On October 11th, #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos had the privilege to attend the opening night of Ayn Rand’s “Night of January 16th,” which was performed at Theatre Five at Theatre Row in New York City.
It was a neat and provocative re-imagining that was directed by Theo Devaney. The production stars Matt de Rogatis (“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”), Christa B. Allen (“13 Going on 30”) as Karen Andre, and Maryam Basir as District Attorney Flint. There will be a total of 12 performances.
The entire play takes place inside a courtroom during a high-profile murder trial. International business tycoon Bjorn Faulkner (Matt de Rogatis) allegedly fell or jumped to his death from the penthouse of the Faulkner Building in New York City on the night of January 16th.
Karen Andre (a sublime Christa B. Allen), Faulkner’s devoted secretary and mistress, is on trial for his murder. Faulkner himself is only seen in flashback moments on the stage… the audience learns about his life, financial fraud, and personality entirely through conflicting witness testimonies.
Hannah Beemer plays Lady Justice, Dylan Joseph Lee Catania plays Siegurd Jundquist, Nelson Depasquale plays John Hutchins, and veteran actor Jim Kempner plays John Graham Whitfield.
Bethany Lanza plays housekeeper Magda Svenson, Joe Pandosh, plays Homer Van Fleet, and Emily Sass is Nancy Lee Faulkner.
Matt de Rogatis is a revelation in the dual roles of Bjorn Faulkner and “Guts” Regan. Gary Martins was commanding as Defense Attorney Stevens who had some powerful scenes opposite a fierce Maryam Basir.
John Pigate plays Elmer Sweeney, while Prince Hamadi tackles the dual roles of Dr. Kirkland and James Chandler. Director Theo Devaney played the role of the judge through the screen projector.
Everybody in the cast brings something distinct and refreshing to the story, and it follows the ensemble cardinal rule. While it may be a slow burner at times, the multiple twists and turns in the plot will keep the audience engaged.
What made it even more impressive was its interactive nature where 15 audience members (from the front row) served as the jury (so at each performance, the verdict might be different). It is worth checking out, and it garners 4.5 out of 5 stars.
