This summer, two beloved television stars, Jean Smart and John Krasinski, have returned to the New York stage — each headlining a one-person drama that gives them the spotlight and the challenge of carrying a show on their own.
In Krasinski’s case, the result is a compelling and unsettling character study that feels sharply relevant to the current cultural moment. His Off-Broadway vehicle, “Angry Alan,” also happens to be the inaugural production of Studio Seaview, the newly rebranded venue formerly known as the Tony Kiser Theater, which was home to Second Stage. Rather than debuting with something celebratory, Seaview has chosen to make its first impression with a dark, provocative solo piece, directed by Sam Gold and written by Penelope Skinner.
Krasinski plays Roger, a divorced father who was recently laid off from his corporate job. He is currently working overnight shifts and floundering in middle age. Feeling lost and overlooked, he stumbles into the “manosphere,” a toxic network of online communities that claim men are being systematically oppressed by modern society.
At the center of Roger’s new worldview is a YouTube personality named Angry Alan, whose inflammatory rhetoric gives Roger a sense of clarity, identity, and dangerous purpose.
Best known for his role as the charmingly sardonic Jim Halpert on “The Office,” Krasinski is magnetic onstage. He’s upbeat and smiling throughout much of the performance, which makes it all the more disturbing as we watch Roger unravel. That tension, between a warm, disarming delivery and the character’s deep emotional pain and radicalization, forms the core of the show’s power. Sam Gold (“Fun Home,” “Romeo and Juliet”) brings a fittingly stark and eerie touch to the production.
At just under 90 minutes, “Angry Alan” is more like a theatrical essay than a traditional play. But it’s well-acted, culturally observant, and deeply unnerving. For Studio Seaview, it’s a bold and unsettling way to announce itself to the New York theater scene.
Jean Smart’s southern ‘Izzy’
Further along 8th Avenue, at Studio 54, Jean Smart is making her long-awaited Broadway return in “Call Me Izzy,” a new solo play by Jamie Wax, directed by Sarna Lapine.
With six Emmy wins, including three for her performance on HBO’s “Hacks,” under her belt, Smart’s return to the stage after 25 years carries high expectations. Unfortunately, the material doesn’t quite meet the moment.
“Call Me Izzy” tells the story of a poor Southern woman trapped in an abusive marriage who discovers a hidden talent as a poet. Encouraged by a local writing class, she blossoms, wins a major award, and earns a residency, only to face resentment and intimidation from her husband, whose sense of control begins to unravel. It’s a familiar arc of artistic awakening wrapped in folksy charm and well-meaning earnestness.
Smart delivers a committed, textured performance, as expected. But the script feels like a throwback to the sentimental inspirational monologue, heavy on predictable plot beats. While Smart’s decision to take on a role so different from Hacks’ razor-sharp Deborah Vance is admirable, the play doesn’t give her nearly enough to work with.
In contrast to “Angry Alan,” which engages directly with contemporary cultural tensions and weaponized media, “Call Me Izzy” feels almost timeless, but not in a good way. It could have premiered in 1989 (the year in which the play is set), and wouldn’t feel out of place. Today, it feels more like summertime filler than a noteworthy theatrical event.
And yet, for all their differences in tone, setting, and effectiveness, “Angry Alan” and “Call Me Izzy” share a surprising thematic thread.
Both center on middle-aged characters, each facing diminished relevance, personal upheaval, and the erosion of identity, who react, in very different ways, to the shifting roles and power dynamics around them. Whether through the rage of a radicalized YouTube follower or the quiet creative awakening of a silenced wife, both explore what happens when someone who feels out of place begins to claw back control, however messy or misguided the path may be.
“Angry Alan” runs at Studio Seaview through Aug. 3, studioseaview.com. “Call Me Izzy” runs at Studio 54 through Aug. 17, callmeizzyplay.com.
