Shadow of Heroes NYC Reviews and Tickets

82%

(14 Reviews)

Positive

100%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Great acting, Intelligent, Relevant, Great staging

About the Show

Metropolitan Playhouse's revival follows the intertwined lives of three friends and lovers from the liberation of Hungary from the Nazis in 1945 to its invasion by the Soviet army in 1956.

The play paints a vivid portrait of ideological zeal corrupting its adherents, of falsehoods deployed to protect the interests of the powerful, of anointed leaders of a Faith betraying its tenets, of chaos and suspicion at the core of an autocratic government, and ultimately of a victimized woman's story stirring a national movement.

Member Reviews (14)

Slow, Relevant, Intense, Ambitious, Bleak

See it if you like straightforward historical content. Hungary's history in mid-20thc is harrowing and highly relevant. Mostly strong acting. Good set

Don't see it if you prefer lite fare. SOH is grim w/ torture/betrayal. Impt history that's engaging, but not entertaining. 2 3/4 hrs. In-the-round staging.

Epic, Absorbing, Intelligent, Historical, Disturbing

See it if 3 idealists help the USSR take Hungary from Hitler, only to be oppressed by the Soviet occupation. Devastatingly personal view of history.

Don't see it if You aren't interested in watching carefully researched history come to life. 5 acts, 2.5 hrs. Effects of police state, betrayal, torture.

Critic Reviews (4)

"A heroic revival...Its crystalline voice reverberates into our own time, causing chills...The metatheatrical conceit of having a character named 'Author' step in and provide context works exceptionally well...Roe takes full advantage of this device in his minimalist staging...The performances powerfully resurrect these historical figures...This isn't just the stale 'relevant' theater of yesteryear, but a devastating record of the kind of cruelty and courage that echoes throughout human history."
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"In Alex Roe's cleanly staged, generally well-acted production, this story exerts a terrible fascination, demonstrating as it does the uses of power to maintain the status quo behind a Potemkin village façade of social progress...Seen at a distance of half a century, it retains its power, especially given how Hungary has once again fallen into the hands of a neo-fascist strongman."
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"Metropolitan Playhouse demonstrates that his 'Shadow of Heroes' is a durable play that is both relevant and timely yet again as we go through a period of political and right wing turmoil. While it might be easier to follow with a larger cast filling the 30 roles, Alex Roe's production is both trenchant and illuminating as it recounts recent history that many of us may never have known. If we don't learn from the past, we will be condemned to repeat it."
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“A gripping and sad tale...It brings to life the true story of László and Rajk, Marxist leaders in the Hungarian resistance during World War II...The portrait of Hungarians living under a totalitarian government is well wrought in Ardrey’s gripping 1958 drama...The Author adeptly narrates the historical events, and there are many to follow, as the story outlines how politics is played like a chess game.”
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