Burn / This

Burn This is playing at the Hudson Theatre located at 141 West 44th Street. It runs two hours thirty minutes with one intermission. The play closes on July 14, 2019.

The play premiered at Theatre 890, New York City on February 19, 1987 It transferred to Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre, opening on October 14, 1987 The play ran 437 performances and seven previews. Joan Allen won a Tony for best actress and Lou Liberatore was nominated for best actor.

Lanford Wilson is the playwright. He was born on April 13, 1937 and died on March 19, 1987. He won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Talley’s Folly in 1980. Three of his plays were nominated for Tony Awards for Burn This (1987), Talley’s Folly (1979) and Fourth of July (1980).

Michael Mayer is the director. He won a Tony Award for Spring Awakening (2007) and was nominated for two Tony Awards for Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002) and A View from the Bridge (1998).

Derek McLane is the scenic designer. He was nominated for three Tony Awards for Anything Goes (2011), Ragtime (2010) and Pajama Game (2006).

Clint Ramos is the costume designer. He won a Tony Award for Eclipsed (2016) and was nominated for a Tony Award for Once on this Island (2018).

Adam Driver was nominated for a Tony Award for Burn This (2019).

David Furr was nominated for a Tony Award for Noises Off (2016).

Brandon Uranowitz ws nominated for three Tony Awards for Burn This (2019), Falsettos (2017) and An American in Paris (2015).

The setting is “a loft in a converted cast-iron building, lower Manhattan. It’s 1987”.

Anna (Keri Russell) is on the floor smoking. Burton (David Furr) is pounding on the door. When she opens the door he gives her a big hug.

She just came back from spending time with her roommate’s family. Robbie was killed with his lover in a freak boat accident. Anna was there for the funeral. She is upset about the whole thing. Burton tells her he sold one of his plays.

When Burton leaves her other roommate Larry (Brandon Uranowitz) comes into the living room. He is gay.

Anna is a dancer and wants to concentrate on her dancing to eventually become a choreographer. Robbie was a dancer.

Six weeks later Robbie’s brother Pale (Adam Driver) shows up at night. He’s cursing up a storm about the parking. He is off the wall. Pale wants Robbie's clothes. Anna tells him that was six weeks ago. The clothes are in the basement come back in the morning. Pale breaks down about his brother's death. Anna lets him stay, their intimate.

As the play goes on her relationship with Burton fails. Pale becomes her main man.

The story is nice. But it’s hard to picture Pale and Anna in a relationship. I just couldn’t get into the story.

The cast is outstanding.

The set by Derek McLane and the costumes by Clint Ramos were impressive.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.