Rating: 
Summary: Pensive and Ponderous
Review: Written in the Fifties, MacLeish's short play is pensive and ponderous. He wanted to write about the despair he saw around him after two World Wars, atomic destruction and several holocausts. Indeed, for all its progressive idealism, the 20th Century has been one of the most brutal we have witnessed. But Mr. MacLeish's play takes the reflection about our crimes in this age and makes it so heavy--"heavy" to think about and "heavy" to the point of dull.Set in minimalist style, the cynical Mr. Nickles and Mr. Zuss, smoke in the darkness while watching J.B. crash and burn. Late in the play, Mr. MacLeish brings in several characters or advisors who also witness this unraveling of the title character and they attempt to console him. Instead they end up patronizing him. Unfortunately, it's written in a way that it detracts from the play. Having read the Book of Job in the Old Testament (which this play follows in concept) and having read some histories of this century, I found that this play bogged down in attempting to be poetic AND profound. It may have been a hit on Broadway when it appeared, but it needs a revival--a re-working--today in order to be dynamic theater.
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