Reviews

Andy Warhol In Iran

The Pittsburgh Tattler

Under Marc Masterson’s sure-handed direction, actors Emerson and Rad bring depth and nuance to characters who each have both a strong one-dimensional purpose and a complicated back story. Emerson uses a light touch to personate rather than impersonate the idiosyncratic Warhol, conjuring him in a recognizable manner without shading into caricature or satire (Susan Tsu’s understated costumes work well in support of this subtlety). This allows him to show some real vulnerability and even, at a crucial moment in the action, empathy and care for his captor. There’s an unexpected depth to his Warhol, an actual human behind the carefully polished façade.

-WKARONS

Pittsburgh Tribune

As Warhol, Emerson was captivating. His vocal and physical mannerisms were specific and fluid, creating a natural appearance. The show begins with him breaking the fourth wall and delivering a a monologue to the audience that is both awkward and captivating. Throughout the play, Emerson does an admirable job with comedic and dramatic moments, bringing a refreshing humanity to a figure as shrouded in eccentricity and performance as Warhol was

-Alexis Papalia, The Pittsburgh Tribune

Pittsburgh Vivant

Brent Askari’s Andy Warhol in Iran, at City Theatre in Pittsburgh, is the kind of play that gets you laughing while it slips a knife in the gut. It taps the format’s intimate potential, homing in on a one-to-one encounter that’s weird as heck but also brimming with passion. Emerson plays Warhol with a vapid charm.  Even when Andy is at his most annoying, cloying and simpering, Emerson gives his sympathy, a likability that you won’t find in any actual footage of the artist (see Andy Warhol’s 1985 appearance on “The Love Boat” as a reference).

Side note: This version of the artist is more complex than the Andy Warhol in “Pop,” portrayed by Anthony Rapp in City Theatre’s production back in 2012.  Emerson is hilarious.

A Nonny Moss, Pittsburgh Vivant