Angry Alan

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John Krasinski, best known for his role as the charming and amiable Jim Halpert on NBC’s sitcom The Office, is inspired casting for Penelope Skinner’s Angry Alan, a perfect showcase for his talents now the opening show at Studio Seaview, the renovated Tony Kiser Theater. In Skinner’s monologue co-created with actor Donald Sage Mackay who first played the part at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Krasinski is Roger, a three-years divorced man, who also lost his executive position job at AT&T and now works as the dairy manager at his local Kroger, a job he hates.

Surfing the net, he finds a website called “Angry Alan” which seems to explain his midlife crisis: it is all the result of the “Gynocracy: a female dominated political regime which took over decades ago.” Roger who addresses us directly is still smarting from the fact that his live-in girlfriend Courtney has recently discovered feminism from a community college life class she is attending.

Little by little Roger is sucked into the manosphere which tells him that “men are raised to value women’s feelings over” their own. Unfortunately, Courtney is put off by his new ideas when he tries to discuss them with her. When Roger finds that Angry Alan is holding a Men’s Rights Conference in Detroit, he decides to buy a ticket even though he can’t currently afford it and has to cancel his child support payment. He is also induced to give a big contribution to Alan’s organization in order to become a gold donor. All psyched up from his weekend hearing more about how women are ignoring men, he ponders how he allowed his wife to move so far away with his son after the divorce and why he hasn’t seen his son in a year. And then he hears from his ex-wife that his son is out of control and needs his help. When he is face to face with his son his new ideas are put to the test.

Throughout, there are clues to things that Roger refuses to deal with: why did he get fired from his cushy job and why was his wife given solo custody of his son? And whose fault is it that he has not been in touch with his son in all this time even though they live two hours apart? He also feels that his best friend Dave was given a raw deal when he was fired from his job over an accusation of sexual harassment at his company’s Christmas party for telling an inappropriate joke. As Roger becomes more and more brainwashed by Angry Alan’s message, he doesn’t see the damage all this is doing to his life and relationship, but becomes more convinced that all this is true.

In Krasinski’s hands, Angry Alan is a tour de force of a man whose self-delusions get the better of him. His innate charm and utter bewilderment at the hand that life has dealt him, makes him very sympathetic even when you find everything –or almost everything – he is saying is wrong. As he spirals down the rabbit hole of toxic masculinity, he becomes more confident of what he has been told. His ingratiating smile adds to his appeal in this role. Sam Gold who previously piloted Skinner’s 2014 The Village Bike at the Lucille Lortel Theatre does a superb job convincing us that Roger is on the right track.

His design team is also attuned to the play. The collective dots is responsible for the cozy suburban living room set now a man cave which shows similar houses nearby through its large picture window. The clever revolving set also takes us to the Detroit conference room peopled by no more than two mannequins which may be meant as satire. Qween Jean has created a casual, contemporary outfit for Roger that also suggests the suburban life style. Lucy Mackinnon’s video designer introduces us to the other people in Roger’s life as well as Angry Alan’s website. The dim, warm lighting leaving much of the room in shadow is by Isabella Byrd; at times the stage goes red to punctuate various emotions. The sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman also includes perennial signifiers along the way.

Penelope Skinner’s Angry Alan should prove to be controversial for various reasons: Roger’s descent into conspiracy theories should be food for thought as well as this charismatic performance by the television star. Both men and women should find much to talk about after seeing this provocative play. And the author has a big surprise up her sleeve about three-quarters of the way through which would not be fair to reveal.

Angry Alan (through August 3, 2025)

Studio Seaview, 305 W. 43rd Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, call 212-542-3147 or visit http://www.tickets.studioseaview.com/event/34107/?date=2025-07

Running time: 90 minutes without an intermission