9 / 10
This doesn’t sound like a barrel-o-laughs, but Yee’s play, which opened Monday at Signature Theater, is as funny as it is smart. This is a comedy with a lot on its mind, like Talene Monahon’s recent “Meet the Cartozians,” in which issues about Armenian identity brushed up against modern American pop culture.
5 / 10
While bemoaning the childish concept of “unprecedented times,” Mother Russia launches into a Wikipedia-level Russian history lesson, quotes Billy Joel's “We Didn’t Start The Fire,” and somberly ends with references to “the Donbas region. Navalny.” The moment earned some contemplative murmurs from the audience, but it felt more rehearsed than reflective, if you’ll pardon the theatre pun. Mother Russia, both the character and the play, beg the audience to find her funny and smart in a way that sabotages its own story.
Lauren Yee’s Mother Russia has extended its run at Signature Theatre. Performances will now run through March 22 at the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre.
Read reviews for Mother Russia at Signature Theatre, the New York premiere of Lauren Yee’s dark comedy directed by Teddy Bergman. The production stars Steven Boyer, Adam Chanler-Berat, Rebecca Naomi Jones, and David Turner and runs through March 15.
Works & Process will present a chance to go behind the scenes with Signature Theatre resident artists Lauren Yee and Heather Christian about their upcoming productions: Mother Russia and Animal Wisdom.
The cast has been revealed for Signature Theatre's upcoming off-Broadway production of Lauren Yee’s Mother Russia. Performances are scheduled from Feb. 3 through March 15 at the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre.
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | The Lortels | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play | David Turner |
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