Kowalski
Closing: February 16, 2025Kowalski - 2025 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
Duke on 42nd Street
229 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036
Kowalski is a gripping play that transports audiences to a pivotal moment in theatrical history, exploring the tangled relationships and creative tensions surrounding Tennessee Williams (Robin Lord Taylor) as he crafts his masterpiece, A Streetcar Named Desire. Set in a 1947 Provincetown beach house, the play unfolds over one sultry night, blending sharp wit and emotional depth to unravel the dynamics between Williams, the fiery director Margo Jones (Alison Cimmet), the tempestuous Pancho Rodriguez (Sebastian Treviño), and a young, enigmatic Marlon Brando (Brandon Flynn). Kowalski offers a behind-the-scenes look at the raw forces that birthed one of the 20th century's greatest works, weaving memory and myth into a haunting exploration of ambition, artistry, and desire.
The production stars Robin Lord Taylor (“Gotham,” Netflix’s “You”) as Tennessee Williams and Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why) as Marlon Brando with Alison Cimmet (Broadway: Gary, Amelie) as Margo Jones, Ellie Ricker (Film: Y2K) at Jo and Sebastian Treviño (National Tour: On Your Feet) as Pancho Rodriguez.
Kowalski - 2025 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Kowalski
Theater ‘Kowalski’ reimagines Brando’s charged audition for Tennessee Williams
7 / 10
Ostrin takes his cue from Streetcar‘s tragic heroine, Blanche DuBois, who famously insisted, “I don’t want realism. I want magic.” Kowalski‘s deliberately artificial set-up makes Brando a far more crafty and underhanded man who goes to unexpected lengths to land the job; it also sometimes reduces many of the other players, including Williams himself, to caricatures in service of Brando’s ambition. Still, there are some effective moments, particularly in the way Ostrin orchestrates scenes that mirror key episodes in Streetcar — like Flynn-as-Brando’s version of the plaintive cry “Stella!” to his wounded lover. Kowalski offers a vision of the past that strays far from the shadows of the real, but ultimately settles for legerdemain rather than pure magic.
Kowalski Review: When Brando First Met Tennessee Williams
6 / 10
It is possible, I suppose – if you know nothing and/or care nothing about the real-life Tennessee Williams or Marlon Brando – to find “Kowalski” a fully satisfying theatrical experience. This would largely be because of Brandon Flynn. Flynn is now best-known for his role in the TV series “13 Reasons Why,” but I remember him vividly portraying the kidnapped child at the center of “Kid Victory,” the 2017 John Kander and Greg Pierce musical. Flynn’s performance moved us to identify with his character’s suffering, and joy, and confusion.The writing in “Kowalski” doesn’t get inside the characters in the same way, and when Flynn first appears, my main reaction was to size him up based on how accurately his voice and manner and appearance correlated to the real Brando. But by the end, his performance seemed less an impersonation, and more an argument for the power of a magnetic actor.
Category
1 - 4 of 4
Video: Robin Lord Taylor and Brandon Flynn Are Taking on Theater Titans in KOWALSKI
by Joey Mervis - February 10, 2025
by Joey Mervis - February 10, 2025
How did one of the greatest American plays come to be? Gregg Ostrin unpacks that very idea in his new off-Broadway play, Kowalski. Watch in this video as Robin Lord Taylor and Brandon Flynn chat more about what audiences can expect.
Review Roundup: KOWALSKI, Starring Robin Lord Taylor and Brandon Flynn
by Nicole Rosky - January 28, 2025
by Nicole Rosky - January 28, 2025
Gregg Ostrin’s Kowalski, directed by Colin Hanlon, is running at The Duke on 42nd Street, where it is set to run through February 23, 2025. Check out what the critics are saying about the new play...
KOWALSKI Extends Run at At The Duke on 42nd Street at New 42 Studios
by Chloe Rabinowitz - January 24, 2025
by Chloe Rabinowitz - January 24, 2025
Gregg Ostrin’s Kowalski, directed by Colin Hanlon, has extended its Off-Broadway run at The Duke on 42nd Street. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets.
Photos: Robin Lord Taylor and Brandon Flynn in KOWALSKI
by Nicole Rosky - January 23, 2025
by Nicole Rosky - January 23, 2025
Discover the riveting new play 'Kowalski' by Gregg Ostrin at The Duke. Directed by Colin Hanlon, the play delves into Tennessee Williams' first encounter with Marlon Brando. See exclusive photos of Robin Lord Taylor and Brandon Flynn in this theatrical masterpiece.
Kowalski History
Other Productions of Kowalski
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
Videos