(Ben Brantley’s article appeared in The New York Times, 2/12; via Pam Green.)
An agitated anguish beats against the walls of ritual in “The Events,” a solemn, searching and ultimately very moving play about a faith-shattering act of violence. This gutsy work by the Scottish dramatist David Greig, which opened on Thursday night at New York Theater Workshop, sets the restless pain of a mass-shooting survivor against the stolid, consoling presence of a community choir.
It’s a juxtaposition that evokes Greek tragedy, in which choruses of common humanity echoed and annotated the words of afflicted heroes. And the program for this production includes a note from its director, Ramin Gray, that speaks of the inspiration of the ancient Athenian theater, where “important issues were collectively considered by the community.”