Tom Hanks‘s Stage presence in ‘This World of Tomorrow‘ Sparks Debate on Celebrity and Performance
New York, NY – Tom Hanks’s current role in the play This World of Tomorrow at The Shed is prompting discussion about the role of movie stars in live theater and the nature of performance itself. While audiences flock to see familiar faces like Kristin Chenoweth and Laurie Metcalf on stage, Hanks’s presence has raised questions about whether asking established film actors to perform conventional plays is necessary-or even desirable.
The production, running through December 21, has ignited a conversation about stripping away theatrical conventions. A recent review suggests a radical option: foregoing scripts, directors, and ensembles entirely, and instead presenting hanks in silent, illuminated stillness for two hours, transforming the experience into a form of secular pilgrimage or “sacramental theater.” The core argument centers on the idea that Hanks’s star power alone is sufficient, and that the act of witnessing him as Tom Hanks is the performance itself, shifting the focus from his acting to the audience’s own reverence and interpretation.