An Enemy of the People
Reviews
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"ROUSING & INVIGORATING. A HIGH-INTENSITY, PEDAL-TO-THE-METAL PRODUCTION. At a time when America's political discourse is reaching fever pitch, the play's heated discussion of who should control the levers of power in society makes for savory meat to chew on after the curtain has fallen. BOYD GAINES takes confident advantage of this prized chance to dig into such a rewarding classical role, giving a sterling performance, forceful and fiery. RICHARD THOMAS, as his brother, plays a single-minded villain with elegant authority. It is startling to discover how current the play's ideas feel."
- Charles Isherwood, The New York Times
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"A JAGGED FIST OF A REVIVAL WITH RIPPING THEATRICALITY. As wise about human nature as it is entertaining. This is DOUG HUGHES' most muscular, richly ambiguous work since Doubt."
- Linda Winer, Newsday
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"A WHITE KNUCKLE THRILLER WITH ENOUGH HEAT TO SET THE STAGE ON FIRE! An Enemy of the People, in a crackling new adaptation courtesy of REBECCA LENKIEWICZ, is an ideological death-match that evokes Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann at their most telegenically furious."
- Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly
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"★★★★! An Enemy of the People is the most urgently relevant political drama in New York City right now. DOUG HUGHES' complex and richly acted production of REBECCA LENKIEWICZ'S fleet, pointed adaptation scores hard points against real social ills while also suggesting that a passionate crusader, masterfully played by BOYD GAINES, can sometimes be his own worst enemy."
- Adam Feldman, Time Out New York
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"BOYD GAINES AND RICHARD THOMAS ARE MARVELOUS in this fine MTC production, featuring a great cast at the top of their game. DOUG HUGHES paces this full-throated defense of the individual like a thriller, with the heat rising steadily."
- Mark Kennedy, Associated Press
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"An Enemy of the People remains ever relevant, as evidenced by the current heated debate over the effects of global warming. BOYD GAINES delivers a virtuoso performance, while RICHARD THOMAS is wonderfully entertaining. DOUG HUGHES' production does full justice to the play's powerful urgency and frequent doses of humor."
- Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
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"GRADE: A+! REBECCA LENKIEWICZ has transformed Ibsen's insightful work into a coherent, topical, and thrilling piece. Expertly realized by DOUG HUGHES, the cast is outstanding in a production brought to life by JOHN LEE BEATTY'S smooth, rotating set, BEN STANTON'S eerie lighting, DAVID VAN TIEGHEM'S foreboding original music and sound design, and CATHERINE ZUBER'S attractive costumes."
- Suzy Evans, Backstage
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"A strong candidate this election season! Manhattan Theatre Club has picked a PERFECT TIME to revive An Enemy of the People. Directed with force by DOUG HUGHES, the production provides TWO VALIANT ACTORS, BOYD GAINES and RICHARD THOMAS, with the opportunity to OWN THE STAGE. They are MARVELOUS. Unquestionably, a production worth seeing!"
- Rex Reed, The New York Observer