DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF RAGE
As the inaugural production at the new Studio Seaview (formerly Second Stage on 43rd and 8th), Penelope Skinner’s Angry Alan opened June 11 for a limited run. Starring John Krasinski in a surprisingly intense and layered performance, the 85-minute play initially unfolds as a one-man show—until it isn’t.
Krasinski plays Roger—not Alan—though both men are angry. At first, Roger’s discontent feels benign, even relatable. He’s divorced, estranged from his teenage son, recently fired from AT&T, and desperate for meaning or at least a sense of validation. Enter “Angry Alan,” an online provocateur whose content—found at angryalan.com and angryalan.tv—seems to articulate the frustration Roger has long suppressed. As a man, he feels abandoned, neglected, and displaced. Did I mention Roger is also white and straight?
What starts as a sympathetic character portrait slowly devolves into something far more troubling. Angry Alan doesn’t just echo Roger’s feelings—he exploits them. With precision. What begins as understandable grievances soon metastasizes into radicalization. The transformation is slow and believable, which makes it all the more unsettling. You watch as Roger slips deeper into Alan’s ideology, and despite seeing its path, there’s no stopping the consequences already in motion.
The play doesn’t mention Trump by name, but the allusion is unmistakable. Angry Alan functions as a cipher for the political and social forces that prey on alienated men like Roger, converting their pain into cash, loyalty, and ideology. Skinner’s script, originally developed with Don Mackay at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018, remains chillingly relevant. It’s provocative, darkly funny, and in the end, devastating.
Krasinski, best known for more affable roles, gives a performance that is revelatory. He brings charm, vulnerability, and a tragic sincerity to Roger—an everyman searching for connection in the most misguided places. Even more impressively, Krasinski deftly embodies the women in Roger’s life: his current girlfriend, his ex-wife, a reporter. His portrayals are detailed, subtle, and utterly believable, even as we become aware that Roger is not a reliable narrator.
As Roger’s descent accelerates, a blackout interrupts the narrative. When the lights return, we meet Roger’s teenage son Joe—played with clarity and sensitivity by Ryan Colone. Joe’s presence reorients the play, introducing a new voice, a new generation, and a more complex spectrum of gender identity. The dynamic between father and child challenges Roger in ways he’s not prepared, and the play’s emotional and thematic resonance deepens.
Director Sam Gold paces the production with masterful control, leaning into the play’s discomforts without exploitation. Scenic design by dots uses a revolving stage to present two primary settings, which feel underwhelming and awkward compared to their past work—both in detail and functionality. Costume designer Qween Jean, however, delivers clear and effective character distinctions, and Gold’s collaboration with lighting designer Isabella Byrd, sound designer Mikaal Sulaiman, and video designer Lucy MacKinnon adds visceral propulsion to Roger’s unraveling.
To be honest, I’m not typically drawn to one-person plays. Especially ones that talk at me nonstop. I often find myself wondering: Who are they talking to? And why? But Angry Alan transcends that limitation. What might have been an extended monologue becomes an unnerving case study—a cautionary tale for the digital age. It’s not just a play about one man’s anger, but a reflection of the wider cultural movement that weaponizes it. And for those of us still trying to make sense of how we got here, Angry Alan offers more understanding than comfort—and that’s exactly what makes it essential viewing.
photos by Jonny Cournoyer
Angry Alan
Studio Seaview, 305 W 43 St.
ends on August 3, 2025
for tickets, visit Angry Alan Play
for more info, visit Seaview
# # # # #
Gregory Fletcher is an author, a theater professor, a playwright, director, and stage manager. His craft book on playwriting is entitled Shorts and Briefs, and publishing credits include two YA novels (Other People’s Crazy, and Other People’s Drama), 2 novellas in the series Inclusive Bedtime Stories, 2 short stories in The Night Bazaar series, and several essays. Website, Facebook, Instagram.
