Ulster American Off-Broadway Tickets, News, Info & More
Irish Repertory Theatre
132 West 22nd St.(between 6th & 7th Aves) New York, NY 10011
On the evening before rehearsals begin for her new work, Ulster-born playwright Ruth Davenport (Geraldine Hughes) visits the home of English director Leigh Carver (Max Baker), along with Oscar-winning Hollywood star Jay Conway (Matthew Broderick) who has just arrived in London to star in the world premiere. What begins as a cordial gathering to discuss the upcoming production quickly descends into a brutal psychological brawl as egos, ideologies, and historical baggage collide. A theatrical hand grenade disguised as a drawing-room comedy, Ulster American explosively reveals some raw contradictions at the heart of modern storytelling and political posturing.
Ulster American - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Ulster American
Ulster American: Satirical Savagery
6 / 10
Ciarán O’Reilly, Irish Rep’s producing artistic director, gives the comedy a handsome production with a cozy setting designed by Charlie Corcoran in greens and tartans. Generally mellow lighting devised by Michael Gottlieb and the costumes designed by Orla Long are so subtly done for the intimate 148-seat theater as to be scarcely noticeable. Yet these visuals contribute to the atmosphere and can provide insights about the characters, such as how Jay, the silver-haired movie star, dresses himself as casually and youthfully as possible in a T-shirt and faded jeans.
Matthew Broderick sends up Hollywood narcissism in ‘Ulster American’ (Off Broadway review)
6 / 10
But there’s a herky-jerky quality to the production, starting with director Ciarán O’Reilly’s uneven pacing and odd blocking. (After an opening scene with Broderick and Baker mostly seated, he has Hughes and Baker merry-go-round Charlie Corcoran’s cozy set in a way that makes utterly no sense for characters quietly discussing Jay’s out-there behavior while the actor’s out of the room.) The other problem is Broderick. While he nails the solipsism of a man who’s lived in pampered privilege so long that he’s oblivious to the impression he actually gives, the actor continues his recent run of highly recessive performances capped by unorthodoxly mannered line readings.
Ulster American History
Other Productions of Ulster American
| 2023 | West End |
West End |
| 2026 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
Videos