The Whipping Man (2014) - Trailer

The Whipping Man

Synposis:

It is Passover, 1865. The Civil War has just ended and the annual celebration of freedom from bondage is being observed in Jewish homes across the country. One of these homes, belonging to the DeLeons of Virginia, sits in ruins. Confederate officer Caleb DeLeon has returned from the war to find his family missing and only two former slaves remaining. Caleb is badly wounded and the two men, Simon and John, are forced to care for him.

As the three men wait for the family's return, they wrestle with their shared past as master and slave, digging up long-buried family secrets along the way as well as new ones. Slavery and war, they discover, warp even good men's souls.


Winner of the 2011 John Gassner New Play Award from the NY Outer Critics Circle.

"Haunting, striking, and powerful" — Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

"...The Whipping Man introduces a talented new writer..." — David Cote, NY1

"...wonderfully satisfying...the action spools out elegantly as new revelations arise and characterizations deepen." — Alexis Soloski, The Village Voice

"In the Manhattan Theatre Club production of Matthew Lopez's impressive début play, directed by Doug Hughes, every detail contributes to a perfect balance between realism and drama, culminating in a Seder loaded with ironies and revelations. 'Why is this year different from all other years?' John asks, smiling, and we all share in the characters' amazement." — The New Yorker

"The audacious work marks the debut of a Fresh Talent" — Mark Kennedy, Associated Press

"The acting is superb and the smart dialogue ranges from rhythmic to biting to funny" — Aubry D'Arminio, Entertainment Weekly

"Lopez's drama has undeniable power" — Adam Feldman, Time Out New York

"Fresh and compelling. Gripping" — Joe Dziemianowicz, Daily News

"A boldly, vividly, and tautly-written drama" — Michael Sommers, New Jersey Newsroom

"Matthew Lopez's affecting, suspenseful and at times searing play strips the skin off such lofty ideas as freedom and honor to peer at the raw nerves underneath, and lay bare the cost paid for such lofty notions." — James Hebert, San Diego Union Tribune

"Succeeds with an uncanny maturity in using sharply drawn characters and rich metaphor to wrestle Wilson-like with epic American issues of race, religion, and responsibility. Someone must succeed Wilson; it might as well be Lopez" — Tim Gihring, Minnesota Monthly