Did You Know...

When the work first premiered (in a 1979 production starring James Mason) audiences seemed somewhat confused by its unconventional structure: the actors never appear together on stage; instead each in turn delivers a monologue. Though many critics immediately recognized its importance, Faith Healer was not, initially a commercial success. It has taken a brilliant revival, with a truly spectacular cast, to reveal this play for what it is: a modern masterpiece.

Now showing at the Booth Theater in New York, director Jonathan Kent's powerful interpretation features three extraordinary performers: Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, The English Patient), Cherry Jones (The Perfect Storm, Erin Brockovich,) and Ian McDiarmid (Star Wars) -- thus giving audiences what one critic called a "unique opportunity to see three of our finest actors on one stage." But Faith Healer is far more than a mere vehicle to showcase star talent. Most intriguing to audiences today is the drama itself, a work of unflinching honesty and searing insights into the complexities of human relationships.

Each of the characters is fascinating. Frank Hardy, the faith-healer, (Fiennes) while both self-absorbed and difficult, is genuinely awed by his strange ability to cure the sick by the laying-on of hands, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. His long-suffering wife Grace (Jones) obviously adores him, even as he exasperates her. Rounding out the trio is Teddy, Hardy's "manager" (McDiarmid) who offers his own sardonic analysis of their "act" -- which combines cheap side-show spectacle with a profoundly religious experience, and raises fascinating questions about faith, love, and conflicting perceptions of what is real.