The Whipping Man at South Coast Repertory

The Whipping Man

South Coast Repertory
655 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa

The Civil War has ended, leaving destruction in its wake. As a raging storm illuminates what's left of a once majestic plantation home, three Jewish men prepare for Passover—the owner's son, and his family's former slaves. Only one of them, Simon, remains strong in his faith, but it is threatened with truths about what happened in this house—and in their lives—during its antebellum days.

Thru - Jan 25, 2015

Show Times TBA

Price: $30-$125

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 714-708-5555

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The Whipping Man Reviews

Average Rating based on 6 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Los Angeles Times - Somewhat Recommended

"...Although the story starts with a bang, the exposition required to catalog all of the exceptions and coincidences responsible for the incredible scenario soon bogs things down. Director Martin Benson and the three lively performers can't quite succeed in keeping up the momentum."

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- Margaret Gray

LA Splash - Recommended

"...This multidimensional story about freedom, traditions and redemption is brought to life in incredibly dynamic ways, thanks to Lopez's layered writing, Martin Benson's tight direction and the talented cast, lead by SCR veteran Charlie Robinson."

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- Peter A. Balaskas

Advice To The Players - Recommended

"...Matthew Lopez's "The Whipping Man" gives us something even more intriguing – and more gut-wrenching. Imagine Southern Jews of the Civil War era. Now imagine them alongside slaves whom they've raised within the precepts of Judaism. That's "The Whipping Man," and its Martin Benson-directed staging at South Coast Repertory is a powerhouse."

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- Eric Marchese

OC Weekly - Recommended

"...But though slavery and faith are obvious components in this play, it's clear in this Martin Benson-directed piece (which transfers to its co-producer, the Pasadena Playhouse, after this run concludes) that this is a play about family. And that's good, because if the focus wasn't on family, there'd be two enormous questions that Lopez never adequately addresses in his play: why captive people raped and whipped and degraded would be so thankful for being given the gift of faith by a family that owned them; and, more important, how could any moral Jew countenance owning slaves?"

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- Joel Beers

Cultural Weekly - Recommended

"...Founding SCR Director Martin Benson has done a masterful job of unspooling and pacing the story in a manner that benefits from the astute casting of this tightly knit trio of actors."

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- Sylvie Drake

KCRW - Somewhat Recommended

"...Perhaps most importantly – it's a play about the past – not just the American past but even the character's pasts. Not much happens. In fact, it's so static that one of the characters is literally immobilized to keep him there. The dramatic engine isn't built around action but rather discovering connections, putting the pieces together. For an audience, that's fun. You get to feel smart. It's also safe. After all, it's a play about the end of the Civil War. Any racial discord is contained safely in the past. I can't help but ask, given everything that's filling our headlines, "shouldn't plays illuminate our futures as much as our pasts?" However you come down on that question – or the setup for The Whipping Man – it's a fascinating look into what's getting produced in the American theater."

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- Anthony Bynres

The Whipping Man at South Coast Repertory

The Whipping Man

The Whipping Man Reviews

Los Angeles Times - Somewhat Recommended

LA Splash - Recommended

Advice To The Players - Recommended

OC Weekly - Recommended

Cultural Weekly - Recommended

KCRW - Somewhat Recommended

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