How did the 1993 Middle East peace talks come to be held secretly in a castle in the middle of a forest outside Oslo?
A darkly funny and sweeping new play, OSLO tells the surprising true story of the back-channel talks, unlikely friendships and quiet heroics that led to the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between the Israelis and Palestinians. As he did with such wit and intelligence in Blood and Gifts, J.T. Rogers presents a deeply personal story set against a complex historical canvas: a story about the individuals behind world history and their all too human ambitions. Directed by Bartlett Sher.
It is a smart and at all times potentially explosive play that has at its core people rather than politics. Rogers muses about how a small group of humans having secret conversations (and copious drinks) across tables and in sitting rooms can create results that resound on a global scale. It is an insightful play that is neither as meticulous nor efficient as it could be (it does little to earn the right to its three-hour running time), but nonetheless does impressive work to underscore the personal at the heart of the political.
As we now know, that period was just a warm-up for the noise and chaos that followed, and Oslo has arrived at LCT's Broadway venue with its sense of urgency intact, if not heightened. Director Bartlett Sher, whose rigorous insights into history and human relationships have buoyed new works and revivals, has actors rearrange the pieces of Michael Yeargan's spare set as one scene flows into another, so that the production seems in constant, almost frantic, motion. Their characters pace and circle each other and raise their voices suddenly, lashing out or buckling under the strain of having to maintain their composure. Bits of dialogue teeter into speechifying here and there, but you'll barely notice; the balance of passion, discipline, and suspense is organically, thrillingly theatrical.
2016 | Off-Broadway |
Lincoln Center Theater Original Production Off-Broadway |
2017 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2017 | West End |
West End Transfer West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Michael Aronov |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | J.T. Rogers |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jennifer Ehle |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jefferson Mays |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Oslo |
2017 | New York Drama Critics Circle Awards | Best Play | J.T. Rogers |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Michael Aronov |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Oslo |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Projection Design (Play or Musical) | Benjamin Pearcy |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Bartlett Sher |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Donald Holder |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Michael Aronov |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Jefferson Mays |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Jennifer Ehle |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Play | J.T. Rogers |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Michael Yeargan |
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