The Picture of Dorian Gray: broadway’s avant-garde era

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is surprisingly progressive for the 1800s. Before I get into the play itself, I think it’s helpful to break down the original story…

Gray is a good-looking young man who inspires Basil Hallward. But after falling for Lord Henry Wotton's cynical and pleasure-seeking ways, Dorian wishes he could stay young forever while the painting ages. After getting what he wants, everything begins to go downhill. Dorian's body stays the same, but the portrait becomes ugly and distorted as he lives a life of destruction and pride, reflecting his souls destruction. His decisions cause pain, death, and, in Basil's case, murder. In the end, Dorian tries to destroy the painting, but he dies instead. His body suddenly ages and deteriorates, while the painting is restored to its former glory.

This Broadway adaptation, directed and adapted by Kip Williams, is without question one of the most avant-garde theatre experiences of the season. All 14 characters, plus a few extra one-off background roles, are played by Emmy Award winner Sarah Snook. I truly think only a handful of actors could pull off what she did at that level.

So how exactly did Sarah play everyone???

Sarah not only learned the whole script, but she also learned the dance moves she needed to do to hit every camera angle, cue, and spot, with the help of a live camera crew on stage. The show mixes live performances with footage that was filmed ahead of time. This makes the stage feel like both a theater and a movie set. Sarah plays important roles like Dorian, Basil, and Lord Henry live on stage. At the same time, big floating screens show pre-recorded versions of her as other characters. The real magic is that these versions act like they're all happening at the same time.

And yes, she also did the voice-over. She tells the whole story of the play, smoothly switching between characters, accents, hitting marks, and giving cues to the tech with her own performance. One dinner scene in particular stood out. She sat live at the head of the table, and the other guests, who were also her, appeared on the screen at the same time as she spoke. It was crazy. Big thanks to our tech-savvy queen.

Kip Williams uses modern tools like filters, cameras, and split screens to explore the play's themes of beauty, perception, and self-obsession—not just for looks. Sometimes, the filters make Dorian's face look broken to show how broken his identity has become. I thought that was smart.

Technically, it was impressive. Inventive, for sure, and Sarah Snook earned that Drama Desk Award!!!!

Her stamina, commitment, and ability to hold the entire production together were undeniable. I wouldn’t be surprised if she takes home the Tony this weekend. (Update: she did!)

I'll be honest. I was glad to have seen it, but I wasn't sure if it had changed me or just made me feel overwhelmed. The show is so focused on its one-woman concept with floating screens and digital overlays that I sometimes wanted to see an ensemble and feel the warmth and connection that comes with that. It seemed more like a show with one woman than a full story. For Broadway, it was a lot to take in. There is even a printed note from the director in the Playbill that explains the choices, which I thought was interesting and unusual.

With more thought, perhaps “returning to the ancient storytelling form,” as Kip stated, was a good idea because that also comes off self-indulgent, which Dorian absolutely is. Regardless, it’s one of those shows you’ll be glad you saw, even if you’re still unpacking how you feel about it on the way home.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is on Broadway now until June 29th. Go check it out and let me know what you think!

Get your tix here!