“mesmerizing…ravishing…But this production also rings with the primal pain of a working-class American who, once stripped of the identity of his job, discovers he belongs nowhere.” — The New York Times
“‘The Hairy Ape’ at the Park Avenue Armory Is Eugene O’Neill At His Most Epic…as staged in the 55,000 square foot space of NYC’s Park Avenue Armory, [it] is a work of art: a painting, or a puppet show perhaps. You don’t see it, so much as sink into it…It is not possible to look away, even for a moment.” — The Daily Beast
Written in 1921 by Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill, this iconic piece of expressionist drama is a searing social commentary of the divide between the rich and poor in the industrial age. This timeless story of class and identity gets a thrilling new life in a production by visionary director Richard Jones, who boldly reimagines his acclaimed staging at The Old Vic for the soaring Wade Thompson Drill Hall.
Tony-nominated actor Bobby Cannavale stars as Yank, the unthinking laborer who embarks on a search for a sense of belonging in a world controlled by the wealthy. His journey from the bowels of a transatlantic ocean liner to the wealthy neighborhoods of New York society literally revolves around the audience like the conveyer belt of a larger machine, serving as a metaphor for the struggle between the working man and the industrial complex found at the heart of the play. This fresh approach creates an inventive and contemporary rallying cry addressed as much to our own gilded age as to O’Neill’s that rattles the cages of capitalism.
Related Events
The Hairy Ape & New York City: Class and Identity
Friday, April 14 at 6:00pm — More Info
A Park Avenue Armory and Old Vic London Production
Eugene O’Neill, Playwright
Richard Jones, Director
Starring Bobby Cannavale
Stewart Laing, Designer
Aletta Collins, Choreographer
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Lighting Designer
Sarah Angliss, Composer and Sound Designer
Photo by Manuel Harlan
March 25–April 22, 2017
Performances:
Tuesday–Thursday at 7:30pm
Friday at 8:00pm
Saturday at 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday at 2:00pm
Wednesday at 2:00pm
and 7:30pm (April 12 and 19)
Tickets start at $30
Wade Thompson Drill Hall
This performance is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.
Assistive Listening Devices are available for this performance.
Purchase tickets to four or more events to get the best seats and save up to 20%!
Other ways to buy:
Phone M–F 10am–6pm (212) 933-5812
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2017 Season Sponsors:
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