Hungry

by Richard Nelson

"Wonderful...HUNGRY, a work in which nothing much happens beyond some contemplative pre-dinner chatter, may well be the most resonantly topical and emotionally engaging play of this election year." Ben Brantley, New York Times "[HUNGRY's] thousand acts of extreme daily realism, from chopping vegetables to the constant dance of interpersonal negotiation, amount to a kind of human politics, dramatizing, as many more 'dramatic' plays cannot, the historic conflict and consolations of living in our country right now." Jesse Green, New York Magazine "[Nelson] may just be quietly building a masterwork." Linda Winer, Newsday "If you want to understand the forces driving the current presidential election, pay close attention to this play." The Daily Beast "Richard Nelson's quietly incandescent play HUNGRY, a play that feels as fresh as if it was written this morning..." Jeremy Gerard, Deadline/Hollywood ..".delivers the sort of intimacy rarely encountered on the stage." Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter

Genres: Plays

98 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2016

Reviews

[Aaron Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now, look, this is sort of fine. The writing is realistic. It's attempting to be a kind of Chekhovian thing, with food being cooked and moving around the kitchen and using the salad spinner. But, it doesn't have any of the magic a Chekhov play would have. I didn't really dislike this or anything; it's pleasant enough. I'm just not sure why it exists.

There are things to say about the playwright's ability to let us into some characters' lives but not others. He knows what he's doing very well, I think. But, like... why? Maybe the other two plays justify the existence of this one.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this play after seeing it at the Public Theater in New York. It is the first of a trilogy about a family during the 2016 presidental election. It seems low key but Nelson's use of dialogue is adroit. I'm looking forward to the other two plays.