Tom Hanks‘s Stage presence in ‘This World of Tomorrow‘ Sparks Debate โon Celebrity and Performance
New York, NY – โขTom Hanks’s current role in the playโค This World of Tomorrow at The Shed is prompting discussion about the role ofโ movie stars in live theaterโ 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 โwhether 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 โคrecent review suggests a radical option: โฃforegoing scripts, directors, and ensembles entirely, and instead presenting hanks in silent, illuminated stillness for two hours, transforming the experience โinto a form of secular pilgrimage or “sacramental theater.” The core argument centers on the idea thatโ 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.