The popular fascination with Robert Moses, "master builder of New York" and one of the most prominent figures in planning history, continues.
A new play by Sir David Hare, titled "Straight Line Crazy," opened at the Bridge Theatre in London on March 23. The play stars Ralph Fiennes as Robert Moses—the so-called "master builder" of New York, one of Planetizen's "Most Influential Urbanists" of all time, and the subject of Robert Caro's tour de force biographical tome, The Power Broker.
In roughly the past decade, Moses has been the subject of a movie, a musical, an opera, and multiple video games, not to mention political speeches and a failed HBO movie directed by Oliver Stone.
So now it's time for a plan, and the reviews for "Straight Line Crazy" are in. We've collected some of the links to stories about the new play and Robert Moses's unparalleled ability to inspire artists of many genres well past his death.
- Straight Line Crazy review – Ralph Fiennes enthrals as the man who shaped New York (The Guardian, March 23)
- ‘Straight Line Crazy’ Review: Ralph Fiennes Plays Robert Moses in David Hare’s Talky New Play (Variety, March 25)
- How Robert Moses, a master urban planner, reshaped New York (The Economist, March 24)
- Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs Go to London (The New Yorker, March 26)
FULL STORY: Ralph Fiennes Leads World Premiere of Straight Line Crazy, Opening March 23 at London's The Bridge
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A new movie starring Edward Norton, based on the novel of the same name by Lionel Essrog, gives a central role to a Robert Moses doppelgänger, as portrayed by Alec Baldwin.
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Revisiting the Legacy of Robert Moses
A visit from the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to see Robert Caro, author of "The Power Broker," provides a refresher on the works of Robert Moses and Caro's writing.
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