Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room at Theatre 40 at The Reuben Cordova Theatre

Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room

Theatre 40 at The Reuben Cordova Theatre
241 Moreno Drive Beverly Hills

Chicago, June, 1920. The Republican National Convention is in full swing. Warren G. Harding is overwhelmed by the prospect of being the nominee of the Republican Party for President. Hounded by an ambitious campaign manager, a paralyzingly superstitious wife, a star-struck young mistress, and the frightening pull of inevitability, Harding seems destined to be President----or is he? This play explores the extent to which fate controls our lives. Is there a higher power that determines our destinies or are we the aggregate result of the idiosyncracies of flawed humanity?

Thru - Dec 15, 2019

Price: $35

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 310-364-0535

www.Theatre40.org

Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room Reviews

Average Rating based on 5 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

LA Splash - Recommended

"...FIFTEEN MEN IN A SMOKE-FILLED ROOM could not be more timely, an intriguing glimpse of the political elite and their methods and means of influencing the future of the United States. History buffs will certainly enjoy this production - but the contemporary feel of events which happened almost 100 years ago will also appeal to current audiences."

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- Elaine Mura

Total Theater - Recommended

"...Fifteen Men is certainly relevant to our times-once again widespread corruption is undermining our democracy-but the play is more of a character study than a political expose. Its portrait of Harding as a hapless, tragic figure is maybe too much of a whitewash---as a senator Harding opposed the League of Nations and voted for anti-strike legislation-but Crowley does succeed in making us feel sorry for this flawed, not-too-bright human being. Fifteen Men is skillfully acted (the cast also includes Kevin Dulude doubling as a newspaper publisher and a hotel waiter). It is also crisply directed by Jules Aaron...and looks historically accurate, thanks to Jeff G. Rack's sumptuous, detailed set."

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- Willard Manus

Showmag - Recommended

"...However corrupt and inept the Harding Administration may have been, the fact that our country was able to overcome the detriments of that epoch gives us hope in our own age of political incompetence. That's the value in experiencing Fifteen Men in a Smoke-filled Room."

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- Ben Miles

Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended

"...The play is a mildly interesting look at political machinations (made by men in smoke-filled rooms), but as drama, the production only occasionally sparkles. The script is labored, and a heaviness overhangs the action. The very able director, Jules Aaron, keeps the evening flowing, but even he can't completely overcome the story's limitations."

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- Iris Mann

Theatre Notes - Somewhat Recommended

"...Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room is an obvious choice for out political times, but it does not spark the interest that one might expect. Warren G. Harding famously called for a return to "normalcy" after the horrors of the World War I and the plague of the Spanish influenza that infected 500 million people world wide. He was popular with the people, but lost historical standing after his death when such scandals as Tea Pot Dome and his relationship with Nan Britton came to light. In history he is regarded very lightly, if at all. It does, however, have some parallels to the current moment."

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- Paul Myrvold

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Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room at Theatre 40 at The Reuben Cordova Theatre