Across a void of thousands of miles and oceans of hurt, two half-brothers tentatively reconnect over the care of their ailing mother. Grangeville is a new play about the fallibility of memory, the stories we tell to make sense of our suffering, and the complexity of forgiveness.
Arnold is firmly in control of the play, the situation, and his emotions; until, suddenly, he isn’t. Actor Brian J. Smith—who might be remembered for his Tony-nominated role of the Gentleman Caller in the Cherry Jones/Celia Keenan-Bolger production of The Glass Menagerie—offers a wonderfully shaded performance. Jerry, meanwhile, calls for a wide range of character-shading. Paul Sparks is so true in the initial scenes—during which the author seems to have painted an intentionally stereotyped picture—that his performance becomes almost startingly impressive as the 90-minute play progresses.
While the design team does much dramaturgical lifting, the acting is equally superb. Just when you think you’ve seen every vocal twang or behavioral quirk from the longtime secret weapon Paul Sparks, he whips up another virtuosic portrait of a damaged, complicated weirdo (they tend to be more country than urban).
2025 | Off-Broadway |
Signature Theatre Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Jack Serio |
2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Playe | Paul Sparks |
2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | Samuel D. Hunter |
2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play | Paul Sparks |
2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play | Grangeville |
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