One woman, 26 characters and two uninterrupted hours of awe. This is exactly what hundreds of theatergoers flock to at the Music Box Theatre. Kip Williams’ newest theatrical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic book “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is now playing for a limited time after its award-winning run on the West End. Onstage, Emmy-winning actress Sarah Snook completes a theatrical feat that pushes the boundaries of what live theater can achieve.
Although it sounds impossible for Snook to simultaneously act out every character in Wilde’s novel in front of a live audience, she isn’t exactly alone. Joining her on stage is a seven-member camera crew, capturing and manipulating every move she makes. A large screen hung at center stage presents these moments to the crowd, allowing the audience to see the small, intricate details in Snook’s acting — a raise of the eyebrow, a sly grin or the moment she switches between characters.
The play nearly identically follows Wilde’s 1891 novel, telling the tale of a young man, Dorian Gray, who becomes increasingly obsessed with a portrait of him painted by artist Basil Hallward. Meanwhile, Dorian is heavily influenced to adapt new cynical philosophies from Basil’s close friend, Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian’s obsession soon becomes all-encompassing, and he makes a wish to obtain the eternal beauty and youth of the painting. While he stays forever young, the portrait begins to age, reflecting Dorian’s sinful behavior and fear of growing old.
Snook begins upstage, sitting in a chair while acting out the play’s opening scene in a minimalistic fashion. She instantly switches between Lord Henry and Basil, alternating between accents and dispositions to keep up with the nature of the scene. However, the cameras are used to their full capacity once Snook begins interacting with prerecorded footage of herself projected on the screen, which includes optical illusions, as an onscreen Snook taps the shoulder of the version of her standing on stage. As the play progresses, more screens descend from the stage, immersing the audience in Wilde’s world.
In an age where digital technology on Broadway can seem gimmicky rather than innovative, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” changes the game through its captivating visual techniques. Even in moments of blatant self-awareness — the audience is especially riled up when Snook, in character, takes a selfie with the crowd — the juxtaposition between the Victorian-age novel and modern concepts feels perfectly crafted with a story that revolves around image and perception.
In fact, iPhones are used by the cast as recording devices, synced up to project on the large screen for the audience. Often, Snook switches between characters by projecting various filters onto her face, ranging from lip fillers to full facial distortions. The amount of digital content pushed into the audience’s faces works perfectly with Williams’ adaptation. How better to show Dorian’s desire for beauty and descent into moral corruption than blinding the audience with a relatable metaphor for a generation defined by social media and technology?
While the digital aspects of the play are nothing short of a technical masterpiece, it’s hard not to be entirely transfixed by Snook’s tour de force of a performance. With source material that is objectively dark and pessimistic, Snook manages to bring an exuberant energy to the show, presenting an innate knowledge of physical humor and character acting that wasn’t showcased in her most noteworthy role in HBO’s “Succession.” There are even times when Snook seems extremely amused with herself on stage, especially when she argues with a version of herself on a screen over who will get to narrate the story.
However, it’s not just emotional strength she embodies — her physical endurance during the show is mind-boggling. With no intermission, water break or moment to hide from the cameras, Snook is constantly running around, on and off stage, completing a choreographed dance number and onstage quick changes. Snook said that she trained for the play by using Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” workout regimen, a testament to the physical work put in each night.
In times when it can seem like Broadway is plagued with high prices and low payoff, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” proves it’s worth your time, with technical aspects that will make you gasp and Snook giving one of the most transformative performances in modern theater. Snook returned to the stage three times during curtain call, humbly and graciously accepting a thunderous standing ovation. If it were up to me, she should get 26 standing ovations every night — one for each character she plays.
Contact Amelia Knust at [email protected].