Overview
- Red Bull Theater’s adaptation opened November 10 at the Astor Place Theatre after previews from October 29 and has extended its limited engagement to December 14.
- Craig Baldwin adapts and directs the production in 1980s Manhattan, positioning it as a queer reclamation of themes already present in Shakespeare’s text.
- Reviews widely single out Urie’s performance, with The New York Times naming the show a Critic’s Pick and several outlets praising the clarity and tension of key scenes.
- Some critics question a loss of poetic stature and political weight, cite uneven supporting work and occasional confusion from doubling and framing, and note that the concept can feel underexplained.
- Design draws strong notice for Arnulfo Maldonado’s glass-box set and Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew’s LED-driven lighting, as the production inaugurates Astor Place’s new management under No Guarantees with Lux Pascal featured as the Queen.