Theatrical retelling of Lehman Brothers is big on drama, light on finance

Hit play The Lehman Trilogy is the darling of Wall Street, even if it skimps on the nitty-gritty

When Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008, the firm was seen as both a victim of circumstance and an architect of its own demise.

In playwright Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy, which was adapted in English by Ben Power, culpability for the Lehman collapse is clear, and it does not belong to Lehman. The fault lies in modernity itself.

It’s a compelling take, if one that’s undermined throughout the show as the creators go to great lengths to demonstrate how Lehman created that modernity—or at least, financed it. It’s a fascinating paradox that’s never quite addressed.

Massini conceived of the work as a radio