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The Whale


Peter Jay Sharp Theater


Tues—Fri at 7:30, Sat at 2 & 7:30, Sun at 2 & 7
Additional matinee Wed Nov 21 at 2

Written by Samuel D. Hunter
Directed by Davis McCallum

On the outskirts of Mormon Country, Idaho, a six hundred pound recluse hides away in his apartment eating himself to death. Desperate to reconnect with his long-estranged daughter, he reaches out to her, only to find a viciously sharp-tongued and wildly unhappy teen. Big-hearted and fiercely funny, The Whale tells the story of a man's last chance at redemption, and of finding beauty in the most unexpected places.

Featuring
Cassie Beck
Liz (through 11/25/12)
Rebecca Henderson
Liz (from 11/27/12)
Cory Michael Smith
Elder Thomas
Creative Team
Mimi Lien
Scenic Design
Jessica Pabst
Costume Design
Jane Cox
Lighting Design
Fitz Patton
Sound Desgin
Alaina Taylor
Production Stage Manager

Playwrights Horizons’ 2012/2013 season productions are generously supported by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The Whale has received generous support from the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation and the Jerome Foundation.

Photos of (1) Tasha Lawrence, Cory Michael Smith, Cassie Beck, and Shuler Hensley; (2) Tasha Lawrence and Shuler Hensley; (3) Cory Michael Smith and Reyna de Courcy; and (4) Shuler Hensley and Cassie Beck by Joan Marcus.

Reviews
  • “RIVETING. An impassioned and arresting clash of minds and emotions. I was glued to the stage. Hensley’s performance is equally dynamic and horrifying.”

    — Rex Reed, NY Observer
  • “VIBRANT AND PROVOCATIVE. Hunter explores his material with sharp-eared skill and sensitivity. McCallum's production handles Hunter's text with clarity and devotion, getting uniformly strong performances from his five-person cast.”

    — Michael Feingold, Village Voice | Read Full Article
More Reviews
  • “EXTRAORDINARY. As he did in his breakthrough play A Bright New Boise, Hunter has constructed an outsize, gothic scenario in tender miniature, ”

    — Scott Brown, NY Magazine | Read Full Article
  • “WONDERFUL. Shuler Hensley gives a startlingly poignant performance. Under Davis McCallum’s sensitive direction, you feel as if you’ve met real people, made of flesh and blood.”

    — Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post | Read Full Article
  • “AN AFFECTING NEW DRAMA. There may be no more startling image on a New York stage right now than the one greeting audiences at Playwrights Horizons when the lights go up on The Whale. ”

    — Charles Isherwood, NY Times
  • “COMPELLING, FUNNY, AND UNEXPECTEDLY IMPACTFUL. Tony and Olivier Award winner Shuler Hensley is remarkably affecting job as 600-pound Charlie. Directed by Davis McCallum with no holds barred.”

    — Jennifer Farrar, AP | Read Full Article
  • “FOUR STARS. A deeply affecting and piercingly amusing play by Samuel D. Hunter. Davis McCallum’s production leaves an emotional wallop in its wake.”

    — Joe Dziemianowicz, Daily News | Read Full Article
  • “CRITIC'S PICK. FOUR STARS. Sharp and funny. Hensley is harrowingly good, endowing Charlie with wit and dignity.”

    — David Cote, Time Out NY | Read Full Article
  • “Samuel D. Hunter is a highly promising writer worthy of Playwrights Horizons’ typically excellent attention.”

    — Michael Sommers, NJ Newsroom