Review Roundup: ULSTER AMERICAN at Irish Repertory Theatre

Critics are sharing their thoughts on Ulster American at Irish Repertory Theatre, running  through May 10.

The production stars Matthew Broderick, Max Baker, and Geraldine Hughes.

Roma Torre, New York Stage Review: David Ireland knows how to touch a nerve with his biting dialogue. As sparks fly, nasty truths emerge between his three characters; and the humor is strikingly dark. There were intermittent gasps throughout the 80 minute one-act as audience members were stunned to hear the obscene comments that flew so off-handedly out of Jay’s mouth.

Michael Sommers, New York Stage Review: Ciarán O’Reilly, Irish Rep’s producing artistic director, gives the comedy a handsome production with a cozy setting designed by Charlie Corcoran in greens and tartans. Generally mellow lighting devised by Michael Gottlieb and the costumes designed by Orla Long are so subtly done for the intimate 148-seat theater as to be scarcely noticeable. Yet these visuals contribute to the atmosphere and can provide insights about the characters, such as how Jay, the silver-haired movie star, dresses himself as casually and youthfully as possible in a T-shirt and faded jeans.

Thom Geier, Culture Sauce: But there’s a herky-jerky quality to the production, starting with director Ciarán O’Reilly’s uneven pacing and odd blocking. (After an opening scene with Broderick and Baker mostly seated, he has Hughes and Baker merry-go-round Charlie Corcoran’s cozy set in a way that makes utterly no sense for characters quietly discussing Jay’s out-there behavior while the actor’s out of the room.) The other problem is Broderick. While he nails the solipsism of a man who’s lived in pampered privilege so long that he’s oblivious to the impression he actually gives, the actor continues his recent run of highly recessive performances capped by unorthodoxly mannered line readings.

Brian Scott Lipton, Cititour: Instead, we are about to laugh – but not as we first expected – as we watch David Ireland’s pitch-black, provocative, and political comedy, “Ulster American,” boasting unsurprisingly superb performances from stage favorites Max Baker and Geraldine Hughes, and (perhaps a surprise) the liveliest, most engaged work I’ve seen from Matthew Broderick in many years!

Average Rating: 70.0%