Junk

Junk is playing at the Lincoln Center Vivian Beaumont Theatre located at 150 West 65th Street. It runs two hours thirty minutes with one intermission. The play closes on January 8, 2018.

Ayad Akhtar is he playwright. His play Disgraced was nominated for a Tony Award in 2015 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2013.

Dough Hughes is the director. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Frozen (2004) and Doubt (2005).

John Lea Beatty is the scenic designer. He won a Tony Award for the Nance (2013) and Talley’s Folley (1980) and was nominated for thirteen other shows.

Catherine Zuber is the costume designer. She has been nominated for twelve Tony Awards and won six Tony Awards. She won the Tony Awards for The King and I (2015), The Royal Family (2010), South Pacific (2008), The Coast of Utopia (2007), Awake and Sing (2006) and The Light in the Piazza (205). Catherine was nominated for a Tony Award for War Paint (2017), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2011), Born Yesterday (2011), Edward Albee’s Seascape (2006), Dinner at Eight (2003), Twelfth Night (1999).

The time is 1985, Los Angeles, LA, New York, New York and Allegheny, Pa.

Robert Merkin (Steve Pasquale) is being interviewed by Judy Chen (Teresa Avia Lim). He is a financier. His picture was just on Time magazine cover.

One of his clients Israel Peterman (Matthew Rauch) wants to buy a steel mill owned by Thomas Everson Jr. (Rick Holmes).

We learn about inside trading and the cut throat deeds done on Wall Street.

Boris Pronsky (Joey Slotnick) does the buying for Robert. Boris buys the stock at a low price and sells it at a higher price. He splits the profit with Robert.

Raul Rivera (Matthew Saldivar) is Rober’ts lawyer and advisor

In the meantime, Thomas Everson is doing everything to save his company. His secretary Jacqueline Blunt (Ito Aghayere) and Maximilien Cizik (Henry Struam) his lawyer give him advice on what to do. Jacqueline is passing the information to Robert’s team.

Leo Tresler (Michael Siberry) a billionaire is helping him save Thomas Company.

Judy Chin and Leo Tresler are having an affair.

Amy Merkin (Miriam Silverman) is giving her husband advice.

It’s an intriguing story of those that have and those who do not. How it all came about.

This show has a large cast, they all shine. Steven Pasquale, Rick Holmes and Michael Siberry all do an outstanding job.

The set is in four section top and bottom. Different characters appear in different sections, sometimes the back ground has different colors or images. There is not a lot of furniture, just enough to let you know where you are.

This play will make you think about Wall Street. Especially for those that invest there money. It is a play worth seeing.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich

Photos by Anazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.