Before Hamilton, A Chorus Line, Hair; before Joseph Papp built the Public Theater into an institution, he was faced with a fight for survival of his newfound free Shakespeare in Central Park that he seemed destined to lose.

That’s the story in Illyria, a play written and directed by Richard Nelson, who tells his well-researched story in the same low-key, oblique and unorthodox way that he employed in his two play series, The Apple Family and The Gabriels. The style – quietly, realistically acted “in real time,” minimally designed – seemed better suited for those previous pieces…

Full review on DC Theatre Scene