"At the Irish Rep, the director, Ciarán O’Reilly, splendidly evokes both the period and the universality of the story, and Cuccioli simmers, sneers, blusters, and bellows in a masterly tragicomic performance."
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You are invited to see a man's soul stripped bare. It's a methodical process, a kind of psychological surgery conducted with alcohol (albeit plenty of it) as the only anesthetic. The result is appalling, even grotesque, and yet I defy you to look away. A Touch of the Poet is often dismissed as second-rank Eugene O'Neill and yet, under Ciarán O'Reilly's muscular, pitiless direction, it emerges as one of the playwright's strongest statements on the illusions by which so many of us live -- the opiate nature that makes them essential and the havoc wreaked when they are proven false.
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"Possesses a vigor and passion evoked by director Ciaran O’Reilly who finds energy in the constant movement on stage. There is a sense of violence just below the surface that keeps the audience in suspense of when and where it will explode. He succeeds in drawing out nuanced performances from most of his cast, suggesting there are even more complexities to the characters than we are privy to. Leading the cast, Cuccioli continues to demonstrate that he is one of the finest actors performing on New York stages today."
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A Touch of the Poet is not perfect O’Neill. And this is far from a perfect production. But less-than-perfect O’Neill can still be nourishing. Given the famine of serious drama available at the moment, it will provide audiences hungry to sink their teeth into something meaty with a decent dramatic meal.
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"4/5 stars...After seasons of watching streaming TV series, it’s restorative to hear O’Neil’s dialogue. While the production isn’t Aaron Sorkin speed, the play moves smoothly and quickly. More importantly, O’Neill’s relevance speaks to us...It’s unusual to find two hours and forty minutes in the theater so entirely engrossing. It’s even more unusual when it’s a rarely produced drama set in the early 19th century. But it is a great pleasure to see this work by Eugene O’Neill performed by such steadfast actors."
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"3/5 stars...'A Touch of the Poet' is not one of Eugene O’Neill’s best dramas yet it does have some memorable characters and some sharp honest theatrical scenes. One of the reasons its flawed is O’Neill’s insistence of dragging out every scene beyond a reasonable length...Mr. Cuccioli has not not learned how to turn as swiftly as Con does from raging accusations against his humble wife or his fiercely proud daughter to sudden brief remorse. Nevertheless, he gets most of Con Melody on the stage as does the rest of the cast acting the shriveled souls of O’Neill’s dark world."
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"Strictly speaking, 'A Touch of the Poet' is not a very good play, both in general and for Eugene O'Neill. While he famously railed against American melodrama, this play is steeped in it...To make matters worse, this is a not particularly good production of a not particularly good play. Director (and Irish Rep co-founder) Ciarán O'Reilly appears unable to make sense of the play...As for the company, they come across as under-directed, and they all feel like they're in their own play."
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"As Sara, a critical role in 'Poet', Belle Aykroyd Is uncomfortably miscast...Fortunately, the rest of the 'Poet' cast is superb. As Con's wife Nora, Kate Forbes gives a luminous, riveting performance which becomes the heart of this revival...Interestingly, the director of this production, Ciarán O'Reilly, appeared as Dan Roche in the 2005 Roundabout revival, so he knows the play well. His direction here is tight and focused, but it can't correct the uneven performances of Cuccioli and Aykroyd in the pivotal leading roles."
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