenge the status quo.

Luckily, the Lincoln Center Theater production is impeccable. Director Daniel Aukin creates a world that’s naturalistic, but with a touch of poetic surrealism. This directorial approach smartly allows Mr. Harmon’s intelligent, passionate tirades and debates – many of them fiendishly entertaining – to take center stage, while retaining just the right amount of specificity. Because really, the playwright is addressing a much larger systemic disfunction that underlies our society. As mentioned, Ms. Hecht is sensational, as is the rest of the  stellar cast of five. In particular, Ben Edelman, who plays Ms. Hecht’s son, is giving a zealous, standout performance. Admissions is one of the very best plays (and productions) of the season. Don’t miss it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

 

ADMISSIONS
Off-Broadway, Play
Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre
1 hour, 45 minutes (without an intermission)
Through May 6

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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