Reviews of Hermit in New York

What They Are Saying About The Hermit in New York ...

"We all wrestle with life. Thomas Merton left behind a lively example of how to succeed at it. In a time of mindless entertainment and distraction, this play offered me insights -- into myself."
-Jon Anderson,
Chicago Tribune

"The Hermit in New York is a beautifully conceived and acted drama. Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, was a uniquely gifted writer and activist whose life itself was a kind of poem in its honest, often conflicting engagements with the spiritual and material worlds. Seeing this moving play, one has the rare and brightening sense of wisdom not abstracted, but rather embodied and enacted."
    -Stephen Young
    Program Director
    The Poetry Foundation

"The play's artful distillation - and sometimes surprising juxtapositions - of passages from Thomas Merton's works, delighted the Merton readers among us and suggested fresh connections between his manifold activities and concerns. Even those who know little of Merton or monasticism could begin to understand, through the portrayal of dialogues with historical characters in Merton's own life, how the very passion that inspires renunciation of the world can also draw us into an ever-deepening encounter with it."
    -Homer White
    University of Kentucky
    Newman Center

If you would like to discuss booking a performance of The Hermit in New York, please contact Judith Harding at the Still Point office.

Cost - $1000/performance plus round trip fare or car rental from Chicago to your community for two actors and one technician.

Food and lodging - The company includes two men and one woman. They will need meals, rooms, and a quiet place to rest and prepare before the performance.

Performance space - The show requires a 20' by 20' playing area and a 10' ceiling, also a 2' minimum elevation above the audience seating area. Good lighting is helpful and good acoustics essential. The play cannot be performed in an echoing hall or gym. Poor acoustics can be overcome by a wireless microphone provided by our hosts.

Help - A contact person from your community is needed to drive the company to and from the port of entry/exit, and assist the performers with access to lodging and the performance venue. A person with knowledge of the lighting and sound equipment in the performance area is needed to familiarize our technician with these systems.