Jan Maxwell and Steven Dykes in the PTP/NYC production of Victory. Photo: Stan Barouh.

The reviews are in for the PTP/NYC production of Howard Barker’s Victory: Choices in Reaction that runs through the end of July. In this morning’s New York Times, Anita Gates writes, “The show’s energy — shot from a cannon by Richard Romagnoli, the director — blazes like fireworks in the hands of an outstanding ensemble cast,” calling the play’s American premiere “long-overdue” and praising Barker’s style and language as well. You can see most of the other reviews at the StageGrade page for the show.

I must add that the show brought back fond memories; it was a delight to share the stage with Romagnoli, Maxwell, Lunney and others at theatre minima‘s Howard Barker at the Segal Center last year, at which we discussed not only Barker’s early plays but his later career as well. A recording of the conversation between Barker and critic David Ian Rabey that took place at this event is available at TheatreVoice here (part one) and here (part two); my own review of this year’s Victory: Choices in Reaction is available here.