Thanks to Colin Bartlett for letting me know of play now on at the New End Theatre, with a Korean-American connection. Till 10 December.
Snug Harbor Productions, Ergo Entertainment & Maximum Entertainment Productions in association with New End Theatre present the European premiere of PRIVATE JOKES, PUBLIC PLACES By Oren Safdie Directed by Leon Rubin
Actors Max Gordon Moore, Robert Parsons, Charles Dean and M.J. Kang in Oren Safdie’s play Private Jokes, Public Places at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley, California. Photo by David Allen.
An architecture student. Her thesis. The jury. Capturing the full character of architectural discourse, PRIVATE JOKES, PUBLIC PLACES offers a disturbing yet humorous glimpse inside the contemporary world of architecture. Margaret, a young Korean-American student, presents her thesis for a public swimming pool to an all-male jury of famous architects. Safdie, a former architecture student at Columbia University and the son of prominent architect Moshe Safdie, uses this simple premise as a jumping-off point for a facile examination of academia, intellectual pretension and the failure of postmodernist culture. The play asks compelling questions about the state of the male/female power struggle, fears of disrupting the status quo and ultimately the importance of challenging tradition.
“Excellent performers” THE STAGE
“The dialogue is fast paced and witty, and the actors do an excellent job” WHATSONSTAGE
“Inspired and astonishing — The verbal dexterity alone is mesmerizing. A battle of wits.” NEW YORK TIMES
“A biting satire with a humanist heart. A take-no-prisoners comedy.” TIME OUT NEW YORK
“The funniest new play to hit New York in months.” WALL STREET JOURNAL
