Time and the Conways NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (388)
See it if you like time piece
Don't see it if you do not like shows where British accents reused...makes it hard to understand.
See it if you don't mind flirting with the tragedy of passing time. Well staged and tragic to experience the now&later of the characters
Don't see it if you want something black and white. The substance is not in the dialogue but more in what is observed in between the lines/scenes
See it if if you like a well acted revival, with an excellent performance by Elizabeth McGovern.
Don't see it if If you don't like British accents or if you don't like loose ends. I felt that there were a number of questions not answered in Act 2.
See it if you want see a slice of life where men rule and women are trying to break out of the times
Don't see it if you want a linear story line
See it if you like dramas, and celebrities onstage.
Don't see it if Slow paced dramas are not your thing.
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're a fan of Downton Abbey/Elizabeth McGovern; or if you like family drama.
Don't see it if you don't have the patience to see a story unravel slowly. It was a tad bit long. Read more
See it if You have the patience to go with this well performed & directed, prescient period piece to catch two visually stunning bits of pure theatre.
Don't see it if You can't get past the British drawing-room setup. Costumes & design are terrific, cast effective; Baryshnikov, Parry & Boyer shine. Read more
Critic Reviews (54)
"The entire cast is exceedingly good...The production indulges in some less effective devices. This cuts uncomfortably into the realism that defines the rest of the play. However, those excursions are not enough to derail the overall effectiveness of the author’s incisive look into the situation in England...It is a welcome example of Priestley’s writing, and director Taichman has done a sharp job of staging that results in an impressive production of a play that merits a revival."
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"A muddled and bizarrely outfitted revival...Despite a high-caliber cast the family drama more often feels like an Anglicized episode of 'Dynasty' — and not a particularly fun one at that — rather than a metaphysical exploration…Aside from two albeit breathtaking transitional moments, Taichman’s staging feels staid, and the play’s conceit slight…Historical context aside, the play’s setup hinges on our investment in relatively minor interpersonal dramas.”
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"Though Priestley’s study of a genre of post-war, pedigreed Britons is intriguing, its time component is, at best, a stretch...A lengthy first scene...somewhat tedious in its own right, is alas made more so by Rebecca Taichman’s affected direction...Accents, except for Boyer’s, are all over the place...The minimal, symmetrical, antiseptic set by Patel looks like a precious dollhouse...Young’s costumes for the women are almost universally unflattering and rather cheap looking."
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"'Time and the Conways' has some flaws, it's being done very well...Equal parts a family drama, a comedy of manners, and a metaphysical meditation...The play's underlying themes of dashed dreams and the compromises that life demands remain relevant...Director Taichman doesn't shy away from the sentimentality of what happens but she and—accents aside—her top-flight cast give each storyline a poignant clarity...The true star of this production is Patel's set.”
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"The production remains better than the text, with the sets and costumes working just as well if not more effectively than the dialogue at conveying the big idea...An ensemble of fine actors does their best with average though ambitious material...Moments soar, but otherwise, Act I overly is sweet and Act III overly sad, subtlety lacking across the board....Ultimately, 'Time and the Conways' operates better in idea than reality."
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"Tony-winning director Rebecca Taichman, who in 'Indecent' also oversaw leaps in time, here cannot weave such inventive flights of magic, although she tries on a much more limiting stage...There is a disconnect between the big themes of 'Time and the Conways' and its smaller-framed domestic sagas. It’s hard to like or care about the characters, who exist in two fundamentally off-putting registers...This is an oddly airless play, and it feels even more lost in a large Broadway theater."
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“Depsite hesitant direction by Rebecca Taichman, the play features a fine ensemble of players...The tedious first act flails about with its highpoint introducing characters who are not fully detailed but defined in perfunctory sketches...This staging is the most evocative display of Priestley’s experimentation with J.W. Dunne’s philosophical theories of time and its non-linear continuum.”
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"An interesting revival...Taichman has jumped in with both feet to give us a vigorous interpretation. The opening act is played with almost too much vigor and relish...Physically, this production is beautifully realized by Patel, Young, and Akerlind who have conjured the sets, costumes, and lighting that evoke another time and place...It is certainly the sort of piece that is in line with the mission of the Roundabout, 'to bring 'hidden' classics such as these back to Broadway stages."
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