Olivia Wilde Is Speaking Out About the Reactions to Her Controversial New Play
"If this show is the most upsetting part of anyone's day, they're not reading the news headlines."
Olivia Wilde's new play, an adaptation of George Orwell's 1984, has been getting a lot of publicity. According to The Hollywood Reporter, throughout the play's previews, audience members have been known to faint, throw up, scream, and get into fights. So why are members of the public having such a strong reaction to the material?
Of the extreme reactions, Wilde said, "I'm not surprised, since this experience is unique, bold and immersive. It allows you to empathize in a visceral way, and that means making the audience physically and emotionally uncomfortable." Clearly, the play is having the desired effect on patrons, then.
Welcome to Broadway, @oliviawilde! #stagedoorselfie #oliviawilde #revisedtruth #1984play #1984 #georgeorwell https://t.co/4VI7tyGkYQ pic.twitter.com/Lg9WNiBEWcMay 27, 2017
In fact, Wilde hopes that 1984 will make audiences consider the current political climate. She said, "I hope this show makes people question everything they're being told. All we're saying is, the truth matters."
Director Robert Icke supported Wilde's viewpoint, and said, "You can stay and watch or you can leave—that's a perfectly fine reaction to watching someone be tortured. But if this show is the most upsetting part of anyone's day, they're not reading the news headlines. Things are much worse than a piece of theater getting under your skin a little bit."
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While not for the squeamish, 1984 has been getting great reviews, with Variety claiming it's "worth the cost of losing your lunch." Wow.
After all, we live in terrifying times, in which reality is often scarier than fiction. The Broadway show is just hoping to highlight some of the injustices happening in the world right now.
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Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.
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