Jay Gabler’s Ivory Tower Burning revolves around one imagined conversation between sociologists C. Wright Mills (played by Joe Gabler, who looked sharp in his suit and bow tie from Blacklist Vintage) and Talcott Parsons (Jay Gabler). Taking place in Parson’s Harvard office in 1960 (during the Cold War), the two debate fiercely, trying to get the other to see that, well, they’re right and the other is wrong.
The creative non-fiction play is really smart and, somewhat surprisingly, produces a good amount of laughs. With the risk of sounding like a total suck-up, knowing Jay Gabler I’m not surprised that his show is both of those things. The way the material is presented, there’s definitely a risk of it being too dense. But like any good teacher, Jay presents it in a manner that’s accessible and makes clear that these conversations are still relevant today.
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