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Kyoto Opens Off Broadway With Immersive Climate Thriller at Lincoln Center

Early reviews highlight propulsive staging alongside a standout turn by Stephen Kunken as lobbyist Don Pearlman.

Overview

  • The U.S. premiere began November 3 at Lincoln Center Theater’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, with performances scheduled through November 30.
  • Directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Good Chance, the production seats some audience members at a circular conference table and issues delegate badges.
  • The drama revisits the 1997 Kyoto negotiations, following oil lobbyist Don Pearlman’s procedural maneuvers as delegates battle over treaty language.
  • Stephen Kunken returns as Pearlman with Jorge Bosch as Raúl Estrada-Oyuela, anchoring an international ensemble that originated in the U.K.
  • Early notices skew mixed-to-positive, praising design and velocity while questioning density, and the opening coincided with TIME naming playwrights Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson to its 2025 TIME100 Climate list.