Larry Toyter, Alex Weisman, Tom Wahl, Sam Lantz, and Randall Swinton in Zoetic Stage's "The Inheritance."(Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography/Courtesy Adrienne Arsht Center)
In Zoetic Stage’s memorable production of Matthew Lopez’s moving and intense play, “The Inheritance, Part One,” a young man sits spellbound as his older friend calmly recollects his painful past. The lighting is dim, befitting memory, and soft music adds to the hypnotic effect. The pace is deliberate and puts us in a contemplative mood.
Undoubtedly, audiences have much to contemplate after experiencing Lopez’s roughly three-and-a-half-hour prize-winning epic with two intermissions.
Indeed, the first part of “The Inheritance” sensitively touches on a myriad of themes that are particularly timely in 2026. They include intergenerational responsibility and legacy, the power of storytelling and connection, class, inheritance, privilege, betrayal, what it means to be a gay man in the 21st century, the enduring impact of the AIDS crisis, and the value of inheritance. Lopez’s characters hail from a generation that didn’t live through the worst of the AIDS crisis. However, they still live in its shadow, inheriting the trauma of the past.
These men reside in a world shaped by the wins and defeats of the generations that came before them. The opening tableaux shows the men clustered together, a visual reinforcement of intimacy and solidarity.
Michael McKeever as Walter Poole and Alex Weisman as Eric Glass in Zoetic Stage's "The Inheritance." (Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography/Courtesy Adrienne Arsht Center)
While “The Inheritance, Part One” is mammoth, fear not: Zoetic’s production, which runs through Sunday, Jan. 25 in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center, moves briskly and makes us forget about time. Truly, by the end, we don’t want to leave the recognizable, sympathetic characters. That’s a credit to Stuart Meltzer’s careful direction and the talented cast’s impressive work. The performers are Alberto Blanco, Angel Dominguez, Imran Hylton, Sam Lantz, Anthony Michael Martinez, Michael McKeever, Aidan Paul, Caio Ferreira Santos, Randall Swinton, Larry Toyter, Tom Wahl, and Alex Weisman.
Altogether, “The Inheritance,” a la “Angels in America,” comprises two parts and lasts six-and-a-half to seven hours. But Zoetic Stage is presenting just the first part, which takes place primarily in New York City during the mid-2010s. Hopefully, the company will mount the second part at some point. “Angels in America,” by Tony Kushner, is an epic play neatly mixing epic fantasy with gritty realism, using the AIDS crisis and Reagan-era politics to explore universal themes of love, loss, faith, and identity. It reinvents ensemble storytelling in contemporary theater.
Randall Swinton, Alex Weisman, Angel Dominguez, Imran Hylton, Larry Toyter. (Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography/Courtesy Adrienne Arsht Center)
“The Inheritance, Part One” focuses primarily on young couple Eric Glass (Alex Weisman) and Toby Darling (Anthony Michael Martinez). They are navigating love, friendship, and identity in mid-2010s New York City, and their lives intertwine with two people—an older, haunted man named Walter Poole, and a younger, ambitious one, Adam McDowell. But another unique character enters this mix: the British novelist E.M. Forster (1879-1970). His 1910 novel, “Howards End,” which explores class, culture, and connection in Edwardian England, is the inspiration for “The Inheritance.”
In fact, Forster functions almost as an omnipresent narrator, prompting characters to reflect on their actions and question their self-perceptions, guiding both them—and indirectly, the audience—toward deeper insight. Lopez portrays Forster as an artist who understands the struggle that often accompanies writing and legacy. Therefore, Forster urges the young men to record their experiences. After all, people construct their stories as they live their lives.
McKeever portrays Forster with patience, polish, and just a hint of a British accent. Obviously, the man we’re hearing and seeing is Forster’s ghost, but wisely, this production doesn’t try to make him ghostly. That would be for, perhaps, another play. With his hands behind his back and posture upright, his deliberateness contrasts with the youthful vitality of Eric, Toby, and all the other young men in their lives. He’s patient with them, but also honest. “You are essential to your story,” Forster tells them. “I cannot help you finish [your story]. It’s not my right.”
McKeever, in addition to playing Forster, portrays Walter Poole, a wealthy, kindly man living in New York with his partner, Henry Wilcox. Poole has offered guidance and refuge at his upstate farmhouse to the younger generation. He became a father figure to them and assumes a similar role with Glass.
Alex Weisman as Eric Glass in Zoetic Stage's "The Inheritance." (Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography/Courtesy Adrienne Arsht Center)
During a key scene at the end of act one, Poole quietly recalls taking in young men dying of AIDS and letting them spend their final moments in his house. The monologue is long, lasting several minutes. To his credit, Weisman, as Glass, sits still and attentive throughout, his eyes trained on Poole. He is clearly moved by Poole’s words. For his part, McKeever’s Poole speaks with a familiarity that suggests he remembers the events of years ago as though they just happened. For instance, you sense he can really “see” the cherry tree outside his rural residence. Speaking of the tree, it’s richly symbolic; it stands for hope, life’s fragile and fleeting beauty, and connection between generations.
In “Howards End,” Forster urges readers to “only connect” to bridge the gap between intellect and emotion and to achieve wholeness and genuine human relationships. Such a connection also happens in “The Inheritance” between the older generation (such as Poole) and the younger (Glass). And, under Meltzer’s astute direction, the chemistry is strong between characters such as Poole and Glass; we feel their affection for each other.
Sexual energy is also evident between characters such as Glass and Darling. But nothing in this play or production is too graphic, although the playwright clearly intends this work for a mature audience.
The cast of Zoetic Stage's "The Inheritance." (Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography/Courtesy Adrienne Arsht Center)
During the reviewed performance, the audience clearly appreciated the skill, nuance, and attention to detail that Meltzer, his cast, and crew have achieved. Such details include the fact that one of the supporting characters wears a skullcap (“Kippah” in Hebrew), indicating he’s a traditionally observant Jew. One scene is particularly devastating. In it, Poole asks Glass to imagine a world without his friends. One by one, in quick succession, they say “gone” or “died” after the recitation of their names. It suggests how quickly, indiscriminately, and without fanfare AIDS took so many people, robbing the younger generation of mentors, friends, and family members.
While there’s plenty of dark material in “The Inheritance, Part One,” there’s also ample humor. For example, at one point, two of the characters talk about a show they might want to see in New York. One of them notes that it has “two intermissions.” The audience almost immediately chuckled and applauded, clearly appreciating the humor.
Any audience will also appreciate the nuanced, moving performances. The actors are uniformly excellent and, with Meltzer’s guidance, have clearly thought through each choice.
A clear contrast exists between Weisman’s vibrant, upbeat, and somewhat flamboyant Glass, and Martinez’s darker, sensitive Darling. Clearly, something from his past is bothering him, although Lopez is vague about what happened during Toby’s childhood. In addition to palpable sexual energy during appropriate times, we feel clear tension between them during a scene late in the play. In fact, Meltzer positions them practically nose to nose at one point. Fittingly, the characters wear costumes befitting their personalities. Glass wears brighter colors, corresponding to his upbeat demeanor, while Darling sports darker apparel (costume designer Dario Almiron).
Larry Toyter, Angel Dominguez, Anthony Michael Martinez, Imran Hylton, Randall Swinton in Zoetic Stage's "The Inheritance." (Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography/Courtesy Adrienne Arsht Center)
A fine supporting cast, include Wahl as an upright Henry Wilcox, brings nuance, dimension, and helps make this production unfold seamlessly like a well-oiled machine. Members of the ensemble take turns narrating the action, a la “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.”
The cast performs on Michael McClain’s minimalist set. It includes a chandelier overhead, suggesting an upscale locale. The main set piece is a large platform consisting of steps in front and back. The set’s two levels allow Meltzer and company to highlight key scenes on the top. At times, action is mimed, forcing us to use our imagination to fill in details. At the end, for instance, we see the trunk of the cherry tree. The minimalism allows the focus to be on the action and characters. Besides, live theater often uses symbolism and minimal sets to prompt audiences to co-create the world in their minds.
Lighting designer Becky Montero wisely alters intensity according to the needs of a scene. Bailey Hacker, the assistant director, also handled the sound design. It includes realistic effects, and for the most part, we can hear and understand the actors. However, at times, perhaps trying to be natural, they don’t project enough, making it hard to understand them. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen often.
“The Inheritance, Part One” is an eloquently and vividly written, emotionally intense, vital play. It invites thought, self-reflection, and raises key issues without providing simple answers. It’s obvious why critics and others have hailed the piece as one of live theater’s most important works in recent decades. Truly, audiences will thank themselves later for braving the lengthy runtime and discovering why this 2018 piece speaks to us today. We leave the theater looking inward, wondering how we’ve inherited trauma from past generations and how we can use our gifts to build on the legacy our ancestors left us and keep the flame of their memory burning bright.
IF YOU GO
- WHAT: Zoetic Stage Company’s production of “The Inheritance, Part One” by Matthew Lopez.
- WHEN: Through Sunday Jan. 25. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
- WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center’s Carnival Studio Theater, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in downtown Miami.
- TICKETS: $66.69-$72.54. Visit Arsht Center Website
