Posted by Artistic Director Robert Falls
Few new plays have moved me as profoundly or touched me as deeply as Brett C. Leonard’s The Long Red Road. With unflinching and sometimes savage honesty, Brett explores the deeply fractured relationship of two brothers, each of whom has spent years dealing with the aftermath of a horrific accident. Without denying the very real flaws that infect many of the play’s characters, Brett is able to take us beyond their sometimes violent exteriors to explore their achingly vulnerable humanity. Alternately shocking and poetic, The Long Red Road is a stunningly affecting work, one that I have wanted to bring to the Owen stage since I first encountered it nearly two years ago.
Chicago last experienced Brett’s compelling work in 2005 when his play Guinea Pig Solo received rave reviews from critics, who hailed him as “a passionately engaged writer with a poetic soul, a gift for bristling dialogue, a pitch-black comic sensibility and an almost Orwellian view of the world” (Chicago Sun-Times). Like Guinea Pig Solo, The Long Red Road comes to us from the LAByrinth Theatre Company in New York, an off-Broadway theater that has become the artistic home of such other extraordinary writers as José Rivera, Stephen Adly Guirgis and John Patrick Shanley. Early in his LAByrinth tenure, Brett began a close working relationship with company member Philip Seymour Hoffman, who directed the first reading of The Long Red Road several years ago. Phil has remained an important part of the development of the play ever since, as has Tom Hardy, one of London’s most electrifying acting talents, for whom Brett created the central role of Sammy. I am extremely pleased that all three of these artists are part of this premiere production, joined by an outstanding group of actors and designers from around the country.
As I have often said, I strongly feel that new works are the lifeblood of any theater company. I am proud indeed to add Brett C. Leonard’s The Long Red Road to the distinguished list of plays that have gotten their start at Goodman Theatre.
Robert Falls
Artistic Director
We hope you are as excited as we are about The Long Red Road! Please share your questions and comments with us, below.
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just caught your casting selection for that hoffman play. why did you have to import another english actor when there are literally hundreds of great actors in chicago? just another reason i stopped going to see your stuff a long time ago. good thing you guys get not for profit status.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with you that there are many, many talented actors in Chicago, and the vast majority of roles in each of our seasons are played by local actors. In this case, though, Tom Hardy has been an integral part of the development of THE LONG RED ROAD since its inception several years ago, and Brett Leonard created the role of Sammy for him. We always strive to bring the best possible production of each play that we do to our audiences, and we agreed with both Brett and with Philip Seymour Hoffman, the director of the production, that Tom’s unique talents and energy (which have brought him much deserved attention in both England and America) were an essential component of this first production of the play. I hope that you will take the opportunity to judge this for yourself; THE LONG RED ROAD is an exciting and extremely moving piece, and we are very proud to be able to bring it to our audiences.
ReplyDeleteSteve Scott
Associate Producer
saw play sat and remain astounded. incredible play,direction,performances, set design,sound -- i haven't seen a production this wonderful in years. kudos all around! as for the casting of mr. hardy, besides what steve has explained above, this actor gives an unnerving, perhaps indelible, performance as sammy. hardy is an outstanding talent. we are lucky to have seen him on stage, here in chicago and goodman!
ReplyDeleteI am so grateful to read Margo from Florida s comments re the production of The Long Red Road. I have been following Tom Hardy s career for many years now here in England, and he is one of the finest this country has turned out, his committment to his art is constant and his performances always rivetting, bravo to him, Brett C. Leonard, Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Goodman Theatre and Equity for having the foresight and courage to allow him to perform for you. I might cross the Atlantic just to see him.A. London
ReplyDeleteBRAVO! The most powerful, beautiful Goodman production in years! I remain overwhelmed by the sheer force and power of the play and production.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I were drawn to this play because we had seen Chris McGarry in the national tour of Doubt a few years ago, and also, yes, because of Mr. Hoffman, whose work as a film actor (Capote, Along Came Polly) we simply adore. Our daughter is at NYU and has been raving about Mr. Hoffman's work as a director with his theater company in New York for years now, and so we were more than curious to see this show. I must say this show threw us for a loop in all the best ways. The acting, the direction, the set, and the characters were simply amazing. My husband says that he thinks the 21 century has found it's Sam Shepard. We were both deeply moved by the power of this play and of Mr. Leonard's writing. I don't want to give away too much about the show, but, one of the few things my husband and I quarrel about is his drinking at times. Our son, Benjamin, died in a car accident where drinking had been involved in 1996. We live with it every day. Well, the next morning after seeing the show, my husband quietly asked me to remove the liquor from our home. He said he didn't plan to quit forever, but after seeing Mr. Leonard's play, he was ready to take an exploratory walk down that "Red Road". Thank you so much for bringing this wonderful show to Chicago. You have no idea how special it was for us. Heartfelt congratulations to all. I hope you are all Broadway bound!
ReplyDeleteA. Levitt
Thank you Goodman! We saw this on Friday night. We thought it was brilliantly staged and very powerful and honest and moving. My girlfriend and I have talked about it ever since. We never expected such a dark and beautiful play. I think it's one of our favorites in years. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I saw this last night. Great play, great production! The most moving new Goodman play in years. And important too. The messages about family and guilt and addiction are so powerful and so real. We think this is our favorite new play since some of August Wilson. We cried in the theater and talked all the way home. And we are still talking and thinking about it today too. Thank you. Tim and Roseanne.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for this wonderful play and production!! We loved it! We didn't know the writer or the cast members before we saw it but friends told us how powerful it was so we got our tickets. A very powerful, important new play with a great cast, especially the two brothers and daughter. Thank you! We look forward to returning to The Goodman soon. Deb and Laurence.
ReplyDeleteIs this play, The Long Red Road, going to New York or any other U.S. city? Or maybe to London or even revived in Chicago? I was in the Far East for four months and missed it at the Goodman. But I am now back in the States and heard that the play was amazing. And I love the work of actor Tom Hardy, as well as Chris Mcgarry who I saw here in Doubt. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGary B.
Thank you for your interest in THE LONG RED ROAD – it was a remarkable production with a fabulous cast. At this point there are no future productions planned, but we will certainly alert our audiences if the play receives another production
ReplyDeleteThank you. And good luck. It sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteGary.