Indecent

"'Indecent' arrives on Broadway as one of the season’s most respectable—and respectful—plays...It is virtuous, sturdily assembled, informative and brimming with good faith...Yet the ardor that must have informed the writing and early performances of 'Vengeance' only occasionally blazes forth in 'Indecent'...For all its resourceful stagecraft, 'Indecent' can be deflatingly earnest in its dialogue and timeline exposition...There is little room for the subversive pull of conflicting subtext." Full Review

"There is a great deal of passion—beautiful, thrilling, powerful passion—on display at the Cort Theatre where the gloriously uplifting 'Indecent' has transferred...The connecting tissue of the piece's collage of moments is the 'rain scene' where Asch's lesbian characters first consummate their need for each other...To see that honest expression of mutual love, and to know the emotions it stirred in its time, is a breathtaking moment that connects the audience with theatre history." Full Review

"A riveting backstage drama...Thanks to Taichman’s impressionistic direction and David Dorfman’s stylized choreography, a troupe of long-slumbering Yiddish actors rise from the ashes and stiffly come to life to play their parts in this drama...We already know the outcome of their professional arguments. But such is the tension of the production, you want to stand up and warn this brave little troupe to catch that ship before it sails." Full Review

"I was deeply moved by the play when it was at the Vineyard Theatre last year. On Broadway, with the same wonderful ensemble cast, it fills a much larger space without losing its essential intimacy. The script is Vogel’s, the staging Taichman’s, but the two are so lovingly intertwined as to be almost inseparable...Rich in sympathy and humor...An elegant tribute to things that vanish in the blink of a historical eye, 'Indecent' is a memorial that feels like a blessing." Full Review

"A heartbreaking tribute to Asch's controversial Yiddish drama 'The God of Vengeance.' If you care about Jewish history or the power of art to transcend tragedy, 'Indecent' must be witnessed...Taichman's direction, blending dance, movement and music, is a thing of beauty. Add to it a wonderfully versatile ensemble effortlessly juggling roles and live klezmer music, and you have 100 minutes of potent theatrical magic. The elegiac ending will leave you in tears." Full Review

"Under Rebecca Taichman's confident and inspired direction, 'Indecent' has been polished to a lustrous shine for this staging, with an achingly poetic majesty that makes it one of the season's unique and essential Broadway events...'Indecent' is a sumptuous theatrical experience, from its mysterious beginning to its heartrending, unforgettable end...The exceptional performances have matured and deepened with the transfer." Full Review

"'Indecent,' which might well be more powerful today than the original was when it reached Broadway in 1923, is given an impeccable production by director Rebecca Taichman, a very-much-in-tune team of designers, and an excellent and enthusiastic cast...Vogel and Taichman tell their story in inventive and exuberant fashion...Verson and Lenk play the rain scene several times over the course of the play; the last rendition is breathtaking and gasp-inducing." Full Review

"There are many reasons to find deep satisfaction in the arrival on Broadway of the play 'Indecent,' a fascinating tale wondrously staged...Proof that a play can explore a range of frighteningly relevant issues—threats to the arts and an entire culture, anti-immigrant bigotry, homophobia, even genocide—and do so in a production that is not only enlightening, and moving, but entertaining...'Indecent' helps us see the power and beauty of art, not just by its subject but by its example." Full Review

"I already found 'Indecent' more worthy than fine when I saw it last year. But a second viewing of the play, now pumped up and retuned, only makes its problems more obvious. Happily, its good qualities are enhanced as well...Vogel has done little to trim the tired jokes or rethink the scene-setting shortcuts that suggest her lack of interest in the subtleties of real behavior...Vogel has never been a practitioner or exponent of naturalism...That style may simply not suit a history play." Full Review

“Taichman's highly imaginative staging, using dance, music, and Brechtian storytelling techniques, is superb, and the play's panoramic narrative is absorbing. Having the dust pour from the actors' sleeves at select moments (evoking the notion of ‘ashes to ashes’) is memorable. The across-the-years, pageant-like structure, with seven actors playing over forty roles, seems more pronounced in a Broadway theatre. With the actors relying on shortcuts, few characters appear more than two-dimensional.” Full Review

"Beautifully crafted, strongly acted and respectable in every way, yet not as soul-stirring as one would want...So much is tackled that the drama falls by the wayside. 'Indecent' is never uninteresting but it’s more panorama than play. But how beautifully it’s presented!...If 'Indecent' is indecently ambitious, if it wants to share absolutely everything about the fascinating history of an almost forgotten work, well one can only wish more shows were so admirably flawed." Full Review

"For what it is, 'Indecent' could not much be improved—its blend of form and function is total enough to be seamless, and it packs an emotional wallop for reasons (and from sources) you may not expect...Theatre, like religion, love, and so many of the other forces that drive our lives and Vogel's compelling, breath-stealing play, is often in the eye of the beholder. That's what makes all those things great—and what, ultimately, makes 'Indecent' great as well." Full Review

"A heart-stirring and haunting play...Vogel and Taichman tell the story in vibrantly theatrical fashion. The ace ensemble breathes life into more than three dozen characters, with an array of accents to match...'Indecent' covers a lot of territory in 100 unbroken minutes—subjects and themes include sex, religion, money, hypocrisy, plus the decline of the Yiddish language. It can be a bit diffuse. Still, the images are indelible...Be prepared for precipitation to fall from your own eyes." Full Review

"Ms. Vogel and the wonderful director Ms. Taichman have created a powerful piece that almost seems like a dance...The cast, director and play are first-rate. It is hard to single anyone out because this is a true collaborative effort. The only drawback to this play is it seems to have three endings and that takes away from the power of the piece...I actually preferred it more at the Vineyard. No matter the changes, this is a show not to miss. It is powerfully acted and beautifully staged." Full Review

"Make haste for the Cort Theatre simply to share the astonishing power of this new play with music about a delicious ancient Broadway scandal that pulses through the decades to our own time...In addition to the music, 'Indecent' is moved swiftly by David Dorfman’s limpid choreography in concert with Taichman’s sensitive direction...It isn’t understating to call this fantastic play a work of all-encompassing art...It’s an exhilarating ride you’ll never forget." Full Review

"Remarkably moving, relevant and entertaining...It retains the magic of an epic story simply told courtesy of a variety of theatrical devices...Every cast member is a standout, changing characters and accents on a dime...Even more powerful now than when I saw it last year...Here's hoping New York audiences won't overlook this unique and deeply moving play for lighter, glitzier offerings. Go see and enjoy it, and embrace its message." Full Review

"A highly skilled, clearly personal and deftly structured piece...You can feel the historical force and weight of Vogel's play, which likely will be a future staple of regional theater...Authentically acted by an egalitarian ensemble and staged with hefty symbolic gravitas and surety by Taichman...Vogel's connection to this play and what it did for her as a young artist is at the core of why 'Indecent' deserves this production and the support it surely will need from the audience." Full Review

“This remarkable and stunning play brings into sharp focus the importance of vigilance amidst intolerance and indomitability in the face of insidious censorship…Max Gordon Moore delivers a riveting performance…Vogel and Taichman have created a compelling story about the power of innovation…Taichman directs with a sensitive precision…A compelling piece of theatre that raises deep, enduring questions about the future of a society that refuses to accept differences.” Full Review

"Has there ever been anything quite like 'Indecent,' a play that touches—I mean deeply touches—so much rich emotion about history and the theater, anti-Semitism, homophobia, censorship, world wars, and, oh, yes, joyful human passion?...It was hard to imagine how its specialness might hold up in a big Broadway house...It is a thrill to report that this multilingual (with subtitles as needed) adventure is a natural fit. It’s a gripping and entertaining show with laughter and tears." Full Review

“A must-see, and maybe the best play I’ve seen this year…A magnificently powerful piece of theatre. To call it a play within a play seems to belittle what transpires in this 90-minute creation. Thanks to the impeccable direction of Taichman, it’s a much grander and yet, simple and meaningful engagement of all our senses…It’s meaningful and poetic, while heart-wrenchingly sad and disturbing, in a style and structure that can only be achieved live on a theatre stage.” Full Review

"It’s the Jewish 'Shuffle Along'...Vogel tells her complicated, sprawling story with urgent economy...With a title like 'The God of Vengeance,' you might think you’re in for a real night of penance at the theater. On the contrary. Under Rebecca Taichman’s dazzling direction, much humor is exposed, especially with the repeated hurling of that Torah. Also, Vogel nicely details the personalities within the Yiddish troupe." Full Review

"Its examinations of censorship, xenophobia and anti-Semitism are both brilliant and painfully timely. One can also simply appreciate this piece for the searing intelligence and gorgeous poetry of Vogel’s writing, the stunning visual imagination of co-creator and director Rebecca Taichman, and the exemplary work of its cast...For all of Vogel and Taichman’s skill, the unwavering commitment and facility of this acting troupe is the largest part of the equation for the production’s success." Full Review

"Though it’s passionate, 'Indecent' is not a polemic. The eloquent book is peppered with songs and dances...These can lighten proceedings or darken them with sharp juxtaposition to events. Failings and accomplishments are depicted through specific human characters, not ideas. 'Indecent' is both immensely moving and entertaining...The outstanding cast can act, sing, and dance...Director Rebecca Taichman has illuminated a complicated story in accessible, affecting manner." Full Review

“Although it could use some serious trimming, Vogel’s play with music is excitingly staged under Rebecca Taichman’s direction, and it makes the most of elements in ‘God of Vengeance’…Once the production gets going all is redeemed by the excellent performances...The situation cries out for a double bill with 'God of Vengeance' staged in all its ahead-of-its-time emotional drama, and then followed by Vogel’s take on its creation. It would make for a grand if lengthy combination.” Full Review

“Although Vogel has never shied away from tough subjects, the depth of emotion she mines in ‘Indecent’ is impressive. She takes subject matters like theater history, anti-Semitism, homophobia and close-minded governments and imbues them with color, pathos and even humor. ‘Indecent’ is also a sad memorial for the passing of the vibrant Yiddish theatre scene, which was dealt a death knell when Asch himself refused to let his masterpiece, ‘God of Vengeance,’ be revived.” Full Review