Ivo Van Hove's "The Misanthrope"

Photo/Joan Marcus

Now that The Misanthrope has opened, let me make perfectly clear that you must see this play. For all the surprises, excitement, and graphic imagery that Ivo Van Hove has managed to cram into this revival of a solid Moliere "comedy," it'd be a crime for me to really spoil the effects, so don't read my review unless you've seen the play first. Trust me: it's a raw experience, well worth your time. It's overwhelmingly visceral (you'll smell it), astonishingly animal (you'll recoil or lean into it), and flawlessly acted (the things actors will do for their craft). Pay close attention to Bill Camp and Jeanine Serralles (it won't be hard with Tal Yarden's video design, or Jan Versweyveld's self-reflective set), as they're really defining these roles . . . and rhyming couplets to boot (Tony Harrison's acerbic 1973 translation). This is a rare all-in-one theatrical work that more than revives: it resurrects.

[Read on] [Also blogged by: David]