Fool For Love NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (174)
See it if You like the darkness that Sam Shepard crests.
Don't see it if You like more uplifting plays.
See it if you'd be moved by an intense approach/avoidance standoff between two deeply damaged characters in a story that unfolds to a powerful ending.
Don't see it if you need wrapped up tight happy endings or if performances centered around intense confrontation are not your thing.
See it if you all need to see it to see Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell just absolutely kill this play
Don't see it if you hate cowboys
See it if you want to see great performances by Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell. Great chemistry - sit back and watch the sparks fly.
Don't see it if you don't like Sam Shepard, as this is a classic play from his canon. Also, this is basically a two-hander but is by no means a "small" play
See it if You love these actors and you love Sam Shepard http://frontmezzjunkies.com/2015/10/24/in-it-for-the-wild-ride-fool4love/
Don't see it if If you like lighter fare
See it if you love Sam Shepard and great acting! When Shepard isn't done well it's painful but this revival with stunning performances was intense.
Don't see it if you're not a fan of Shepard and his darker take on American life.
See it if You like intensity and high passion on the stage
Don't see it if You are looking for a straightforward, easy to follow story.
See it if you'd enjoy a brilliantly acted character-driven piece about loving the wrong person.
Don't see it if you get annoyed with characters who refuse to get over themselves and get out of their own way.
Critic Reviews (58)
"Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell have each demonstrated during their careers that they are fine actors but in this weak revival they both lack the innate charisma to fully succeed at their roles...This is the fault of the director...'Fool for Love’s tantalizing passion is captured in this alluring image and that quality is woefully absent in this adequate and lackluster revival."
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"There's no question that it's got a Broadway worthy cast and production. Shepard's view of the American family for maximum humor, physicality, and sadness holds up remarkably well...The 75-minutes bristle with symbolism, physicality and suspense."
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"A raw, unhealthy look at love from esteemed playwright Sam Shepard, revived by actors who breathe life into the script...This flawless rendition of 'Fool for Love' has a je ne sais quoi about it...Underlying issues and serious thinking still hit home in the midst of jokes that made me smile. Laugh or cry? I didn't know what to do as I left the theatre in awe."
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"Eddie, a well chosen Rockwell, thoroughly understands and connects to all the deeper emotional turmoil...Arianda looks great and appears desperate but seems a bit divested as May...The excruciating, intense story is directed by Daniel Aukin who keeps the all star cast moving vigorously."
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"'Fool for Love' feels, frankly, like a long one-act play...The principal reason to see this play is the performances of Rockwell and Arianda. Both give fine turns, and their teamwork is strong...Weiss and Pelphrey also do admirable work, but there’s nothing, it seems, that the cast or director Aukin can do to bring to bring a full plate of grits-and-gravy to Shepard’s lean table."
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"There’s a heavy-handed expediency to these scenes, of narrative positioning. The speeches flesh out the characters but weigh down the production, dissipating the angry energy...But it all snaps back into focus with a kiss...It’s a powerful moment in a production that successfully frames the scorching embrace of passion and hate that underpins the play like a distorted family photo."
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"Under Daniel Aukin’s slightly revisionist but extraordinarily meticulous direction, Sam Rockwell and Nina Arianda capture the angst and desperation of their characters and bring their struggle to separate and individuate to a cathartic frenzy that make a deep and lasting impression on the audience...'Fool for Love' is a must see."
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"'Fool for Love' struck me as little more than an impressive acting exercise and the theatrical equivalent of a low-budget action flick. It’s an eye-catching trailer trash tango.
Yes, there is skill in Shepard’s writing, and solid talent in the four-member cast. But did it add up to depth and brilliance? Not for me."
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