Enrico IV, A monologue NYC Reviews and Tickets

79%

(11 Reviews)

Positive

82%

Mixed

18%

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Confusing, Ambitious, Intelligent, Profound

About the Show

KIT (Kairos Italy Theater) presents this world-premiere adaptation of Luigi Pirandello's classic drama.

Here comes the King! Or, rather, here comes a man who took a fall, hit his head, and now believes himself to be King Henry IV. Is he mad, or is this just his way of telling the truth to those around him? Pirandello’s central theme of madness vs. the mask that society forces us to wear is the focus of this new adaptation. In this monologue, Enrico IV speaks only his own words from the play. 'Enrico IV, A monologue' is part of KIT's 'AlieNation' series, and is being performed in repertory with 'A Story of Love and Soccer/The Journey I Never Made.'

Member Reviews (11)

Ambitious, Confusing, Dizzying, Great acting, Intelligent

See it if Sisto's bravado performance in this rarely seen Pirandello drama is reason enough to go His riveting work holds attention throughout

Don't see it if Adaption strips all characters except thru Enrico's responces to them Often causes confusion & loss of focus but enforces delusional quality

Clever, Surprisingly simple but innovative approach, Profound, Great acting

See it if you agree we’re all mad here; you’re interested in textual experiments that result in fresh looks at established characters

Don't see it if you’ll feel cheated by hearing only 1 character’s perspective out of context from the larger play, dislike spare solo shows, or missing info Read more

Confusing, Intense, Quirky, Slow, Great acting

See it if you are interested in English translation and adaptation of a portion of a 20th Century Italian play referencing an historical Italian king.

Don't see it if you are tired, easily bored, or generally dislike a one-man monologue with minimal staging, costume and action. Must read playbill pre-show.

Ambitious, Great acting, Confusing, Masterful, Quirky

See it if You are a fan of Rocco Sisto and are familiar with the Pirandello play, Rocco is brilliant but it helps to know the play

Don't see it if You don't like monolog format or don't know the original . You'll be lost. Read more

Absorbing, Great acting

See it if Rocco Sisto is superb, He alone got the 90 score. The complexity of Pirandello’s play is driven by Erico’s madness and his responses to

Don't see it if you do not like psychological plays Read more

Brilliant performance, Entertaining, Intense, Gorgeous concept

See it if for the amazing acting performance of Rocco Sisto. His transitions from mad to sane and back again are so controlled and clever.

Don't see it if you haven't read/seen the full play by Pirandello. I arrived early enough to read the synopsis in the program which helped a lot.

Ambitious, Confusing, Disappointing

See it if You're intimately familiar with the original play and want to see an attempted rework.

Don't see it if You expect a coherent and engaging experience. Read more

Amazing acting, Still relevant, Intelligent, Thought-provoking

See it if you like to see an actor give a tour-de-force performance in an original edition of a well-known play

Don't see it if you have trouble concentrating on words

Critic Reviews (1)

“Not so much an adaptation as a digest...This production, by dispensing with all the characters that surround Enrico in the original text, becomes more unadulterated tragedy than perhaps originally intended. While there is much to praise in Sisto’s forceful performance, the critique of Enrico’s social milieu is somewhat weakened by the absence of the visitors, whose hypocritical propriety, which Enrico repeatedly mocks, also functioned as a humorous counterpoint to his own, enraged, contempt.”
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