Burn This NYC Reviews and Tickets

“Nasty and big as a tree, Driver’s Pale is a one-note samba in a play that cries out for subtlety and nuance. There is nothing about Driver that inspires sympathy...In the shadow of his loutish and overwhelming performance...Russell seems colorless...’Burn This’ offers a chance to absorb a play that is based on the ...writing instead of the...’concept’...Even if this production offers more ashes than flames...’Burn This’ is still earnest, riveting and well worth a visit.”
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"Absolutely delightful, witnessing Adam Driver, in an utterly captivating turn...The slightly discordant element for the audience here is forming the belief that this woman of inordinate self-control would have the patience for such a potential romantic train wreck; Russell never gives the impression that her Anna is capable of letting go to the degree that would seem necessary...Though, we are all so in the thrall of Driver...that we believe in his ability to turn Anna’s head. He’s such a natural force."
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“If you come to ‘Burn This’ expecting fireworks from Driver and Russell, be patient: The play takes a while to combust...It does some 20 minutes on, when Driver bursts in...Mayer’s fine cast plays up the humor, and then some...Driver and Russell have palpable chemistry, even as the prospect of becoming a couple terrifies Anna and Pale...That we want it for them is a sign that ‘Burn This’ isn’t just blowing smoke.”
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“Mayer’s kinetic, consistently engaging production...Pale is a fantastically chewy part...And Driver owns every moment of it...Russell looks gorgeous...But she doesn’t seem entirely comfortable on stage...Driver moves through it all like his own weather system, maybe the most entertaining hurricane onstage this year...It’s too bad that the love story between Anna and Pale never completely convinces us that they are in fact, on fire; it sparks and smolders, but it’s not quite that kind of burn.”
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"Russell captures Anna’s struggle...Driver’s combative performance is not so different from his impulsive angry man persona on 'Girls,' but it nevertheless suits Pale. However, Russell and Driver lack the nuanced interplay and explosive electricity necessary to make the drama (which is rather thin and has lost shock value over the years) come alive...The production becomes increasingly static and empty over the course of two and a half hours of long-winded scenes."
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“While the performance overshadows the play itself, there's no denying Driver and Russell together are smokin' hot...Wilson clearly had a lot more on his mind than penning a romantic drama...But the ideas are never fully developed and Wilson falls back on contrivances that bring Anna and Pale back together. The performances are all excellent...Mayer does the best he can with the imperfect play, and though over-long, the production catches fire every time Driver enters the room.”
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“The predictable storyline plays like a mildly entertaining movie of the week, with little depth...Fortunately, this production features an explosive performance that heats things up. Driver's blazing-hot portrayal of...Pale ignites the stage like a force of nature...Driver's outsize performance does, however, have the effect of dwarfing other characters. The biggest casualty is Russell's Anna...So much so that they never develop convincing chemistry.”
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“The phrase ‘toxic masculinity’ wasn't exactly in the vernacular in 1987...So perhaps coked-up, homophobic, violently aggressive, possessive bullies were considered sexier than they are now...Generally well-acted production...Russell gives a fine, thoughtful performance as Anna...As played by Driver, Pale’s a thuggish bulldozer...There is little texture and why the mature, introspective Anna is lured to him is never quite apparent.”
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