The Pushover
Written by John Patrick Shanley
Directed by Kirk Gostkowski
April 3, 2026 - April 26, 2026
Chain Theatre (312 W 36th St. 4th floor, New York, NY 10018)
This production has two brilliant stars in its line-up. First, playwright John Patrick Shanley, a man with an Oscar, a Tony and Pulitzer and whose catalog is the life’s blood of every college theatre program in the US, is creating the world we’re entering. His work is meaty, earthy and can be bizarre but believable, and this is a world premiere! And, film star, Rebecca De Mornay stars as Evelyn, a woman running a posh spa out west. The spa is a cover for shadier business and an aggressively dark side. Being the first audience to see this collaboration is definitely a hot ticket.
Evelyn, Rebecca De Mornay, has been sent a problem to fix by any means necessary. That problem is a person, Soochi, (Christina Toth). Soochi, a made up name for a person with something to hide, is fighting an uphill battle. She appears wearing a wig so obvious that I expected some mention of illness. The anxiety she played through the scene didn't explain why she would stay in the room once she delivered her package, and the script didn't give her much reason to either. But she does stay, and they work through the necessary exposition, though not once did I feel like the two actors were in the same room. In naturalistic theatre, American theatre that became popular in the last century, one of the key rules is play off what you are given. React to the other person as opposed to playing the scene by some predetermined rules or ideas. It requires the actor to actively listen and be in the moment. Stylized theatre is something completely different. The rules of nature don't apply as such. Where this production of The Pushover falls is the question at hand.
Pearl Penny Chen is the connection between Soochi and Evelyn. The ex-lover of both women, when Soochi steals $400,000.00 from this budding chef and restauranteur, Pearl asks Evelyn to exact her revenge. Ms. Zhu who plays Pearl has not settled into the role. Her delivery lacks an emotional build in her scene work. When she reaches for Evelyn it still feels like blocking and not desire. It’s awkward when it should be sensual. I question how much rehearsal this team got. My days in summer stock only allowed for 2.5 weeks of rehearsal before we faced an audience. 16 physical days to put up a full-length play. Small theatres simply cannot afford to pay everyone for extended rehearsal periods. Shows that get out of town try-outs are taking in revenue while changing and developing. I have no doubt that this play was definitely being tweaked throughout the process.
When everything works seamlessly on stage, a director gets little of the credit, but when it doesn’t, they take much of the flack. Early in the play, scene changes created distinct locations, and created the distraction of a mid-audience entrance to draw the eye away from the change, while the last set change was sloppy and haphazard leaving the majority of the mess behind. It feels like a choice, but I struggle to understand it. Props are very important throughout the play. From sketches, to weapons, to meals, it’s all very realistic, but early on Evelyn mimed pulling the rope of a servant bell (think Downton Abbey). She could have said the servant's name, rung a handball, smacked a counter bell or even mimed something small like a button where we couldn't see if it existed or not. So the choice to pull an imaginary rope this early in the play opened the door for other non-naturalistic behavior. The characters had quirks for sure, but the single act of miming seemed odd when later there is such realistic steam coming out of a pot on the stove and a ricocheted bullet knocking over a can.
Scenic Designer, Jackson Berkley, was able to create something both functional and versatile. The color palette worked perfectly for both a therapy office and southwestern spa. I was even more impressed when the spa windows opened to reveal a meager Chinese restaurant kitchen. What was calming and relaxing one minute, was dingy and tired the next. Similarly, Costumer Debbi Hobson, was able to create the spa vibe with vibrant orange robes, and at the same time express Pearl’s quirkiness alongside her signature white gloves.
No matter how awesome I find Mr. Shanley’s talent, I must admit there are some issues with the material itself. In the climax scene, Soochi reappears in a wildly disheveled state. She's in full desperate junkie mode, complete with wig change. But Evelyn has just flown cross-country to deliver a $40,000 installment in restitution from Soochi. If Soochi was well enough to skim $40,000 as an accountant in the Southwest just days ago, how does she turn up on Queens Blvd looking like she's been living on the streets for months? All of this upstages an underlying message of looking for the good in people and earnestly giving forgiveness.
Getting to sit a few feet from the wildly talented Ms. De Mornay and see her work is definitely a thrill. Hearing a new Shanley play will always be exciting. I see The Pushover like a pineapple pizza. All the individual elements are wonderful in their own right. But when combined, it's definitely an acquired taste and will not satisfy everyone.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Nicole Jesson.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 11, 2026. All rights reserved.
