7 / 10
There’s a nostalgia evident in the show and in the cast’s performances, and as their relationship and health drama unfolds, it borders on honorific. Yet the tactility of these characters’ lives struggles to materialize despite solid performances and a fine text.
6 / 10
Director-scenic designer Dustin Wills’ production delivers a jaw-dropping effect at the end of Act I as Bruin’s past implodes. Act II pushes the magical realism further, expanding on a rich tradition of using the supernatural to express the unspeakable trauma of the AIDS crisis. In this way, Spinella’s presence is a profound, full-circle moment for American queer theater. His latest role bridges the historical trauma of the epidemic (he originated the roles in Broadway’s Angels in America and the film adaptation of Love! Valour! Compassion!) with contemporary storytelling.
Stephen Spinella has spent decades helping define queer theater through work like ANGELS IN AMERICA. Now, the Tony Award winner is bringing his talents to JEROME, a moving new play that explores love, companionship & survival in the early 1990s.
JEROME, a new play by John J. Caswell Jr., has officially opened at Playwrights Horizons. Directed by Dustin Wills, the production stars Stephen Spinella, Tyrone Mitchell Henderson, and Ken Barnett. Critics have released their reviews following opening night.
The upcoming production of Jerome has announced its cast and creative team ahead of its spring 2026 run at The Judith O. Rubin Theater. Learn more about the show here!
