Time and the Conways

See it if You enjoy character driven period piece dramas. This one moves rather slowly but has an exquisite payoff in my opinion.

Don't see it if You need a lot of action. You barely realize what the real point of the play is until almost the end of the first act.

See it if This one misses the mark. It has some decent acting for sure, however, it gets slow at various points .The show can be moving and thought

Don't see it if provoking. With all the great stuff on and off Broadway, you can miss this one. it is slow at times, loses it way at times, not my fav.

See it if When the future brings decline of a family, is the passage of time just cruel or is there any solace? Intricate character dynamics.

Don't see it if You are not interested in slowly developed characters set in Britain 1919-37. You don’t want to reflect on time, hopes and disappointments.

Also I think Priestly gave the characters the outcomes he did in order to make us think more about time. Several different points of view about the passage of time are stated explicitly in the play. Suppose the characters had been more successful and happy. Would we still be thinking about these viewpoints? Does suffering make time more weighty?... Read more Read less

See it if Great set Scene change is special), Great costumes. Great role playing by same actors 18-19 years later from one Act to the next.

Don't see it if Sound at American Airlines still needs work. Accents vary. Score is average of partner's 80 and my 70. Speech may need time to adjust.

See it if tests interesting idea: how react if could see into future: how upper class Brit. life destroyed in 20 yrs; inventive set; strong cast

Don't see it if all machinations moving back 'n forth in time results in no more than a clunky critique of British upper class rot; characters stereotypes

Also Playwright Priestly was testing 1930s concept about "time" - thus TIME AND THE CONWAYS - which holds that time is not linear; rather, the present and the future already exist and our consciousness is just a peephole into life on that continuum. Priestly then asks: what would happen if a member of an upper class family could see both the present (1919) and an ugly future (1937) at the same time where upper class weaknesses - extravagance with money, unwillingness to do hard work, favoritism of ne'er-do-well sons over brilliant daughters - result in impoverishment of the upper class and ascendancy of an uncaring middle class? Interesting idea, but need to find theatrical vehicle to dramatize the idea. Priestly's vehicle unfortunately falls flat as he presents Noel Coward-like scenes in 1919, 1937 and then back to 1919 where 1 character sees the bleak future. Times critic astutely points out that play's focus is misplaced on clueless mother; should be on daughter with future-sight.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy a “thinker” with a healthy dose of British charm. The performances and staging are terrific.

Don't see it if you’d rather leave the theatre with a smile on your face, or you have trouble with British accents.

See it if You like drawing room plays with family drama and time travel. Elizabeth McGovern is the matriarch. Gabriel Ebert is the son.

Don't see it if You fall asleep easily Act I is 90 minutes. You expect fast action. You do not like early 19th century England.

See it if you enjoy slow-moving drama with an historical perspective; how the war effected the lives of upper class people from another era.

Don't see it if this type of drama bores you; you need action, music, dancing; you aren't interested in lives of the rich and formerly rich effected by war

Also Not everyone enjoys this type of show: the period costumes were excellent, the portrayal of life before TV, texting, cell phones; games people played.... Read more Read less

See it if You really like period pieces that are too long and tiresome

Don't see it if You bore easily.

See it if you enjoy period pieces with terrific acting and don't mind sitting through a slow start if it amounts to something later on.

Don't see it if you're looking for a show that is more edgy and current. It is a quality production, but play seems dated in today's times.

See it if Interesting play. Gives you something to think about. Strong acting. Beautiful s

Don't see it if Hideous, distracting costumes. Fairly depressing. The first scene was very slow.

See it if if you are a fan of Kate McGonigle & enjoy history about England, specifically about class struggles through history told through a family.

Don't see it if you are not interested in a period piece about the story of economic and cultural classes in early 20th century England.

See it if You want to be schooled in everything that can go wrong in the wrong hands.

Don't see it if I wouldnt

Also I cant imagine how this play has received any good reviews. It is astounding that the mother just runs around like a headless chicken when she is meant to be arch and venal. She just blithely spouts her poison and no one even seems to notice.
The actors appear to be in entirely different productions offering no cohesive tone.
This is supposed to be a family yet they do not appear to share anything.
I was unable to find empathy with any character.
Interesting staging and depction of passing time.
Sitting there was work. My friend leaned over at the intermission and said " wasn't that just awful?". She thought it was over. too bad I had to disappoint her.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy an intelligent and well done examination of the perils of ignoring change in the world and getting too comfortable with privilege

Don't see it if you like fast action plays and don't care about insulated characters who make foolish decisions.

See it if Take a classic British play about a dysfunctional family, direct actors to spit out lines with little inflection & zero sublety. Result is..

Don't see it if Long play reminiscent of stultified acting of 1930/40's movies. Not a Priestly fan, but the play is far better than this staging.

See it if you would be interested in a drama on how drastically our lives change over time in ways we never foresee. The acting is mostly strong here.

Don't see it if the characters are so unrelatable to anyone you are or know that a connection with them will fail to materialize. Also, hit-or-miss accents.

See it if A fascinating look at aBritish upper-class family bet 1919 and 1939.Excellent ensemble acting. At 2:40 hrs a rewarding theatrical experience

Don't see it if Do not go if you only enjoy musicals or not a fan of meaningful dramas.

See it if a fan of British family dramas; invested in themes of time, nostalgia, and clairvoyance; a fan of J. B. Priestley; you like to think deeply.

Don't see it if you need great action, dislike the unsettling feeling of wondering whether you're watching reality or a dream unfold; want something modern.

Also A fan of family dramas, nostalgia, and Elizabeth McGovern (Mrs. Conway) and Gabriel Ebert (neglected son Alan), I looked forward to J.B. Priestley’s 1930s work, expecting the semi-dated moments. I liked, though did not love, it—it’s one of those plays I leave apprehensively and, the more I ruminate, grow more curious about the playwright’s intentions. Time, nostalgia, retrogressions, anticipating the future: all are themes in which I am invested as a literature teacher and writer. Thus, this play dovetails beautifully with my interests. Less-enticing is McGovern’s matriarch and more riveting is the character of ambitious, focused Kay, played beautifully at 21 and 40 by Charlotte Parry. Ebert’s Alan also won me over with his charming, milquetoast performance. Stage design and acting are superb; but Priestley himself may have been overly ambitious in trying to explain the ravages of time. The play sometimes plods, sometimes soars—ironically, is sometimes out of step with time.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy a well done remake of a play from 1938. It held my interest throughout.

Don't see it if you don't like dated plays even if the subject/philosophy is timeless.

See it if you like superb acting, intelligent family dramas & well drawn characters coping with life, mostly, unsuccessfully.

Don't see it if you dislike overly long plays with a fist act that is somewhat tedious, family dramas and a poisonous matriarch as a critical character.

See it if Moving portrait of the lives, ambitions, & giddy promise of a British family just after WWI, & 19 yrs. later how their lives have ended up.

Don't see it if You mind a slow-paced drama. It is lyrical, sad & beautifully acted, w/superb staging. Gets a bit metaphysical about life thru time & space.

See it if You want to see a play that is relevant to today

Don't see it if You need a quick. Happy play

See it if You enjoy British family dramas about class struggles and problems. The acting was very good, although the first act was slow.

Don't see it if You need more action and less talking.

See it if You have a thing for Elizabeth McGovern and family drama in the era between the wars

Don't see it if You like your chronology in a straight line and your acting realistic

See it if You are a fan of Elizabeth McGovern and don't mind sitting through a somewhat oblique play.

Don't see it if You are looking for a comedy or a straightforward drama.