Thursday, February 07, 2008
THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION
The play is fantastic!
Brilliantly acted, written and directed!
Interesting, stimulating and fun!
THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION centers around the bitter conflict that pitted Philo T. Farnsworth (Jimmi Simpson), a boy genius who invented television as a high school student in 1927, against David Sarnoff (Hank Azaria), the head of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). The legal battle between Farnsworth and RCA would later become known as one of the great, tragic examples of legal and industrial force combining to crush a rightful patent owner.
The play was written by the great Aaron Sorkin, (Charlie Wilson's War, Studio 60, The West Wing), and is brilliantly played by Simpson and Azaria.
Des McAnuff, who is known for his direction of such important works as "A Walk In The Woods," did a flawless job of directing.
The story is spun mostly in a series of anecdotes, some told by Sarnoff, some by Farnsworth, played out by an exceptional cast including Kyle Fabel, Nadia Bowers, Maurice Godin, Christian McCarthy Johansen, Aaron Krohn, Kate MacCluggage, Bruce McKenzie, Malcolm Morano, Spencer Moses, Michael Mulheren, Jim Ortlieb, Michael Pemberton, Javier Picayo, Katharine Powell, Steve Rosen, Brian Russell, James Sutorius, Margot White, Alexandra Wilson, William Youmans -- who take a wide range of characters.
Sorkin is perhaps the most skillful writer today at integrating powerful and important issues into popular and entertaining drama. The play takes dead aim on questions critical for the survival of an entrepreneurial economy like ours -- notions like invention, bragging rights, financial rights, strategy, pride, ego, business decisions, secrecy, espionage, theft, intellectual property, and success.
This is one of the most interesting, stimulating, exciting, different, and enjoyable shows on Broadway.
Labels: Aaron Sorkin, Des McAnuff, Hank Azaria, Jimmi Simpson, Kyle Fabel, The Farnsworth Invention
