The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Lyra Theater, 2016) NYC Reviews and Tickets

70%

(18 Reviews)

Positive

78%

Mixed

Negative

17%

Members say

Great acting, Relevant, Absorbing, Intense, Resonant

About the Show

Lyra Theater updates Bertolt Brecht's 1941 satire about a demagogue coming to power in a democratic state to present-day America. Any resemblance to living persons is entirely coincidental.

Days before a major election, a low-level campaign worker opens a mysterious envelope. What he discovers transforms his perspective on power and politics in America. In this volatile moment, this modernized production of 'Arturo Ui' asks what happens when democracy becomes a circus and a nation's imagination runs wild?

Member Reviews (18)

Thought-provoking, Slow, Clever, Resonant

See it if you enjoy Brecht's symbolic use of the stage to comment on politics. Although Ui is supposed to represent Hitler, Trump fits the profile.

Don't see it if you are looking for surprises. This is a really well done but very predictable play. Like going to the opera with less singing.

Dramatizes steep political price to pay in allowing power-hungry thug to rise to lead govt; raul esparza turns in one of the most brilliantly campy performances of the year

See it if Esparza dramatizes, hilariously & chillingly, the steps in the development of a monstrous autocrat

Don't see it if you're not a fan of declamatory, heavily didactic Brechtian allegory/rise of Chicago mob = Nazis Read more

Critic Reviews (1)

"The company has inherited the play’s legacy, showing its relevance and making the piece an important theatrical examination of morality. It is a true testament to what theatre-makers can, and should, do...Director Noam Shapiro makes excellent choices to illuminate the complex story. The eight-person ensemble portrays over forty characters with astonishing clarity...It is superbly original and immediate, and exactly the right way to tackle the societal issues we all face today."
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