Review: In ‘The Balusters,’ Neighborly Dysfunction Is on the Agenda
The New York Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Americans have a long-standing enthusiasm for forming civic associations, a phenomenon noted by Alexis de Tocqueville nearly 200 years ago.
- Recent Broadway plays, including Tracy Letts’s "The Minutes" and Jonathan Spector’s "Eureka Day," humorously depict the petty and officious nature of local committees.
- David Lindsay-Abaire’s new play "The Balusters," which opened at Manhattan Theater Club, satirizes an upper-middle-class neighborhood association with sharp comedy and careful character treatment.
- The play features a richly designed setting and a diverse cast, highlighting themes of community friction, surveillance, and social dynamics, with particular attention to Black excellence through the character Kyra.
- "The Balusters" draws partly from Lindsay-Abaire’s own Brooklyn experiences, balancing humor with a nuanced portrayal of neighborly relationships.
