In Bed with Roy Cohn
About the show
As Roy Cohn, the brilliant attorney with an excessive appetite for men, money and drugs, lies on his deathbed, all the people from his past resurface to render judgment on his life. More…
Both loathed and adored, Roy Cohn remains a mystery to many. Citizens of prominence were fiercely loyal to him, and he counted among his friends celebrities like Barbara Walters and Ronald Reagan. Roy’s relationships with his controlling mother, his housekeeper, his lover, Barbara Walters, Julius Rosenberg, and his own inner child are explored. On his deathbed, Roy is faced with the ultimate question: has he led a good and honorable life or a life filled with mistakes and lies? What must he do in order to die in peace?
"Katrin Hilbe directs it all with the precision of a ballet master, the actors leaping across stage, hustling in and out of new costumes...Everything is executed flawlessly, even though not all of it seems necessary. The frenetic onstage activity ranges from dramatically illuminating (a wild night at the disco) to distasteful (Julius Rosenberg doing the electric slide)...Cohn's motivation for all his fevered activity is somewhat obscured by the play's muscular theatricality." Full Review
"Her play is a more comedic look at the iconic character and is staged with the fractured finesse of a fairy tale mingled with the somewhat hallucinatory trappings of an extended dream ballet. This is a good thing and meets with limited success...'In Bed With Roy Cohn' needs considerable tightening but provides a smorgasbord of light fare that will satisfy the palate of theatregoers not familiar with the antics of Roy Cohn and entertain those who enjoy a quick dose of comedy and farce." Full Review
"How many times do we have to be hit over the head with the same points? We get it, let’s move on. There’s one word that sums up this production: frenetic...'In Bed With Roy Cohn' has too much fat, which should be cut, and too little meat, despite the rich vein that could be mined...Yes there is a great play in the life of Roy Cohn, but this isn’t it." Full Review
"Katrin Hilbe’s direction goes to great lengths to salvage this piece. The cast is consistently spot on both as individual characters and as a chorus that both supports and taunts Cohn while he sheds his mortal coil. None of this, however, is enough to cover up the fact that there is no play here. As I said, the actors give it everything they have and then some. They deserve battle pay. At least the rest of us get to leave this behind when we exit the theatre." Full Review
"The play was just an assortment of ideas with no rhyme or reason. Roy Cohn’s journey to death may be interesting for a scene. But it’s been done before." Full Review
"As Roy advances toward unconsciousness, the images are more rushed, and Roy is more frightened and desperate. Frankly, by then I was thinking, oh, just get it over with. He’s a fascinating figure in American history, but what’s on view in 'In Bed with Roy Cohn' is little more than unenlightening bad behavior. I hope the real Roy Cohn, wretched fellow though he was, had fever dreams that made more sense than this." Full Review
"This show told nothing new, gave no tangible insights and despite all the stage movement by a very ADD choreographer Lisa Shriver, was beyond boring and seemed never ending. Katrin Hilbe directed this clumsy mess of a show almost in the round, so expect a lot of neck turning." Full Review
"Nothing at all illuminating is presented about Cohn during the frenetic action...'In Bed With Roy Cohn' can at the very least be considered one of 2015's absolute worst...Condolences go out to them all. Surely, not a transgression in any of their pasts called for this kind of cruel and unusual punishment." Full Review
"A painful 90 minutes...God bless the cast, though. They are doing their best to scoop water from this inevitable Titanic and they all deserve better material...I really thought that 'Doctor Zhivago' would walk off with the prize of being the worst theatrical experience of 2015, but my vote was premature: 'In Bed With Roy Cohn' currently holds that title." Full Review
See it if Although this was directed with panache and the acting excellent, the play was a mess and made no sense. Dramaturgy needed!
Don't see it if You need a play with a developed script and a character who is dynamic and not a stereotype.
See it if you have an interest in plays about Roy Cohn and want to see a great performance.
Don't see it if you expect a fresh approach to the subject of Roy Cohn and his misadventures.
See it if you want creative staging and a brush-up on your Roy Cohn history.
Don't see it if you want a play that isn't ready to be staged.
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