'Anna Christie' Off-Broadway review — Michelle Williams sets sail in rare Eugene O'Neill revival

Read our review of Anna Christie off Broadway, a revival of Eugene O'Neill's classic drama starring Michelle Williams, Brian d'Arcy James, and Tom Sturridge.

Summary

• Anna Christie is a classic drama about a former prostitute reconnecting with her father and falling in love with a sailor
• The show stars Michelle Williams; Tom Sturridge; and a standout Brian d'Arcy James
• The show's visual landscape that evokes the sea is its strongest element
• Audience members delivered mixed reviews on the production

There is something almost magical about seeing a production of Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie at St. Ann’s Warehouse, located in Brooklyn on the East River waterfront where dockworkers and longshoremen once toiled a century ago. But the 1921 play feels very distant from 21st-century life, and, thankfully, some of its themes resonate more like relics of the past than reflections of the present in this celebrity-led production. In the end, most of the magic remains out on the waterfront.

Oscar nominee Michelle Williams takes on Anna Christie, the 20-year-old former prostitute trying to bury her past and reinvent herself. Williams's performance captures the character’s search for identity, but it often feels all over the place: Anna shifts abruptly from bawdy and bold to meek and reserved, hopping between Minnesotan, Swedish, and transatlantic accents, leaving the portrayal richly textured but disjointed.

On her identity search, she seeks refuge with her estranged father, Chris Christopherson, a barge captain in Brooklyn. “Old Chris” is played marvelously by Brian d’Arcy James, who is endearing, kind, and a very believable drunk onstage. Tom Sturridge, as Mat Burke, the rough-and-tumble stoker Anna falls for, matches that realism. He offers up a feral performance when Mat is in a violent, drunken stupor.

Perhaps the most fascinating character is the sea itself. For the Christopherson family — made of sailors and women who marry them — the open water is both a livelihood and a curse, having claimed the lives of many.

Onstage, its presence is rendered beautifully by scenographers Christine Jones, Nevin Steinberg, and Brett J. Banakis. The visual design is the show’s strongest element.

On the barge, a glossy floor transforms into a bog with rolling fog. Stacked green glass bottles upstage take on the look of waves, with beautiful lighting from Natasha Katz. (The bottles may also hint at the characters' dependence on alcohol.) Like the glass, which endures centuries in the ocean as sea glass, the Christophersons are inseparably tied to the sea.

But under the direction of Thomas Kail and movement director Steven Hoggett, there are other pictures, including scenic transitions, that are more puzzling than purposeful. An ensemble of sailors move wooden pallets, spinning and stacking them, to transform the space from a saloon to the barge to a cabin. When Anna longs to flee reality, an ensemble member suddenly appears and hoists her up as she reaches for the sky. And Chris’s front fall into a group of sailors makes for a strange exit. These moves draw attention and little meaning.

Without the help of stronger production elements to deepen Anna’s story, the scenic design can only go so far, as the plot about a struggle for redemption by men is a struggle to invest in. In 2025, a woman conforming to societal expectations and suffering shame for sex work feels discouraging, partly because we’re still living in a world where women lack liberation.

Anna Christie summary

Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Anna Christie follows Chris Christopherson, a coal-barge captain in Brooklyn, and his estranged daughter, Anna. She arrives seeking refuge after years away, hoping to rebuild her life and leave behind her past as a prostitute in Minnesota. While staying on the barge, Anna meets Mat Burke, a coal stoker Chris rescues from the sea. Chris does everything he can to prevent his daughter from falling for a sailor, but Anna and Mat are quickly drawn to each other. This creates yet another obstacle in her search for redemption and a more ordinary life.

What to expect at Anna Christie

For this production, St. Ann’s Warehouse transforms into a three-sided stage with stadium seating. The show features haze, herbal cigarettes, flashing lights, and a replica firearm that does not fire. Audience members under the age of 5 will not be permitted. The show runs 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission.

What audiences are saying about Anna Christie

At the time of publication, this production of Anna Christie has a 62% audience approval score on the review aggregator Show-Score. Audience members are mixed, with some heralding the performances, and others criticizing the thick accents and plodding plot.

• “Not one false note in the cast-so happy to see Mare Winningham perform.” - Show-Score user Steven K
• “Great acting and an interesting set can only elevate this dated if iconic play so much. The story is basic, the pace slow, and the accents a bit too thick. Perhaps the subject was tense enough back then to add electricity, but today, this worth-seeing production will still require your patience.” - Show-Score user aka
• “I'd mainly recommend this for the three leads' very compelling performances. This is an O'Neill classic that l'd been interested to see for a while now, as it's rarely performed. I'm not the biggest O'Neill fan, but this is a rather simple story that's effectively told. I didn't absolutely love it, maybe because I didn't truly care for any of these characters. But the second act gives the leads a lot of scenery to chew on, and it's worth seeing these actors battle it out on stage.” - Show-Score user Ashowgoer
• “The script has always had a melodramatic cast that sits uncomfortably with our modern, jaded sensibilities. Somehow, this staging doesn't gel. Brian d'Arcy James' captain is tender and human. His struggles as an estranged father ring true. Mare Winningham is spot on in the brief time we see her. Michelle Williams seems ill-suited for this role. Her Anna is so shut down and stilted, we don't feel her struggle, merely the archetype of a woman. Sturridge's Mat is all aggression, leaving no room to understand Anna's attraction to him. [...] I admire the ambition and the commitment of the cast, I only wish it felt alive and engaging.” - Show-Score user Kendra 6325

Who should see Anna Christie

• Fans of Michelle Williams, whose New York stage credits include Blackbird and Cabaret, will enjoy seeing her return to the stage. The intimate staging puts her up close to the audience.
• Theatregoers familiar with Brian d’Arcy James will appreciate his transformation into Chris Christopherson, a highlight that showcases his range. The role allows the musical theatre star to even share his singing voice.
• Those who enjoy seeing the works of Eugene O’Neill on stage will appreciate the rare opportunity to see Anna Christie, one of his earlier plays that isn’t often produced.

Learn more about Anna Christie off Broadway

This celebrity-led revival of Eugene O’Neill’s rarely produced play offers impressive design work, even if the production as a whole doesn’t quite achieve the impact it aims for.

Learn more and get Anna Christie tickets on New York Theatre Guide. Anna Christie is at St. Ann's Warehouse through February 1.

Photo credit: Anna Christie off Broadway. (Photos by Julieta Cervantes)