‘Leopoldstadt’ is Ambitious but Lacks Emotional Connection

metroweekly.com:

A play of epic proportions, Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt has almost equally epic challenges and, like a suit that doesn’t quite fit, it feels just a little too big for the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production.Immense in scope, Stoppard’s semi-autobiographical journey weaves its way from 1899 through 1955 as multiple generations of a wealthy Jewish family in Vienna experience war and antisemitism in ways that will forever change their lives and identities.

Heavy on the expository and vignette-driven, family gatherings share space with spirited conversations about Zionism, the creation of a Jewish homeland, and the growing “othering” of Viennese Jews as time passes through Germany’s annexation of Austria, two world wars, and a final post-war-Vienna pause.For those who know to listen for it, there is even an intriguing, overarching nod to the mystery of prime numbers and Stoppard’s suggestion that perhaps there is a theory that explains not just the numbers, but the pattern of our lives.

Coming in at an operatic near-three hours, it’s a hell of a lot to keep afloat.Director Carey Perloff certainly keeps the pace swirling and the ensemble carries the many and varied moments with great conviction.

It is, at times, fascinating and thought-provoking.Stoppard’s signature wit occasionally surfaces. But for this to fly, so much of it is about bringing life to Stoppard’s particular tapestry: the way he uses time and emphasis, his revolution between curated scenes, expository-heavy conversations and the meta-sense of a grander picture.