REVIEWS OF 'DISGRACED' AT ATC / PHOENIX
Elijah Alexander
In wake of Paris attacks, 'Disgraced' is theater that matters
Akhtar’s fearless script carries an incredible emotional and intellectual heft. And in a Phoenix-premiere production by Arizona Theatre Company, a powerhouse cast, led by Elijah Alexander as Amir, brings “Disgraced” to life with convincing edge-of-your-seat tension that builds relentlessly to a devastating climax ….
.... At the center of it all is Alexander’s tour-de-force turn as Amir. Complex and conflicted, this character requires an actor who can walk a tightrope by earning the audience’s sympathy and then risking our wrath when he confronts us with uncomfortable truths.
such is the relevancy of great theatre
All five performers are cast well, each flawlessly representing their type in a way we assume the author intended us to view them, but it’s Alexander’s portrayal of the conflicted Amir that stands out.
... I doubt whether any audience member at the Phoenix Herberger Centre opening performance of Disgraced was unaware of the horrific circumstances that occurred in Paris prior to the weekend ... Such is the power of Disgraced, and more importantly, such is the relevancy of great theatre.
Valley Screen and Stage: David Appleford's Film and Theatre Reviews
'Disgraced' at the Herberger is not only good, but important
Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer-winner fresh off the Broadway stage explores the potential for prejudice in a variety of forms and contexts and provides a fully visceral visual representation of what can happen when conflicting ideas about race are forced into the open. And, quite honestly, I don’t think it could have been done any better ...
... The play brings up complex issues about race and culture that are important to examine at such a crucial moment in world history. This weekend, over 100 people died in France as victims of a religiously-motivated terrorist attack. On Monday, our state’s governor demanded that the flow of refugees into Arizona be stopped. At a time like this, Akhtar’s play is crucially important to see. Especially when ATC’s production of it is so stinking good.