Part riveting historical drama, part scorching satire, Talene Monahon’s MEET THE CARTOZIANS pulls back the curtain on a startling chapter of American history you may never have heard.
This bold, witty new play follows two sets of Armenian Americans: one man fighting for legal recognition in the 1920s, while a century later, his descendant fights for followers and a competent glam team. A wildly imaginative and deeply compelling story of culture and heritage, MEET THE CARTOZIANS asks who gets to belong—and at what cost?
David Cromer directs, and a hallmark of his many stellar productions is the actors’ comic timing. No one directs comedy better than Cromer; he invariably finds the humor in adversity. And there’s something else that makes him one of the great directors: He champions and takes on plays by writers even an avid theatergoer has probably never heard of. This autumn, he preceded “Cartozians” with the exquisite “Caroline” by Preston Max Allen. If Cromer is directing, you know it’s worth seeing.
Diverted as they are, some audience members will likely wish for more closure in the play’s themes and subplots. If there’s sentiment that several of the scenes could be trimmed, I can’t disagree. Still, there’s no denying the poignancy of Monahon’s coda, which simply and delicately brings two Armenian Americans together on the most basic human level. Which is surely where we should all have been meeting Cardozians, and each other, all along.
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
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