THE INVISIBLE HAND at NYTW

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 11/19/14 at 4:37pm

Previews for this start tonight. Anyone going?

[mar6411]

Posted: 11/29/14 at 8:58am

Bump.

Has anyone seen this and care to comment?

Thanks.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 11/29/14 at 9:36am

I saw this Sunday night and really enjoyed it. An American stock advisor, Nick Bright, is being held prisoner in Pakistan. His captors want $10 million, but they can only get $3 million – maybe $5 million, at most, and that’s not enough. To save his life (which may or may not really be in danger), Bright teaches his kidnappers to game the stock market to make up the difference, and when the money starts rolling in, so does the double dealing, and it turns out, unsurprisingly, that loyalties – not just personal, but ideological – only extend as far as the next dollar.

The play is short and dense, full of digressions on market mechanics and the global and local socioeconomics of Pakistan. That may sound dry, but all of the information doled out is necessary not only to follow the plot, but also to become invested in the characters’ stakes, and the actors – especially Justin Kirk and Usman Ally, whose responsibilities most of these digressions are – keep things compelling and tense.

There are a lot of big ideas at play, and if I had the luxury of time and money, I’d love to see it again, already knowing the plot, to really focus on playwright Ayad Akhtar’s intricate connections between religious, economic, and political systems. Akhtar has a lot on his mind, but it’s tied from soup to nuts into the personal drama, and what he ultimately has to say about human behavior operating within these systems feels frighteningly – maybe depressingly – accurate.

The set design is stark, convincing, and even holds a couple of little surprises. Someone over on ATC mentioned the sound design, and they are right. It’s minimal, but extremely effective in giving the action a sense of realism and immediacy. (For the faint of heart, be warned – there is a loud and startling gunshot.)

The show curtain is a flashy, plush red velvet with the title whimsically scrolled in bold Comic Sans, and Justin Kirk will sign your Prior Walter dime bags in the lobby.

Updated On: 11/29/14 at 09:36 AM

[mar6411]

Posted: 11/29/14 at 2:40pm

Thank you. Much appreciated.

[josiahsjosiah]

Posted: 11/30/14 at 12:30pm

running time?

[April Saul]

Posted: 12/7/14 at 6:50pm

Wow, I saw this today and it was so good! Suspenseful, thought-provoking and as worthy as Disgraced was to make a Broadway transfer. I've always loved Justin Kirk so I may be a bit prejudiced...but I thought he was terrific as were the other actors. Highly recommend...and for that other poster who asked, it was just a bit under two hours, one intermission...length felt just right

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 12/8/14 at 3:57am

Man Ayad is just batting 100 , all three of his shows this year are probably in my top 10.

[macnyc]

Posted: 12/14/14 at 10:03pm

Wow, what a great show. My friend and I got the $20 Sunday night seats, and we were in the first row. Terrific view! I agree with everything themysteriousgrowl said, except for the part about the show curtain, which I'm taking to be a joke. It's playing until January 4. Don't miss it!



Updated On: 12/15/14 at 10:03 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 1:11pm

It's a little over 2 hours.

I saw it in previews and liked it. I haven't seen Disgraced yet so I can't compare, but on its own I thought it was pretty solid. And it's always great to see Justin Kirk, who really, really needs to do more theater.