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A review by ejreadswords
The Idiots Karamazov by Albert Innaurato, Christopher Durang
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“This morning I watched one of my patients die before my eyes.”
“But you’re not a doctor, Ivan.”
“Then I am all the guiltier. Oh, Alyosha, how can you look at this barren untranslatable Russian idiom around us, and still believe in God?”
With my fairly pedestrian and elementary knowledge of Russian Drama and literature (and let’s face it, it’s really just purely Russian Drama at this point), I can say I thoroughly enjoyed this irreverent, nonsensical play spoofing so much from Russian art as well as just contemporary Western art as well.
Laughed a lot while reading. Would imagine a lot of great bits are visual — Constance during her long, strange translations of scenes from Russian to English, and the ‘yes, and’ that seems to play out with the characters she’s telling stories of but changing circumstances (from “whorehouse” to “warehouse”).
Mary Tyrone Karamazov killed me. Mary’s already ‘not there’ at times in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, but how she’s used in this play, just deliriously referring to her sons as characters from a completely different play… a wonderful bit. Got me every time.
“Mama, I’m going to be a pop star!”
“Edmund, stop saying that! It’s just a summer cold!”
My first Durang. He won the Tony for Best Play with Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and I feel like I’ll visit the play quite soon. Beyond Therapy I’d love to read next and will do it soon. He’s from New Jersey! I can hear it with the dialogue. Feels so New Jerseyan.
“But you’re not a doctor, Ivan.”
“Then I am all the guiltier. Oh, Alyosha, how can you look at this barren untranslatable Russian idiom around us, and still believe in God?”
With my fairly pedestrian and elementary knowledge of Russian Drama and literature (and let’s face it, it’s really just purely Russian Drama at this point), I can say I thoroughly enjoyed this irreverent, nonsensical play spoofing so much from Russian art as well as just contemporary Western art as well.
Laughed a lot while reading. Would imagine a lot of great bits are visual — Constance during her long, strange translations of scenes from Russian to English, and the ‘yes, and’ that seems to play out with the characters she’s telling stories of but changing circumstances (from “whorehouse” to “warehouse”).
Mary Tyrone Karamazov killed me. Mary’s already ‘not there’ at times in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, but how she’s used in this play, just deliriously referring to her sons as characters from a completely different play… a wonderful bit. Got me every time.
“Mama, I’m going to be a pop star!”
“Edmund, stop saying that! It’s just a summer cold!”
My first Durang. He won the Tony for Best Play with Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and I feel like I’ll visit the play quite soon. Beyond Therapy I’d love to read next and will do it soon. He’s from New Jersey! I can hear it with the dialogue. Feels so New Jerseyan.