still from "Romeo and Juliet," 1968

(excerpted from the New York Times Theater Review)

Scenes from American Life - presented by the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center, at the Forum Theater, 1971

"Mr. Gurney is presenting vignettes of American lifestyles from the Depression years, through World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and onward to some ghastly police state of the 1980s where the military and their computers have taken control, and the whole country is behind barbed wire and under surveillance...The constantly shifting role-playing puts considerable pressure on the cast of eight...and it is a very good cast.  Among the men, James Broderick and Christopher Walken do outstanding work..." - Clive Barnes, March 26, 1971

Caligula - presented by the Yale Repertory Theater, New Haven CT, 1971

"Caligula plots the intellectual ascendancy and the moral collapse of an emperor, who, in Camus's phrase, is 'obsessed with the impossible and poisoned with scorn and horror.' ...Christopher Walken is an articulate actor, and there are moments when he seems on the verge of comprehending Caligula.  This is particularly true when, like Hamlet, facing a court of Poloniuses, he taunts the patricians, molding them to his evil, mocking their complacency.  Walken has his eye on the character, but not yet his grip.

For one thing, he concentrates too much on the physical aspects of the role, trying to convey the emperor with gestures and stances.  Beginning wild-eyed and spectral, darting from behind the scenery like a wooden duck in a shooting gallery, he has nowhere to go but down on all fours.  By the end of the drama he is playing bent-over-backwards - skittering across the stage crabwise.  But Walken at least makes a serious attempt..."  - Mel Gussow, December 11, 1971

Read Walter Kerr's review of Caligula.

Houdini - presented at the Lenox Art Center, Wheatleigh MA, 1973

"The title role is being acted, sung and danced by Christopher Walken; Neva Small is his wife; Richard Cox is Houdini's manager, and Anita Morris has the part of a sultry trollop.  All give good performances..." - Allen Hughes, July 5, 1973

Troilus and Cressida - presented by the NY Shakespeare Festival at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in Lincoln Center, 1973

"Even the capable members of the group, Christopher Walken in particular, are reduced to depressed monologues, furtive giggles, coy simperings, and - every ten minutes or so, between passages that are apparently meant to be taken straightforwardly - low comedy accents.  Mr. Walken is asked to read "My reputation is at stake," as though he'd just come out of the Godfather, and once - just once I think - he lapsed into those Puerto Rican inflections that seem mandatory in all recent Shakespeare Festival productions...It is no surprise when Mr. Walken as Achilles, loses his climatic battle, considering that he has come on for it in a great spotted feather boa, looking rather like Tarzan with seaweed." - Walter Kerr, December 9, 1973

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  updated 07/31/2007


 
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