by Jess Hoffman
Historical dark comedies would seem to be a niche genre combination, but Archduke at Capital Repertory Theatre is not the first one I’ve reviewed and I doubt it will be the last. There seems to be an interest in recent years in writing avant-garde, darkly funny, historical fiction about times of political or social upheaval. (I have some theories as to why, but a play review is probably not an appropriate place to get into them.) Archduke concerns a group of young would-be Serbian assassins as they are recruited and trained to kill Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. This assassination, of course, will be the catalyst for the first World War and will set off chains of events that shape the modern world we now live in; but the play focuses on the lead-up to the assassination and the young men who aim to commit the murder.
The would-be assassins are played by Sarah Gliko, Suli Holum, and Brandon J. Pierce. Gliko and Holum play a pair of young paupers and new recruits, and they embody their youthfully ignorant characters perfectly, down to the way they posture themselves to try to seem tougher than they are (with very funny results). Pierce plays a man who has already been radicalized and trained, which is perhaps why his portrayal is so bombastic and heated. Still, with all that heat and forcefulness, Pierce fails to present his inner turmoil and deeper motivations for much of the show, though toward the end we get to see a brief glimpse of a more layered character from him. James Konicek plays the officer who radicalizes, trains, and enables the young assassins, and his intensity is always riveting even as he goes on long, meandering diatribes that would be tedious in the hands of a lesser actor but that Konicek manages to inject with dry humor. Finally, Melanye Finister plays a cook with unknown motives and an irrational dislike of cats, and she contributes some strange but very enjoyable humor into the show.
It would be hard for any of the show’s technical elements to overshadow the best performances, but the projections, designed by Jorge Cousineau, come close. The most innovative and visually arresting part of this play is a creepily beautiful “dream sequence” projected on the background of the stage while one of the boys sleeps. The set is made up of what looks like a whole bunch of wood pallets and little else, but it moves and functions exactly as it needs to, and Thom Weaver’s lighting design has a way of making the oddly designed backdrop work for multiple scenes in different locations. Similarly impressive are the costumes, designed by Vasilija Zvanic, which suit each character perfectly. The soldiers wear neat uniforms, while the urchins wear tattered rags that can make one feel grimy just from looking at them.
Opening night started off with an annoyingly preachy curtain speech. (I know it might seem petty to criticize a curtain speech, but it is a great pet peeve of mine when someone feels the need to explain what the play I’m about to see is “about” before I have the opportunity to watch it and draw that conclusion for myself.) After the curtain speech, the play begins with a somewhat meandering opening scene. It sets up a lot of what will happen in the rest of the play, but it still seems to drag on a bit longer than it needs to. Luckily, Holum’s and Gliko’s superb performances keep things interesting. There is some similar dragging in the action toward the middle that is saved from becoming boring by Konicek’s commanding stage presence. It does seem as though this play could have achieved everything it needed to achieve in two-thirds or three-quarters the time it takes. Playwright Rajiv Joseph, for all his excellent use of language, ought to work on his pacing.
Nevertheless, the play does make its way eventually to an open-ended but satisfying conclusion. Of course, the audience knows how this story ends in the real world, but Joseph’s play draws to a more ambiguous conclusion that, in spite of known historical events, manages to convince the audience that the fates of the Archduke and the would-be assassins are still up in the air. It does a good job of making the audience think about the small moments in history and the worldwide effects they can have–and how different history could have been if small details were different.
So I can recommend Archduke overall for its excellent cast, innovative stage elements, and its humorous yet profound look at pivotal moments in history. Impatient theatergoers may find the pacing frustrating at times, and historical purists may not like some of the liberties taken with the source materials. But Archduke is a funny, thought-provoking play full of some excellent performances and technical elements that will entertain nearly everyone, especially fans of new-age historical dramedies.
Capital Repertory Theatre presents Archduke by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Blanka Zizka, runs from March 6-29, 2026, at the REP, 251 North Pearl St., Albany, NY 12207. Cast: Suli Holum as Gavrilo, Sarah Gliko as Nedeljko, Brandon J. Pierce as Trifko, Melanye Finister as Sladjana, and James Konicek as Dragutin “Apis” Dimitrijevic. Set design by Matt Saunders. Lighting design by Thom Weaver. Costume design by Vasilija Zvanic. Sound design by Yaim Chong Chia. Projection design by Jorge Cousineau. Fight direction by Joe Isenberg, James Konicek, and Alex Cordaro. Stage manager: Kate Kern.
Performance dates are Tuesday–Sunday (March 6-29). Tuesday – Thursday performances are evenings at 7:30pm, with an additional Wednesday matinee March 18 at 1:30pm; Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 8pm, Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2pm. Tickets range from $23 to $110.40. Runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission. Contains discussions of murder, terminal illness, sex, and prostitution, as well as physical fighting. Recommended for ages 14+. Tickets are available at the door, by phone at (518) 346-6204, or online at https://capitalrep.org/.