Kyle Soller, Paul Hilton, and John Benjamin Hickey.
➤ THE INHERITANCE , from p.24
ratives that drive us apart as individuals
and communities — another
pointed commentary for our
time.
Stephen Daldry directs the piece
with a focus and intensity that
makes the nearly seven-and-onehalf
hours of the play’s two parts
fl y by. Bob Crowley’s design is simple
and artistic, allowing the story
and the characters to take center
stage. The magnifi cent company
is on stage throughout much of
the piece, providing a metaphoric
backdrop representing the omnipresence
of our community and its
history.
The cast is outstanding. Under
Daldry’s direction, the performances
are stylized to a degree,
but that gives them poetry and
lyricism that consistently rings
true. Andrew Burnap as Toby
burns bright and dazzling in his
inevitable progress towards selfimmolation.
Kyle Soller is steady
and subtle as Eric, and Samuel H.
Levine is galvanizing as Leo and
doubling as Adam, a young actor
Toby falls in love with and who becomes
a star in the dramatic version
of Toby’s book. John Benjamin
Hickey is commanding and powerful
as Henry Wilcox. Paul Hilton is
extraordinary as Forster and as
MATTHEW MURHPY
Walter Poole. He brings an ethereal
timelessness to his characters that
stand in stark counterpoint to the
other characters in the play.
Easily one of the most fascinating
aspects of this work is that how
one responds may depend on one’s
age. As a young man just coming
into my gay identity as AIDS hit,
fear and seemingly endless loss
were daily realities. It was possible
to become desensitized to it. There
is a scene at the end of the fi rst
play in “The Inheritance” where the
long-suppressed grief from these
losses comes home with an impact
that is like a blow. It is at once cathartic
and healing. It is a moment
that brings home the enormity of
this history, this inheritance. It demands
to be witnessed.
Read David Kennerley’s interview
with cast members Andrew Burnap
and John Benjamin Hickey at
tinyurl.com/wgtqlj7 .
THE INHERITANCE | Ethel Barrymore
Theatre, 243 W. 47th St. |
Through Mar. 1: Part 1: Wed., Sat.-
Sun. at 1 p.m.; Thu.-Fri. at 7 p.m.;
Part 2: Wed., Sat.-Sun. at 7 p.m. |
$39-$199 at telecharge.com or 212-
239-6200 | Part 1: three hrs., 15
mins., with two intermissions; Part
2: three hrs., 15 mins., with one intermission,
one pause
TURN YOUR CONCERN
INTO IMPACT.
The New York Community Trust
can help maximize your
charitable giving.
Contact Jane at
(212) 686-0010 x363
GayCityNews.com | December 19, 2019 - January 1, 2020 25
/wgtqlj7
/telecharge.com
/GayCityNews.com
