Indecent NYC Reviews and Tickets

"'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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"Not to say the characters or predicaments seem in any way generic. 'Indecent' is a play with music, and the production nods to Yiddish and epic theater, using deliberately self-conscious staging and direct calls to our social and moral conscience...'Indecent’s' excellent ensemble also convey an exuberance and a sense of purpose, reminding us that art can motivate, agitate and uplift. In our own troubled century, there’s at least some encouragement to be found there."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"Cumulatively, the many elements of the staging affords us the scope to think as well as feel. Vogel and Taichman provide the audience with many signposts to navigate and much to ponder, so much so that we can become preoccupied with tracking the morphing of the characters, as opposed to investing emotionally in their singular inner lives...The unintended outcome is that 'Indecent' sometimes seems negatively distant, or in the vernacular – a little 'meh.'"
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“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.”
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“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.”
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"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."
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"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."
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"An engaging, heartfelt work...The troupe moves as a seamless mechanism, fitting perfectly together like gears of a clock, to conjure both the beauty and pain of time...You have to pay close attention to keep up, as it races through time...Vogel, Taichman, composers Gutkin and Halva, choreographer Dorfman and their stellar cast have crafted an exuberant, exciting show, one which exudes warmth and is, above all, a testament to the transportive, life-affirming power of theater."
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“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.”
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“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.”
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“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.”
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"'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."
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"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."
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“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.”
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"'Indecent' can feel a little cluttered in its staging. Actors scurry this way and that...But 'Indecent’s' roving eye, its busy-ness, its insistence to be about everything—homophobia, censorship, freedom of expression, tyranny—is as fascinating and genuine as it can be frustrating to watch...You may find yourself a little lost. The characters are too much tellers of direct history, or voices of glancing opinion, rather than characters we really get to know."
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"'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."
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"'Indecent' blends original scenes from 'The God of Vengeance' with an account of the play’s own turbulent production history, from its acclaimed premiere...to doom-laden clandestine performances in the Łódź ghetto...That sense of looming world-historical catastrophe is sensitively conveyed by Taichman’s sombre, stripped-down staging, which also provides an appropriate frame for Vogel’s occasionally repetitive story of backstage wrangling and controversy-stalked 'playmaking.'"
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"It isn’t necessary to read 'God of Vengeance'...to appreciate the new production’s eccentric but powerful storytelling, or the masterful performances by the cast...Vogel and director Taichman treat us to an array of glimpses of individual stories that illuminate the humane side of humanity...All this, while highly stylized, is a true story, woven into a production that delicately balances the lighthearted and the deeply moving–and stops just shy of the maudlin towards the end."
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“The tale is told in a series of quick scenes, blending past and present, portrayed with touching humor, joy, and pathos by seven actors…Outstanding is Topol as Lemml, a sensitive, likable narrator who is spellbound by the first reading of Asch's play…Memorable is the drama's beginning and ending with an imaginative metaphor of dust alluding to time and humanity...A fascinating production of intense sensitivity and the inherent constancy of the human spirit and the enduring power of art.
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“Bigger and better at the Cort…The choreography, which ranges from playful to portentous, is by David Dorfman; Christopher Akerlind’s stunning lighting is virtually a character unto itself. Much of the excellent cast is the same from the Vineyard, with standout performances by Topol, who is both observer and participant, and the sultry, sexy Lenk, who can set the hearts of men and women aflutter.“
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"The play itself dares to spin itself out in a very free form, almost as a cabaret performance...Vogel’s play takes itself very seriously, and is certainly an eye opener into some of the odious customs in the entertainment field...Taichman presents many moving moments...I respect what is up there onstage at Broadway’s Cort Theatre. I admire the work of each element in the production, but I remained somewhat outside of it most of the time, as an observer more than as a participant."
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"They say there's no business like Shoah business, but there's also no quicker way to win gasps, tears, and standing ovations from an unthinking audience. It's a shame that a play like 'Indecent' - a play that is often vital and brimming with life - succumbs in its final scenes to kitsch."
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"There are musical numbers along the way, helpful subtitles pop up behind the actors, and the intermissionless 100 minutes are impeccably staged by Rebecca Taichman (who’s credited with co-creating the piece with Vogel)...At times, 'Indecent' feels like an earnest evening that’s good for you, but stop your kvetching and stay till the final rain scene."
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"A fast-moving yet lucid drama whose short scenes convey a tremendous amount of information and a surprising amount of feeling. The creators use a full array of theatrical tools...to lend a sense of poetry, spectacle and scale to what might otherwise have been a too-modest tale. If 'Indecent' doesn't land as forceful a dramatic punch as it might have, that's probably because we never fully invest in any of the characters...Then again, that may be Vogel's point."
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“Beautifully staged…A decades-old story that’s remarkably well suited for today…The talented troupe plays all the characters…And we see their deep dedication to Asch’s play, a revelation in its time…Even better is how Taichman’s elegant direction pairs with and augments Vogel’s script, creating images like that opening one and keeping the sad story moving inexorably forward. There are musicians and music, singing and dancing, beauty and joy amid this very sad story.”
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"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."
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"Complex, fascinating, and sometimes confusing drama...It’s exhausting yet riveting to watch from the opening scene...Despite the heavy subject matter, 'Indecent' is a visually arresting piece of theater...There is a frenetic lyricism to Rebecca Taichman’s direction of the actors...It is Ms. Taichman’s manic pacing of the evolving plot, musicians and actors dancing in circles—and the endless projections of the supertitles—that keeps us glued to the action but grows tiresome at times."
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"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."
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"Directed by Rebecca Taichman, 'Indecent' features a talented ensemble of 10 performers, some of whom play multiple roles and others are musicians...The play tries to cover too much and at times it feels long...Vogel deals with Asch, Jewish paranoia, the Holocaust, and 'The God of Vengeance,' all within 100 minutes. The show is creatively presented and that is its strength."
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"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."
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“‘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.”
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"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."
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“A compelling, indelible work of theatre. Working with a cast of seven (that feels much larger) and three musicians, Taichman gives the play an epic feel…The play moves seamlessly across the years and miles. There is not much in the way of star turns for the cast of chameleons for together they bring ‘God of Vengeance’ to life…If ‘Indecent’ has a weakness, then it would be that it has three endings.”
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"Despite a bare-bones set featuring only the theater's brick wall, Vogel's team of talented actors manage to bring the action alive. Big kudos go to the actresses Katrina Lenk, Mimi Lieber, and Adina Verson, who bring the characters of the young female lovers to the stage. The rest of the actors, who play multiple roles through the action, comport themselves very well...'Indecent' is truly a decent way to spend an evening."
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“‘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.”
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"Frankly, I would have been crying too like many of those around me, but I was holding my breath instead—stunned by the sheer beauty and sadness of it all...Beautiful and arresting staging...It would be hard to find a weak link among the cast...By so often switching its characters, it can be challenging to get emotionally invested in a central protagonist's journey...Taichman's staging here is strong enough here to make up for what is lacking."
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"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."
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“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.”
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"Full of clarity, tenderness, and warmth...The cast of actors and musicians assembled by Vogel and Taichman stands as their production’s great strength: The group creates its vividly bittersweet narrative together, as a team. Though Vogel deserves credit for crafting a sensitive play and for her overall achievement in the theater, a still greater message is meant to resonate in this ensemble structure."
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"Fantastic direction from Taichman, engaging writing from Vogel and a near-perfect ensemble of performers. But once you get past the seduction of the production, you have to wonder why so much talent was lavished on what is no more than a historical theatrical footnote...It lionizes Asch and his play, without addressing any of the disturbing aspects of it...Provocative plays should be encouraged on Broadway...I just wish the play hadn't left so many disturbing questions unasked."
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“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.”
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"Superbly realized production...Thanks in no small measure to Ms. Taichman’s sensitive direction and the forceful performances of its cast 'Indecent' sheds an eye-opening light on a little-known time...The fluent choreography also contributes to the almost cinematic flow...Ms. Vogel’s script is not entirely free of necessary but still blunt expositional passages, or the occasional polemical touch...'Indecent' becomes diffuse as Ms. Vogel’s plot grows more complicated."
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"'Indecent' has the scope of an epic but the intimacy of a chamber piece. The excellent actors play dozens of characters, changing locations and accents but always sharing the same darkling world. As it celebrates and illustrates the power of theater, 'Indecent' sits shiva for its Yiddish branch. It is an elegant and open-hearted tribute to a murdered world of culture: Asch to ashes, audiences to dust."
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"Vogel brings her usual digressive theatricality to the tale, which is partly historical and partly invented. The vagaries of Broadway production no less than the fate of European Jewry are brought into the mix, sometimes awkwardly. But the director Rebecca Taichman stages it so richly you hardly notice the threadbare patches...'Indecent' is a valuable reminder of a time when the theater and its great artists were on the dangerous leading edge of our humanity."
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"A gripping if more than a little pretentious theatrical history lesson...It's a fascinating theatrical tale, but 'Indecent' doesn't have the impact it should due to the diffuse manner in which the story is presented. The co-creators attempt to cover so much ground that the focus inevitably gets lost...But for all its stylistic excesses, 'Indecent' exerts an undeniable power, certainly more so than the scenes from Asch's work, which today seem hopelessly melodramatic."
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"Some audience members might bristle at the let’s-put-on-a-show trope. But our narrator/guide, is so genuine, the Klezmer music is so rousing, and Taichman’s trademark minimalist staging is so mesmerizing...And when we first hear Asch reading snippets of his dialogue, it’s clear what’s so captivating about his play...including the much-ballyhooed 'rain scene' between young lovers. In English, the scene is powerful and potent. In Yiddish, it’s simply breathtaking. "
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"A fantastic work of imagination, craft and history, seamlessly interweaving a forgotten play — and the tragic history of that forgotten play — into a spellbinding evening…In addition to the music, 'Indecent' is moved swiftly by David Dorfman’s limpid choreography in concert with Taichman’s sensitive direction…The play holds together and grows in power across the decades…It’s an exhilarating ride."
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"Rebecca Taichman's darkly entrancing production lends the material theatrical urgency and sizzle...The circumscribed scope isn't always dramatically convincing, but the play's alternative moral vision is moving in its passionate conviction...'Indecent' reminds us of the power of art to tell us truths long before we are able to recognize them as such."
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"'Indecent' tells the amazing tale of how a lesbian kiss shut down a 1923 Broadway show. Vogel, director Rebecca Taichman and their cast bring the saga of 'God of Vengeance' to life, from its Broadway defeat to secret productions in WWII ghettos. But 'Indecent' is more than a play about forbidden love: It’s about theater as a life force."
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"This potent and poetic collaboration between Paula Vogel and director Rebecca Taichman delivers style and substance...'Indecent' begins with an indelible image. Actors stand in a row, arms at their sides. Then sand spills from their sleeves. It’s as if they’re dissolving. A fitting and haunting image for a work about the power of art that sifts through history."
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“'Indecent' may be too sprawling for its own good, with six of the seven actors playing multiple roles, quick shifts in time and place and a heavy reliance on captions for expository information...Even so, the play is quite moving and visually striking. Director Rebecca Taichman stages it in an openly theatrical manner, with the ensemble always in full view and three traveling Klezmer musicians. She also imbues it with a ghostly, tragic tone."
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"A marvelous new play…This inspired production is interested in far more than theatre history, delving ever so artfully into matters of culture, religion, truth and the transcendent force of art itself…It's all brought into vivid focus thanks to Vogel and Taichman's wonderfully stylized staging...The entire cast is sublime...They have crafted indelible characters in stark shades of darkness and light...The kind of insight and emotional depth that comes from theatre at its most poetic."
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"Moore, Mimi Lieber, Tom Nelis, and Rattazzi contribute to 'Indecent's' large roster of characters, each taking on six or seven roles...but as scenes shift quickly through time and place it's often difficult to tell who is who. That hurdle, combined with the directorial choices around those moments, mitigate 'Indecent's' raw power...Nevertheless, 'Indecent' ranks as a must-see for anyone who cares about the important legacy of Yiddish theater, or of theater in general."
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“A warm and uplifting tribute to the power of theatre…Along with Topol, the ensemble of Katrina Lenk, Adina Verson, Tom Nelis, Mimi Lieber, Max Gordon Moore and Steven Rattazzi seem a true theatrical family as they lovingly play their multiple roles…To see that honest expression of mutual love, and to know the emotions it stirred in its time - both outrage and admiration - is a breathtaking moment that connects the audience with theatre history.”
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“Under Taichman's direction, the production has a distinctly Brechtian tinge, thanks to its often presentational style...But the real issue with ‘Indecent’ - a vast historical canvas on which many of the details are smudged - is that it probably requires a longer and more elaborate approach to accommodate so many people and events. The result is more scattered and less gripping than one imagines Vogel intends. Still, it has its moments of real power.”
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"The thrilling artistry behind 'Indecent' provides a swirl of joy through this emotive production. This play is sweet, rueful, and stands as a metaphor for love—between humans and for the craft of theater as well. During its less than two hour running time, much is traversed and shared. Those engaged in this creative process must be celebrated. This show opens possibilities...speaks genuinely, is deeply felt and experienced."
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"May just be Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paula Vogel’s best play...To say that the play, performed without intermission, is riveting is beside the point. Not only is the play an epitaph for the Yiddish stage it also reinvents the art of theater...It is ultimately an extremely moving document of human achievement, betrayal, and destruction. Cheers to Paula Vogel and Rebecca Taichman and their superb ensemble cast for this memorable theatrical evening."
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“Transportive and deeply moving...The play is a testimony to great theatre not only in its use of universal language to express different shades of human emotions, but also the many repetitions of space, silence, and scenes within the play. This lets us savor and reflect on its intricate details...There are multiple moments that still make us laugh, despite being engulfed within a backdrop of an immensely sad story.”
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"A powerful drama...'Indecent' is beautifully staged and performed. It’s hard to find the words to describe the complexity of the story, the emotions it evokes and the personal, as well as professional, relationships depicted. Among the most outstanding performances are the love scenes between Katrina Lenk and Adina Verson…’Indecent’ is a remarkable theater piece — a pleasure to watch and feel. A veritable tour de force!"
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"It's an interesting story that's been ingeniously crafted by playwright Vogel and director Taichman from historic events...Though it's tempting to single out Verson and Lenk and Topol as the cast's standouts, there isn't a weak link in the rest of this cast. The same is true of the characters, all of whom are consistently interesting...This production completes 'Indecent's' triple producing collaboration. Hopefully, the already sold-out run will extend and then see the play continue its life."
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"Writer Paula Vogel and director Rebecca Taichman have crafted a hymn to the powers/dangers of creativity and dissent. And a highly entertaining one at that…This production celebrates the institution of live theater and the people who are willing to give their life to it…'Indecent' feels less like an examination of a miscarriage of artistic justice than a heartfelt ode to lives changed by the stage."
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"An immaculate production...Within the first few second of the play you find yourself relaxing and remembering, 'this is why I go to the theatre.'…In creating the story within the story Taichman and Vogel use technical touches that at first seem clumsy but turn out to be little gems…This is a compelling piece of theatre that does more than tell a story. It offers its heart on its sleeve and asks for a piece of yours...Brava."
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“A compelling story about the power of innovation and the equally powerful effect of detachment and disinheriting oneself from the innovative process...Rebecca Taichman directs ‘Indecent’ with a sensitive precision. Dorfman’s choreography is fluid with stunning lines and fresh contemporary movement...A compelling piece of theatre that raises deep, enduring questions about the future of a society that refuses to accept differences.”
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"Taichman...is responsible for the beautifully evocative staging, which uses Brechtian tropes to capture the theatrical ambiance and Yiddishkeit surrounding Asch’s European and American worlds...‘Indecent’ can be deeply moving, especially at moments such as when the actors allow ashes to drop from their sleeves, reinforced at the end by an 'ashes to ashes' supertitle. Still, when ‘Indecent’ reaches forward to include hot-button material like the six million, it spreads its net too wide."
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"View the searing intelligence of Vogel’s writing, the stunning visual imagination of Taichman’s direction, and the exemplary work of seven remarkable actors...The unwavering commitment and facility of this acting troupe is a key part of the equation for the production’s success as they fully immerse themselves into each of their multiple roles. Indeed, the human elements of every kind are primarily what turns 'Indecent' into an indelible theatrical experience."
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"A fascinating history lesson written by Vogel and a cleverly staged entertainment directed by Taichman...Vogel is unafraid to complicate the story of 'The God of Vengeance,' both by presenting Asch sometimes unsympathetically and by crowding the play with incident. It is not easy to keep track of all the characters who fly by...'Indecent' helps us see the power and beauty of art not just by its subject but by its example."
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"A tender, unconventional tribute...Those supertitles and self-conscious theatricality suggest Brecht, the figure of the stage manager conjures Thornton Wilder. That Vogel and Taichman have managed to mingle the styles of both of these writers, with the comedy and searching moral questioning testifies to the originality and vibrancy of their approach....There’s an unassuming gentleness throughout and immense poignancy."
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"'Indecent' is utterly and endlessly moving…The result is a throbbing, beautiful pageant with quickly shifting scenes and the more-than-occasional musical interlude through which the entire ensemble moves adroitly into Dorfman’s joyfully solemn and solemnly joyful dance patterns…With the actors and sometimes the musicians assuming several roles each, each section is equally and unflinchingly potent."
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"I fear that the present play attempts to tell too many stories at once...The entire cast is superb: Topol is Lemml, the stage manager. The other actors all play multiple roles and succeed in making us care about characters that are not that fully developed. The production is greatly enhanced by a trio of klezmer musicians and choreography by Dorfman...While there is much to admire in this production, the many elements did not cohere as well as I would have liked."
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"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. They’re a seasoned, worldly bunch, and their various reactions to the charges of indecency and anti-Semitism run the gamut. Vogel and Raichman weave a very eclectic score into the fabric of 'Indecent'."
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"Vogel’s 'Indecent' is a combination theater history lesson and searing docudrama...Not for the easygoing theatergoer who just wants to sit back and be entertained...Vogel uses this daring play’s trajectory to create a history of Jewish and gay struggles in the first half of the 20th century...In addition to Topol, the six actors and three musicians create a kind of fascinating cultural cabaret."
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"'Indecent' is also a singular achievement on its own. It is an intimate, 100-minute chamber-sized show, not a Broadway extravaganza...It is also graced with seven extraordinary actors who portray many different people...Taichman takes us all over the world on a plain, raised stage powerfully transformed. For all the darkness of the subject, the staging is witty. The historical perspective is vast and knowing. And the lost story of gay love is profound."
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"Unfortunately for Vogel's dramatic purposes, Asch had nothing to do with taming the love story for Broadway, and apparently didn't much care...What transforms the evening from a fast-moving gloss on a long-ago theater incident into a vibrant, seamless experience is the sweep and flavor of the production, which, performed on a bare stage, blends dramatization, song and dance with impeccable theatricality."
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"There's something playing over at the Vineyard Theatre that is nothing short of spectacular. Paula Vogel has penned a superb play within a play. Well-written and crisply acted, this theatre troupe acting as a theatre troupe packs a powerful punch...Director Rebecca Taichman has cleverly and seamlessly nested this play within a play...Vogel's play keeps you riveted and holds your attention throughout the entire production."
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"'Indecent' is a well-crafted and interesting play (with music). Though the structure and the very conceit of digging into and reflecting on our own history did bring thoughts of other recent artistic endeavors, there are more than enough specifics—culturally, historically, and otherwise—to distinguish it from the pack. What resonates the most is Asch's original question to his peers, 'Why does every Jew on stage have to be a paragon?'"
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"Vogel's powerful new play 'Indecent' is truly a celebration of the power of theater. A seasoned cast presents the story of a controversial early 20th century play simply and intimately, through seamlessly entwined music, dance and narrative...Nelis, Lieber, Moore and Rattazzi provide humor and gravitas in equal measure...The sawdust pouring from the sleeves of the cast is also a compelling visual metaphor for the enduring, enriching power of storytelling."
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"There are many Brechtian touches in Taichman’s staging — titles, dissolves, left-wing politics. The humanity of the actors presenting 'God,' and especially the two women who inhabit the lesbian roles in Asch’s play (scandalous to some people at the time), is remarkable."
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"Despite its dark subject matter, 'Indecent' is a superb theatrical celebration...Vogel's script is inspiring, Taichman's direction is lyrical and masterful, Dorfman's choreography looks natural. The company of actors and musicians couldn't be better. All in all, 'Indecent' is a lovely experience. The audience was on its feet cheering at the end. This was not one of those automatic Broadway standing ovations, but a heartfelt gesture of appreciation for something special."
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"'Indecent' is a spectacular achievement...The production is a potent mix of history, imagination, and theatricality...The constant role-switching is admittedly hard to keep track of, and it is not always discernible which characters are being played by the various performers at any given time. However, the emotional undercurrents and thematic concerns of the tale being told are always clear."
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"The cast flows seamlessly through time periods from 1906 to 1953 in a whirlwind production...This remarkable production is beautiful to watch, for which thanks go to Riccardo Hernandez for the simple, versatile set design. But it’s the technical team that provides the atmosphere...As I sat in the theater, I thought 'Indecent' a bit preachy and redundant, in that events keep repeating."
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"'Indecent' director Taichman and playwright Vogel weave the saga of that play into a fascinating tapestry of music, politics, art and morality...One of the most satisfying aspects of 'Indecent' is the way its versatile acting ensemble feels so beautifully in tune...The piece is laced with telling period detail...And its thematic concerns radiate like spokes of a wheel into all kinds of of-the-moment issues...Taichman’s singular gifts for the visual are also on full display."
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"'Indecent' is nothing short of absolute brilliance. The audience communally sat in awe, laughing quickly at every nuance and sharing heartbreak as it came, which culminated to us leaping to our feet at the final blackout…The cast is exceptional…The direction by co-creator Rebecca Taichman perfectly embodied the piece’s humor, history and vaudevillian homage to the times."
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"'Indecent' unfolds like a minimalist epic, with music and dance...Seven versatile actors and three top-notch musicians interweave in such precise and graceful ways...It’s a master class in ensemble work…The production and the play make for a tapestry both tight and frustrating…Why the hurry? Why the snapshot approach? Why not an intermission so this entertaining and vitally important piece can enjoy its own artistic freedom and breathe?"
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"Vogel uses description and pronouncement to substitute for organic revelation, as if to dare her audience not to engage in profound reflection. But the matzo-thin world she creates is at once expositional and untrustworthy....A developed character or two, a unifying narrative exposited through obstacle and event and specific moment – a story as well as a plot – would help this show feel less like an obligatory Haggadah at your boyfriend’s parents’ Seder."
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“For much of the evening, the effect of all this is to give the feeling that we’re watching a pageant more than a human drama. We’re led toward the same well-worn insights we’ve come to expect from work that looks back at the bigotry of the past…As far as it goes, this would all be fine and good, if a bit sterile and unsurprising…Fortunately, Vogel and Taichman have a few more tricks up their sleeves and in the final third of the play, a more nuanced, more profound story emerges.”
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