INCIDENT AT VICHY - RECAP

"A RIVETING 90 MINUTES….QUIETLY CHILLING."
The New York Times

"HEARTBREAKING…STUNNING."
Timeout NY

"EXCELLENT…EFFECTIVE IN ITS CHILLING DETAILS."
New York Post

"ABSORBING…FIRST-RATE…THROWS A SCORCHING SEARCHLIGHT ON JEWISH IDENTITY." Backstage

"EXCELLENT… directed by Scott Alan Evans with clarity and compassion and acted by a first-rate troupe ... this work is TRULY MILLER’S MOST HARROWING THEATER PIECE." TheaterMania

"UNIFORMLY GREAT…THE ACTORS COMPANY THEATRE TAKES THE PLAY AND DELIVERS ONE OF THEIR USUAL WONDERFUL PRODUCTIONS." BroadwayWorld

"EXTRAORDINARY…A STIRRING AND STINGING PRODUCTION." NYTHEATRE.com

"A FIRST RATE ENSEMBLE CAST THAT HAS YOU SITTING ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT." Talk Entertainment.com

"SUPERB AND CHILLING…"
Wolf Entertainment Guide

TACT/The Actors Company Theatre finished its 2008/09 season with a critically acclaimed production of Arthur Miller’s Incident at Vichy, hailed by The New York Times as a "riveting 90 minutes." The play, unseen in New York since the original 1964 production, kept audiences spellbound and on the edge of their seats. CurtainUp praised Vichy as a "stirring production" thanks to "a stellar ensemble cast." The cast, described by BroadwayWorld as "uniformly great," was able to pull off, in the words of TheaterMania, "Miller’s most harrowing theater piece" with "clarity and compassion" under the direction of TACT artistic director Scott Alan Evans. The audience response was evident from the near sold-out five week run and the stunned gasps every evening at the play’s powerful conclusion.

Due credit must also be given to the gorgeous set by Scott Bradley, who managed to create a theatrical space that melded the realistic with expressionist flourishes. Thanks to the inventive lighting design by Mary Louise Geiger, the sound design by Jill BC Du Boff, and the period costume design by David Toser, TACT transported its audiences back into 1942 Vichy, France. For the finishing touch, Joseph Trapanese contributed original music that brought the play’s emotional core to the forefront, continuing TACT’s ongoing relationship with The Manhattan School of Music.

Vichy went a long way to proving how vital live theater is in today’s world, theater that speaks to an audience after the curtain call. The entire cast and design crew of Vichy did not see this merely as another production to add to their resume. Everyone involved knew that they were doing something special in bringing Miller’s words back to life, unheard for so many years. The enthusiasm of the creative team was evident each and every night, the very definition of a working cohesive ensemble.

To further its mission and belief in the importance of theater, TACT also hosted a number of post-performance surround events that shed light on the play and the many issues involved. Arthur Miller’s sister, Joan Copeland, joined us for a wonderful evening celebrating and reflecting upon her brother’s career. TACT founding member Larry Keith moderated a touching and powerful night of stories from Holocaust survivors and their families. Tovah Feldshuh, Broadway star of the hit play Irena’s Vow, took time to share her experiences as a Jewish actress and her own path to discovering her Judaism and Jewish culture through her theatrical career. Finally, Jewish Museum director Joan Rosenbaum hosted a discussion on the role of the Holocaust in the arts with actor Harris Yulin, star of the 1973 television production of Vichy, and painter Audrey Flack. Yulin recounted his own experiences acting in Vichy and seeing the play again for the first time in many years, and Flack talked about the numerous to her controversial Holocaust-themed painting, "World War II." Each of the surround events highlighted an aspect of the show, from Miller’s own personal story to the underlying ethical issues involved in depicting the Holocaust on stage, and deepened the audience response and understanding of the play.

As TACT approaches its 17th season, we continue to enlighten New York audiences and seek out neglected and rarely seen works deserving of new attention. The enormous success of the Tony winning Broadway production of Alan Ayckbourn’s The Norman Conquests is a testament to TACT’s mission. Mere months before, TACT mounted a highly praised production of Ayckbourn’s play Bedroom Farce that had audience members rolling in the aisles, proving that TACT is slightly ahead of the curve when it comes to Broadway! Whether delighting with Ayckbourn’s entertaining observations on marital relations or rendering an audience breathless with the force of Arthur Miller, TACT is still committed to its initial goal – using top-notch performers and design teams to breathe life into often unseen theatrical gems in order to make plays like Vichy, according to Total Theatre, "one of the most exciting theatrical experiences in town."

Photos by Stephen Kunken