Junk by Ayad Akhtar
I read a long piece on the playwright Ayad Akhtar and immediately bought tickets to his latest play, Junk. The performance is being shown at Lincoln Center in the Vivian Beaumont Theater done by Eero Saarinen. No matter how many times I through the buildings and around the water fountain at Lincoln Center, I smile. It really is such an absolutely magical place.
We moved to NYC in the early 80’s just when junk bonds became an investment tool. This play is a fictionalized account of Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky, both corporate raiders who eventually went down although the amount of money and havoc they brought upon the public markets gives us something to think about on how we got to where we are today. The play gives perspective to something that happened 30 years ago that was driven purely by money.
There is a speech that Merkin (aka Milken) gives around globalism. It is a total turnaround from what is being espoused by the Trump administration today. History is always worth revisiting especially in strange times. An interesting play that is fast-paced, thought-provoking and worth going to see. It has stuck with me.
Comments (Archived):
Good play to mention- I’m glad we saw it but did not love it even though I wanted to love it. I thought the lead role was miscast. Other small criticisms. I think the intention of the play was interesting but an underlying theme that everybody essentially has a price [at which they sell out] is an over-simplification. I confess I prefer the TV show “Billions” but who can compete with those amazing actors who star in that series? My goodness, Damien Lewis and Paul Giacometti are unreal in how well they inhabit the roles of that nefarious duo. It does seem like we are at a very corrupt time in our US history. Countless commentators are questioning whether a Republican Congress would vote to impeach even if Obstruction of Justice is proven by the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Ugh.