Indecent

"Extraordinary, edgy, and profoundly charged...It’s Vogel’s imagining of the plight of the theater troupe back that adds this riveting dimension. And then the production itself, directed by Rebecca Taichman, transcends even the material...In Yiddish 'beshert' means 'meant to be.' This production is certainly 'beshert,' an absolute must for a Tony nomination for Best Play if not the winner." 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

“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

"Beautiful and emotionally shattering...Vogel and Taichman work their transporting magic in plain sight and without any apparent help from a big Broadway budget, relying instead upon their own imaginative sense of stagecraft, an excellent company of actors and a resourceful design team...'Indecent' is pretty much just three boards, two actors, and one magnificent, transcendent passion." Full Review

"I was just stunned by it...So gloriously, so lovingly put together. It appears seamless—the script, the staging, the music, the acting, the designs. It's all of one captivating piece that builds in sympathy and warmth throughout into such a transcendent moment of beauty and tragedy and hope, I couldn't speak...This play is just so full and rich...The acting is simply spectacular...Just thinking of the gorgeous images makes me long to see the show again right away." Full Review

“Every now and then a play comes along and grabs your heart…It took my soul and ran away with it…The cast includes a troupe of skilled actors…The plot is complicated and the jumps of time are a lot to keep up with, but Taichman does a great job of making sure the audience keeps up…There is an immense feeling of loss and the actors capture the sadness and project it onto the audience…‘Indecent’ is a heroic, important play. I hope that everyone gets a chance to see it.” Full Review

"Playwright Paula Vogel and her gifted director Rebecca Taichman have taken these shocking, brutal elements and created the haunting, spellbinding 'Indecent,' evoking a work of such tender beauty and resonance it will stay with you in your conversations, your sleeping hours, your psyche for a long time to come...It would be futile to try to put in mere words all the wonders and spells that director Taichman achieves with her enchanted, enchanting company...A company that can do anything." 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

"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

"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

"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

“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

"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

"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

"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

"'Indecent,' a thrilling and poignant new play that opened last night, may have been 20 years in the making, but its story of scandal and struggle could hardly be more timely...This company inhabits every character in Vogel’s deft, poetic, and utterly entertaining account of the controversy that greeted another, older play...The journey is a deeply felt and challenging exploration of language, freedom of expression, the struggle for belonging, and ultimately, love." Full Review

“Vogel and Taichman pull it off with aplomb. Vogel manages to stress the political issues without losing sight of the love story at the core and while maintaining a sense of humor, and Taichman provides a smooth pathway for the story; but it’s the cast and music team that really make ‘Indecent’ magical. While Vogel’s story takes on Shakespearean proportions in its tragic depth, there is a fluidity and grace that moves through the production.” Full Review

"Paula Vogel has crafted a story that moves in mysterious ways. It is enchanting, and wondrous, and painful, and theatrically thrilling...A remarkable amount of people and incidents are crowded into the play’s running time, but thanks to the brilliant cast and some well-placed supertitles, there is never a moment of confusion. The play somehow manages to be both dreamlike and piercing, universal and very specific, unique to its time and completely relevant to today." Full Review

“‘Indecent’ is a tender, passionate, revealing, and inspirational telling of the journey of that production and the people involved…The choice by playwright Paula Vogel to tell the story through the eyes of the stage manager is brilliant…The cast is an amazing ensemble. They all play numerous roles, at times transforming in a moment in front of our eyes...The disclosure of the specific indecency in the theme of the production is relevant to our present-day moral identity.” Full Review

"An exquisite evening in the theater...An intertwining of scenes from Asch’s play with an imaginative take on the off-stage relationships among the actors. The production is aided enormously by David Dorfman’s choreography, which not only evokes the flavor of Yiddish theater, but knits the scenes together into a flowing tapestry of 20th-century Jewish history...A rare theatrical experience: traumatic historical reality intermingles with a poetic evocation of the past." Full Review

“‘Indecent’ blends music, dance, song, scenes from the famous Yiddish play ‘The God of Vengeance’ and the history of the play so seamlessly that you are entranced…This play delves deeper than just the history of the production of this work and its author…‘Indecent’ is a fascinating play that any theater lover should see. It explores a piece of theater history as well as raising challenging questions about the role of literature for minority populations.” Full Review

“Vogel and director Rebecca Taichman have crafted a stirring, heartfelt piece of theater that deserves to find an audience…Vogel and Taichman’s years of work have paid off. 'Indecent' is beautifully staged, and at times it’s heartbreaking…But the play is also surprisingly funny...Under Taichman’s tight direction, the seven actors deftly juggle various characters…‘Indecent’s’ story and stagecraft have now joined my other vivid theater memories.” 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