THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

Review by Celia Ipiotis

Ah, to discover The Fountain of Youth and be young forever–mankind has searched for this human refresher since the beginning of time. Intrigued by the notion of eternal youth, Oscar Wilde refashions the myth into a pointed drama The Picture of Dorian Gray.

In Broadway’s scintillating rendition of The Picture of Dorian Gray at the Music Box Theatre, Sarah Snook, best known for her award-winning turn in the gangbuster streaming series Succession assumes the persona of Dorian Gray and 25 more characters. A phalanx of video monitors surround Snook who dives into a marathon solo performance, flanked by costume changers, black clad videographers, hanging screens and monitors. It’s a technological funhouse.

The handsome, youg and wealthy Dorian Gray is nearly overcome by the beauty of his newly painted portrait by Basil Hallward and wishes his portrait could grow old while he remains forever young. That soul corroding wish comes true. 

Dressed in a mix of period and modern outfits, Snook’s Billy Idol hairdo parlays into a variety of coifs. What is most effecting is the way Snook shifts seamlessly from one character to another. Beyond the vocal alterations, Snook assumes different characters through her persuasive physical attitude and energy.  

Potently written and directed by Kip Williams, the high-octane choreographed action resembles a three-ring circus and Snook is the ringmaster. Not a prized citizen of the world, the self-centered Gray drops under the spell of the pernicious Lord Henry Wotton. A frequenter of the theater, early on Gray is smitten by a beautiful, curly haired, fragile actress, Sybil Vane and  marries her. 

So intent on commanding his place in society, when the jowly, over-indulgent Wotton comments snidely about her performance, Gray disposes of Vane who becomes uncontrollably undone by his harsh dismissal.

To Snook’s credit she projects a sensitive, albeit vain persona  that undergoes a transformation embodies a  a  frailness of an unprotected soul equal to the chamans and hollow souls that surround Gray.

One’s eyes are constantly shifting from the person on stage, to the cast populating the monitors and large screens. Snook interacts with the audience and her multiple selves in a room of mirrors distorting the truth, and exaggerating the callousness of people intent on self-serving calculations. 

Lighting designer Nick Schlieper, forges black spaces between monitors and screens conjuring twisty Victorian London streets. Racing through the scandalous alleys of his deteriorating conscince echoes of contemporary figures  ring in the air when Dorian accurately assumes he can kill and no one will penalize him. His decent into hateful irrelevance speeds ahead as if the projector of unraveling events is placed on fast forward. 

Physcially invigorating, both audience and actor hang onto the tail of dragon burning down the house carved of hedonistic greed and moral degradation.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Celia Ipiotis