Five Models in Ruins, 1981
Closing: June 01, 2025Five Models in Ruins, 1981 - 2025 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
Claire Tow Theater
150 West 65 Street New York, NY 10023
Roberta (Elizabeth Marvel), a visionary fashion photographer, lands the gig of a lifetime - the cover of Vogue - but quickly learns it could be her downfall. Location is a nightmare. The models are vicious. Hair and makeup is MIA. And the cigarette supply is running dangerously low. As chaos escalates, Roberta must summon her strength and find the perfect light to capture a moment of beauty in a brutal world.
Set against the backdrop of a crumbling European estate in the aftermath of Princess Diana’s wedding, Five Models in Ruins, 1981 is a darkly comedic exploration of a woman grappling with the power of her own gaze.
Five Models in Ruins, 1981 - 2025 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Five Models in Ruins, 1981
FIVE MODELS IN RUINS, 1981: DRESSED FOR EXCESS
6 / 10
A situation that does not develop its promise significantly, Five Models in Ruins, 1981 features plenty of period name-checking (Basquiat, Ungaro, Prince, Roxy Music, Parker-Bowles, “some girl named Madonna?” et alia), a dance party, a thunderstorm, and a protracted scene of caterwauling misery meant to be cathartic—and possibly even comical—but which mostly appears horrifying. It is difficult, frankly, to determine the author’s intentions because these sequences, the often terse, sporadically amusing conversations and several scenes of parallel action are poorly staged and erratically paced by Morgan Green, the director.
'Five Models in Ruins, 1981’ offers mostly surface pleasures (Off Broadway review)
5 / 10
While the cast delivers these lines at a rapid clip under Morgan Green’s direction, Five Models seems content to skim the surface of fashion-world satire without going either very deep or broad — or committing to whether it wants to be a drama or a comedy. One moment, Roberta is earnestly teaching Grace how to adjust the aperture of the lens to achieve a perfect balance between light and shadow. The next, Tatiana is revealing that a photographer raped her at age 14 and Alex describes a plane crash in the Brazilian rain forest that forced her “to survive off the condensation of airplane windows” until the shoot itself was canceled because of a local coup.
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by A.A. Cristi - May 6, 2025
Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 is currently producing FIVE MODELS IN RUINS, 1981 – a new play by Caitlin Saylor Stephens directed by Morgan Green. Go inside opening night in new photos.
by A.A. Cristi - May 6, 2025
Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 is currently producing FIVE MODELS IN RUINS, 1981 – a new play by Caitlin Saylor Stephens directed by Morgan Green. Get a first look at the production in new video highlights!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 6, 2025
See what the critics are saying about Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3's Five Models in Ruins, 1981 – a new play by Caitlin Saylor Stephen. Read the reviews for the production here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - April 30, 2025
Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 is currently producing FIVE MODELS IN RUINS, 1981 – a new play by Caitlin Saylor Stephens directed by Morgan Green. Get a first look at photos here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - March 27, 2025
Earlier this week Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 began rehearsals for the world premiere of FIVE MODELS IN RUINS, 1981. See photos here and learn more about the production.
by Stephi Wild - March 19, 2025
Lincoln Center Theater's Board of Directors, incoming LCT Artistic Director Lear deBessonet and Executive Producer Bartlett Sher announced the completion of appointments for the new executive leadership team. Learn more here!
Five Models in Ruins, 1981 History
Other Productions of Five Models in Ruins, 1981
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