The production was performed in Hungarian with English translations, "but don't let this deter you from catching one of the richest renditions of this problematic work you'll ever see," Frank Scheck wrote in the New York Post.
"Spiritual malaise has rarely been as entertainingly played as in the Lincoln Center Festival's "Ivanov".
Director Tamás Ascher's production puts the piece in the communist Hungary of the 60s, against "bleak, factory-like settings of crumbling walls, fluorescent lights, ratty furniture and kitschy, lounge-music."
Scheck said the play was "expertly performed", lauding Ernő Fekete for his rending of Ivanov, and calling Adél Jordán as Sasha "stunning".
"Its fine cast and vibrant staging breathes rich, earthy Eastern European life into this neglected work," Scheck said.
The Katona József Theatre's production of "Ivanov" plays at Lincoln Center through July 11.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI) / Photo: Lenke Szilágyi
