Dana H. (Broadway)
Closed 1h 15m
Dana H. (Broadway)
86

Dana H. (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

86%
(211 Ratings)
Positive
96%
Mixed
4%
Negative
0%
Members say
Absorbing, Great acting, Intense, Riveting, Thought-provoking

Deirdre O’Connell lip-syncs to recordings of playwrights Lucas Hnath's mother.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (211)

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83 Reviews | 26 Followers
100
Profound, Riveting, Enchanting, Entertaining, Absorbing

See it if For the performance by the lead actress… outstanding job by Diedre OConell. I was left speechless

Don't see it if Just see it if you ever can

69 Reviews | 18 Followers
100
Riveting, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you want to see an incredible performance, and be chilled to the bone knowing that everything you are hearing really happened.

Don't see it if you would be triggered by descriptions of extreme violence and sexual abuse. Read more

98 Reviews | 23 Followers
100
Edgy, Must see, Great acting

See it if You love: virtuosic performances, experiment theater, documentary/verbatim theater, short plays, challenging subject matter.

Don't see it if you only like musicals, you are looking for something funny and light, don’t enjoy documentary/verbatim theater, are triggered by violence Read more

e8
226 Reviews | 40 Followers
100
Masterful, Riveting, Intense, Epic, Great acting

See it if An astounding look into a frightening attack on a real woman's life perfectly acted by deirdre o'connell. excellent set/lighting

Don't see it if truly a very clever production, liked it much more than at the vineyard, no reason not to see it unless the content is triggering to you!

330 Reviews | 93 Followers
96
Must see, Masterful, Great acting, Absorbing, Ambitious

See it if You’re willing to give it a shot. It’s such a strange, small, intimate show, but it is staggering, riveting theater.

Don't see it if You won’t be able to give yourself over to 80 minutes of lip synced performance. But try. It’s so moving, so thoughtful & deeply surprising.

165 Reviews | 34 Followers
96
Riveting, Intense, Great acting

See it if You’re a Deirdre O’Connell fan. This is a master class!

Don't see it if Disturbing, totally true, matter is troublesome. Not a story for the faint of heart.

70 Reviews | 13 Followers
95
Great acting, Riveting, Thought-provoking, Intense, Absorbing

See it if You like experimental pieces that challenge the theatrical norm.

Don't see it if You only like traditional plot driven plays.

127 Reviews | 15 Followers
95
Descent into hell.

See it if you like gripping, well-told stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Don't see it if no-frills solo shows don't interest you, even short ones...and you believe theatre should be entertaining, not disturbing. Read more

Critic Reviews (13)

The New York Times
October 17th, 2021

"NYTimes Critic's Pick!...“Dana H.” is not just the story of a woman brutalized by a psychopath; it is also the story of a mother abandoned by a son. What else would a playwright do to make reparations but write a play about just that, in the process returning to her what the world had stolen: her voice."
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Time Out New York
October 17th, 2021

"Five stars!...O’Connell is nothing less than astonishing...Watching Dana H. is like listening to a fascinating true-crime podcast, and part of the interest is in the mysteries that adhere to Dana’s account, which may be distorted by trauma and time."
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New York Theatre Guide
October 20th, 2021

"I recently reviewed a show and declared that talk business does not belong onstage. Dana H. has forced me to eat my words and to accept that there are no absolutes in theatre, particularly when the story is horrifically affecting and spectacularly executed as this show is. Dana H. should be required viewing for legal scholars, law enforcement officers, and aspirants across the country, if only to remind them that depravity reigns when they fail to do the right thing."
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The Wall Street Journal
October 21st, 2021

"Mr. Waters has staged it with the utmost simplicity, trusting in the force of the tale. I have never watched a more powerful piece of documentary theater: Once seen, it will stay with you for a long time to come."
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The Washington Post
October 19th, 2021

"A mesmerizing act of electronic ventriloquism...It’s hard to say which is more absorbing: Dana’s story or O’Connell’s uncanny portrayal, requiring her to reproduce in perfect alignment with the audiotape every cough, pause, giggle and slap of the chair in which she sits for much of the 75 minutes of the piece."
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AM New York
October 18th, 2021

"Given the lip-synching and lack of movement on the part of O’Connell, one may wonder why “Dana H.” needs to be a live piece of theater rather than a true crime podcast or a raw testimonial video on YouTube. But at its best, the production (directed by Les Waters, who has also staged other plays by Hnath) is compelling, terrifying, and multilayered, especially with regard to the nature of reality."
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Theatermania
October 17th, 2021

"Not only is it the wildest true story on any stage in New York City, but it features a performance that must be seen to be believed."
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New York Stage Review
October 17th, 2021

"A theatre piece that unmistakably demands considerable thought and even more unmistakably boasts Deirdre O’Connell’s unbounded talents."
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