Set in the year 2000 just after the Y2K scare, Humpty Dumpty sheds light on human nature amid a blackout in an upstate New York winter cabin, where two couples vacation together. Expecting a quaint wintry getaway, the four instead find themselves bored and unable to access their phones or television; they are forced to rely upon each other’s company, a Scrabble game, books, and outdoor walks. Soon they are getting high and drunk together, arguing, and becoming increasingly more neurotic. Written by Eric Bogosian, directed by Ella Jane New, and starring Christina Elise Perry (Nicole), Marie Dinolan (Spoon), Brandon Hughes (Nat), Kirk Gostkowski (Max), and Gabriel Rysdahl (Troy), Humpty Dumpty will have you wondering what you would do in a similar situation after days and even weeks pass without any of the characters understanding why the power is off, why the gas stations are closed, and why armed guards man checkpoints in the town. Local caretaker Nat delivers food and information, and takes care of some of their needs, but he cannot explain the power outage.
Characters left to right: Spoon, Troy, Nicole, Max, Nat
The Max character (blue shirt, above) is especially strong as Nicole’s husband, a writer who is seemingly the sanest and most reasonable of the group. He imbued his character with an authenticity that cemented the story. Although set in 2000, a quarter of a century ago, our current reliance on technology is just as severe, if not more so. Imagine two weeks in a cabin without access to the internet or your phone… then imagine all of the generations over the centuries who managed to flourish without technology. This is the heart of the play: is human connection and an imagination enough to make us happy, or do we require distractions and problems to solve? At a few different points in the play, you may even wonder if when people become bored, they purposely create problems and drama as a distraction. I think we all know some people we wouldn’t want to be stuck in a cabin with for two weeks without electricity, so in a way, the play is also about the importance of maintaining resilience, maturity, and equilibrium during a crisis. It’s comical, dramatic, contradictory, and even absurd; it’s definitely an experience, and it has an unexpected surprise ending.
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Playwright/actor/ author Eric Bogosian is the author of plays, solos, and novels, including TALK RADIO, subUrbia, and PERFORATED HEART. He received a Drama Desk award, three Obie awards, and a Guggenheim fellowship. He has also been nominated for the Pulitzer and a Tony award. Bogosian earned the Berlin Silver Bear for writing and starring in the film adaptation of his play TALK RADIO. His historical account of “Operation Nemesis,” the death squad that avenged the Armenian Genocide, was published by Little, Brown in 2015. As an actor, Bogosian has starred in LAW & ORDER: CI (NBC), BILLIONS (Showtime), SUCCESSION (HBO), the Safdie brothers’ UNCUT GEMS, and most recently INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (AMC) as the interviewer, Daniel Molloy. He produces a website, 100monologues.com, featuring dozens of New York’s most vibrant actors. Bogosian is married to director Jo Bonney.
Director Ella Jane New is a film and theatre director based in New York City. She directed the acclaimed NYTimes Critics Pick macbitches. Her recent credits include DAUGHTER OF THE WICKED at New York City Center; FALLING IN LOVE WITH MR DELLAMORT, with Tony/Emmy winning cast: James Monroe Iglehart, Lena Hall, and Jackie Hoffman for Broadway Podcast Network. Other theatre directing credits include: NYC Premiere of SIX CORNERS by Emmy Nominated Keith Huff (House of Cards, Mad Men, American Crime); Jack Feldstein’s THREE MONTHS AT POOK at SOHO Playhouse; QUEEN Z by Michael A. Jones (starring Kara Young/Lucille Lortel nominee); and World Premiere of CHASING THE RIVER by Jean Dobie Geibel and THIS G*D DAMN HOUSE by Matthew McLachlan. Ella is the director of the Chain Play Writing Lab.
HUMPTY DUMPTY
Dates: This five-week, limited Off-Broadway engagement runs April 5 – May 3rd, at 7pm, Wednesday – Friday. Saturday at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday at 2pm.
The Chain Theatre, Main Stage
Tickets: $35. Available at CHAINTHEATRE.ORG/HUMPTY-DUMPTY and in person at the box office a half hour prior to performances.
Address: 312 W. 36th St, 3rd Floor, New York, NY, 10018 (between 8th and 9th Avenues)
Running Time: 110 minutes (with a ten-minute intermission)
Website: https://www.chaintheatre.org/
