Kleptocracy Reviews
Washington Post- Somewhat Recommended
"...For all the theatrical window dressing that Lin applies to this drama out of Russia's brutal recent history, though, "Kleptocracy" lacks a vital element: a central character for whom an audience might feel something. Woertendyke's Khodorkovsky - based on the oligarch turned political dissident of that name who served 10 years in Putin's jails on reputedly manufactured charges - is sketched as a telling case study, rather than as a man whose passions and contradictions intrigue you. He's the receptacle for what's portrayed as Putin's icy depravity, which makes him useful but not particularly interesting."
DC Theater Arts- Somewhat Recommended
"...The buzz around Lin for his television work and past playwriting prizes all but guarantees that Kleptocracy will make its rounds on the regional theater circuit once its run at Arena Stage is done. However, one hopes there will be much-needed rewrites between now and then, so that maybe there will be a revised version at least half as "fearless" as the posters proclaim in the Arena's lobby."
MD Theatre Guide- Recommended
"...It is a very timely play, and serves as a clarion call to wake up and start paying deep attention to the man behind the curtain. A little more nuance in the supporting characters would have been welcome, but the cast played their parts well, with the grimness of people just trying to survive one more day."
BroadwayWorld- Recommended
"...Director Jackson Gay graciously spares us from two hours of thick Russian accents, which cuts down on distraction. The cast only speaks in a dialect for the scenes that are set in English. A variation on the Hunt for Red October trick. It highlights the way the White House Official, played brilliantly by Candy Buckley, disregards the non-English speakers. Total mistake. Language barriers are deceiving. Everyone works more deftly in their native tongue."