Heisenberg NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (375)
See it if Two chairs, two tables, a pillow, and great acting by two wonderful actors. Mary Louise Parker shines! What a premise. It was romantic.
Don't see it if you like spectacle more than the acting.
See it if you like a maddeningly attractive Mary-Louise Parker in a delightfully quirky role. Denis Arndt is her 75 yo paramour...cute and tender.
Don't see it if you have something against May/December romances, or if you don't like quirky characters and minimalist sets. Read more
See it if You enjoy an excellently acted, thought provoking show.
Don't see it if You don't like plays.
See it if If you remember the Parker of "DRIVING" & the initial seasons of WEEDS when she was wonderful!
Don't see it if you require more than a great script and 2 perfect performances Read more
See it if you like the Heisenberg Principal and Mary Louis Parker
Don't see it if you don't know what theHeisenberg principal is.
See it if You enjoy two-person dramas, smart contemporary writing, & quirky characters. Fresh & absorbing - I was transfixed. Sit on stage if you can!
Don't see it if Ambiguity bothers you, you're looking for a straightforward narrative or elaborate sets & stagecraft.
See it if you enjoy actors who have skillfully honed their craft; you like a mixed dose of comedy, whimsy, tenderness, loneliness and sadness.
Don't see it if your preference in theater leans toward large, elaborate productions. This is an intimate setting, with a two person cast.
See it if You want Great acting of a Wonderful script. It's acting at it's barest form.
Don't see it if This is a very intimate play. The theatre has been redesigned to give it the exact feel. Don't miss it out.
Critic Reviews (79)
"The stage is ablaze with the ongoing, unstoppable babble that erupts from the lonely, tortured soul of Mary-Louise Parker's Georgie...Georgie is relentless in her venom-like attacks about Alex’s age and character, coiling and recoiling, showing off Parker’s remarkable acting skills (probably a Tony nom here), albeit in a most annoying persistent way and occasionally in what might even be called charismatic...However, is this awkward pairing really believable?"
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"What’s truly wonderful about 'Heisenberg' is that it never goes where you expect it to go...Yet, it all feels completely believable because of the performances of these two masterful actors...Parker truly immerses herself in Georgie, a woman who would perhaps be considered pathetic if Parker ever let her slip into full-on pathos. Parker gives her life and purpose despite her hopeless flaws....Arndt’s portrayal of Alex is wonderfully realistic."
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"Stephens is doing what appears to be the thing he is most brilliant at: creating two characters, flawed and difficult, engaging (but sometimes disengaging) in a one-on-one dialogue that is as complex in its emotionality as it is in its simplicity of words...Parker is exceptional in making Georgie so layered that we are instantly taken. And Arndt shows a quiet yet powerful dignity in his depiction of this surprising man...Both Parker and Arndt fit perfectly into the skins of their characters."
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"Parker uses her limbs, every muscle in her face, and the full range of her vocal cords to bring Georgie’s anguish bursting through the surface. The result is thrilling; Parker suffuses the text with empathy and pathos. And what text it is...Pushed along and anchored by Parker and Arndt, respectively, this two-hander is unlike many plays seen on Broadway. Its focus is squared tightly, telling a small story in rich detail with vivid, memorable performances."
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"The connection that begins with a kiss is the engaging subject of Simon Stephens’s 'Heisenberg'...Under Mark Brokaw’s astute direction, Ms. Parker and Mr. Arndt tackle the rich complexities in Mr. Stephens’s script and successfully grapple with the mysteries of human connection...'Heisenberg' meets the vicissitudes of the human condition and clarity convenes on the stage of life and on the stage of the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre."
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"The mystery is how a team with such track records and talents–playwright Simon Stephens, director Mark Brokaw, Parker—could produce such gibberish...The problem is that, in the six short scenes of this 80-minute play, there is scarcely a line that comes out of the woman’s mouth that sounds like anything anybody would actually say, except for a character contrived for the stage...Everything about 'Heisenberg,' in short, is fake."
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"Parker plays the character with an explosive near perfection. The sympathetic and vulnerable performance by Arndt matches her acting and builds to a near breaking point of vulnerability and joy...Mark Brokaw directs Stephens' script with precision and infuses the production with unease and dread...Both survivors of immense loss, the characters plunge into a relationship that could destroy them. Despite it all, the play is equally hilarious."
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"Often enchanting, occasionally frustrating, and ultimately poignant two-hander...Director Mark Brokaw and scenic designer Mark Wendland have created a small central playing area on stage with the part of the audience seated behind them on the stage...It’s about as anti-spectacle as Broadway gets. And it doesn’t matter one bit!...I may not know much about physics, but I am certain that these actors’ sterling work is not to be missed."
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