The Play's the Thing

I've never seen someone as resentful of his own success and the medium he works in as Bruce Norris. Does he even like plays? Or people? Some consider him a satirist (hmm, I don't agree), some say he's just incredibly cynical (I guess). I say cheer up! You have a Pulitzer! And now you have a big, sprawling period play that's been given a top-notch production at The Public Theater! I'll say one thing about Norris: he's a very versatile playwright. And no play shows off his versatility more than his latest, The Low Road. It's definitely new territory for him style-wise but thematically, it feels similar to his other work. The Low Road skewers capitalism. It's protagonist, Jim, who is described by Artistic Director Oskar Eustis as "the anti-Candide," has a fleeting encounter with Adam Smith (who also narrates the piece) as a child that inspires his unwavering belief in capitalism and "the invisible hand." Jim staunchly believes that pe...