‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ Review: Sarah Snook’s Solo Broadway Outing Can’t Find Meaning in the Artifice

variety.com:

Christian Lewis Oscar Wilde’s infamous antihero Dorian Gray probably would’ve loved to have a barrage of cameras pointed at him, reflecting his gorgeous visage.

This is exactly what Kip Williams’ tech-heavy new Broadway production does, with Sarah Snook (“Succession”) starring in all the roles and surrounded by a team of camera operators.

However, despite some fancy camera work and close-ups, this production only goes skin-deep. Wilde himself was an aficionado of artifice, which makes the irony here all the more painful, since this production cannot find any depth in its surfaces. “The Picture of Dorian Gray”— which played to much acclaim in London last year — creatively integrates video, with Snook often appearing on screen both in simulcast and in pre-recorded bits as other characters.

Although technology is a ubiquitous part of this production, the piece has practically nothing to say about it, other than acknowledging its mere existence — technology is related to vanity, and a front-facing selfie camera is like a mirror.