Judgment Day NYC Reviews and Tickets

79%

(96 Reviews)

Positive

88%

Mixed

12%

Negative

Members say

Great staging, Ambitious, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Great acting

About the Show

Director Richard Jones returns to the Armory with this rarely-performed 1937 moral drama in a new adaptation by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award-winning playwright Christopher Shinn.

From the show:

Ödön von Horváth’s play is an intriguing hybrid of theatrical genres: part moral fable, part sociopolitical commentary, part noirish thriller. A dutiful train station master, performed by Emmy® Award-winning actor Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Deuce, and Slings & Arrows) is momentarily distracted and a tragic train crash results. This adaptation is a fresh take on who should bear responsibility for certain actions, a theme that resonates in today’s societal climate.

Having dazzled Armory audiences and critics alike with his mesmerizing revival of The Hairy Ape in 2017, visionary director Richard Jones returns to take on this gripping play in a new adaptation by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award®-winning playwright Christopher Shinn. Judgment Day dramatically plays on the interior of the Wade Thompson Drill Hall—reminiscent of the original Grand Central Depot and the great train stations of Europe—as an immersive environment in which the characters become overcome by the burden of guilt.

Member Reviews (96)

Great acting, Absorbing, Great story, Amazing production

See it if Great performances. Great story full of twists. Epic larger than life scale sets. Dark and full of pathos.

Don't see it if It drags at times but mostly briefly.

Entertaining, Dramatic, Great staging, Great acting

See it if You enjoy large scale productions. The staging is really great and so are the performances. Good story w/ some dramatic scenes.

Don't see it if You aren't looking for drama and prefer something light.

Critic Reviews (12)

"An Allegory of Blame, Goes Big: At the Park Avenue Armory, Odon von Horvath’s 1937 drama gets a rare and physically overwhelming staging."
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"At the Armory, 'Judgment Day' Shows Its Cast No Mercy"
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"A small play in an oversize production that dilutes any ripple effect the fable might have in 2019. One could imagine it being just as effective at Classic Stage Company or the BAM Harvey."
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"A Life Derails in Judgment Day: Christopher Shinn adapts Ödön von Horváth's rarely performed 1937 drama for Park Avenue Armory."
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"A Chilling Revival of Ödön von Horváth's 1937 Social Commentary 'JUDGMENT DAY'"
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"If the setting of 'Judgment Day' feels slightly unusual, its tone is strikingly similar to the work of such vintage directors as Fritz Lang, Robert Siodmak, and Billy Wilder, all of them Germans who fled the Nazi regime to become masters of the Hollywood film noir."
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4/5 Stars. "When ostensible autocratic leaders appear to be emerging in growing numbers today, it seems as if von Horváth's work has a potent relevance to a swelling contemporary plight."
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5/5 Stars. "Approached with imagination, skill and a clear sense of purpose, director Richard Jones' production is riveting, thought-provoking and ravishing."
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"The themes of herd mentality, moral responsibility, the pernicious effect of gossip and lies, and the shortcomings of the middle class are as timely today as when he wrote the play in 1937. Richard Jones' huge production gives the play the breadth that it needs to tell its story with stunning visual effects."
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A Theasy Best Bet. "A German play about pack mentality written in the 1930s strikes with its relevance in this grandiose production…I was hypnotized by the majestic grandeur of the scenery brought to life with bold and vigorous lighting design and the abundance of haze."
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"A 1937 play that feels very much of the moment is given an operatic staging at the Park Avenue Armory."
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"Equally importantly, and even more timely, the play is an indictment of mob mentality as the people in Hudetz's small town collectively first support him then condemn him, completely en masse. There's no evidence anyone thinks for himself or herself."
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