Andrew 4

See it if you like: new plays in bare bones but effective productions, gay characters in funny & unexpected situations, authors cast in their own work

Don't see it if don't like plays with gay characters, satire on community theater talent, limited production values, authors cast in their own plays

See it if you like female writers/performers & topics rarely discussed in theater, gritty honest humor with bodily references, irreverant stories

Don't see it if Don't like talk of all kinds of sexual activities from female perspective, foul language, stories that pick on men, stand-up style plays

See it if concerned about journalists & others held as political prisoners & their conditions, how captives try to stay sane & are tormented

Don't see it if frightened by issues of captivity & hopelessness, especially if it is two women depicted, don't like horrific conditions displayed

See it if you enjoyed "Stupid Fucking Bird" & like seeing Chekhov satirized, "Moscow Moscow etc" was too over the top for you, fan of Austin Pendleton

Don't see it if Chekhov is sacred to you & never be satirized/updated, didn't like Posner's prior take on Chekhov, you want verbal slapstick as in"Moscow"

See it if You’ve ever seen a bad production of Three Sisters & would like to see it turned on its head, enjoy literary humor, general zaniness

Don't see it if You believe Chekhov is sacrosanct, hate absurdist comedy, not a fan of cross-dressing, want serious meaning in your plays

See it if you like plays about current events & plight of gays in many African nations, family repercussions, forced betrayals, courage

Don't see it if not a fan of gay subject matter or danger (suspense), frustrated by characters who can't make decisions or lack of sets,

See it if you like innovative, funny, serious, powerful musicals about character trying to belong within gay culture & African-American religiosity,

Don't see it if uncomfortable with graphic descriptions of gay life or criticism of conservative Christianity, actors playing multiple overlapping roles

Also This show is wild and wonderful, hilarious and agonizing at the same time, the depth of anger is quite unusual for a musical but entirely understandable, occasionally hard to hear quickly spoken overlapped lyrics in sometime urban black dialogue, deliciously graphic, amazingly accurate descriptions of loneliness, frustrations, otherness, a great heart at its core, fascinating music and melodies with impressively creative and mature lyrics, impressive performances by a remarkable cast... Read more Read less

See it if Interest in harrowing immigration stories, seeing "Medea' adapted for modern times, cynical view of American dream

Don't see it if don't like too many similarities to "Medea," or snippets of Spanish spoken throughout, stock villains, violence against children

Also The play is too divided: is it a contemporary tale about the travails and endurance of undocumented immigrants (which it does extremely well) or is it an effort to adapt "Medea" for modern times, adhering perhaps much too closely to the original story so that the plot takes some of the power away from the valiant immigration struggle to devolve into a tale of cynically cruel behavior, betrayal, over the top violence, madness and horrific revenge. The genuinely honest and riveting immigration story loses power by eventually being tied to closely to the Medea story. Is it one or the other, but it doesn't quite work as both.... Read more Read less

See it if you like the book, enjoy literary adaptations for the stage, enjoy actors in multiple roles/playing much younger & a strong woman focus

Don't see it if not a Alcott fan, expect more warmth & sentiment between the characters, don't enjoy non-traditional casting, overemphasis on Jo

See it if you like thrilling true stories told with style & original music, enjoy 1-person shows (with band), one act that builds interest & suspense

Don't see it if 1-person shows are not your thing, not a fan of a gravelly-voiced singer, or of shocking, disturbing family stories or true crime tales

See it if you're a fan of TBTB, enjoy slight but edgy works, interested in civic vs. individual responsibilities, family relations, like optimism

Don't see it if not interested in issues faced by the disabled or out of touch elected officials, don't like father-daughter stories or awkward set changes

See it if want to see how Luke Wilson & Errol Morris are depicted, get behind the scenes story of a classic AT&T commercial & workplace manipulation

Don't see it if don't need to be reminded of workplace games, not a fan of slight comedies, don't like overly crowded sets or rude talking by show staff

See it if you're a fan of print journalism, British newspaper history, curious about Rupert Murdoch, fan of Carvel or Miller, enjoy a good story

Don't see it if Have no interest in recent British history or in the London tabloids, don't care for Rupert Murdoch, have trouble with English accents

See it if Fan of actress Erbe, enjoy cutting edge topics from a different perspective, enjoy tales of bonding between people who might never meet

Don't see it if Rape is a trigger issue, can’t understand a parent’s sympathy for a disreputable child, don’t like unresolvable moral dilemmas

See it if you're a fan of Sarandon, Ireland or Eisenberg, follow the New Group, enjoy easy laughs & exaggerated characters, like domestic drams

Don't see it if you expect a powerful evening of theater or meaningful plot, like to discern writer's intentions, don't enjoy sudden character changes

See it if You like Jackson & other members of the cast and want to see them tackle the bard. Fan of Shakespeare. Curious about Sam Gikd’s approach

Don't see it if Don’t like a woman as Lear, , confused by actors in key multiple roles, can’t endure 2-hr 1st act, need more scenery to convey plot

Also The golden throne room setting doesn’t always work but is nice to look at. Jackson is superb, convincing and powerful —she is Lear. Some of Director Gold’s touches meet with limited success as with a deaf earl who signs—and characters who sign to him and another who translates for the audience. Ruth Wilson is superb..... Read more Read less

See it if Fan of Director & cast, curious about this play, enjoy dramedy romances, sharp gay humor, quirky disturbing characters,

Don't see it if Don’t like slightly incredulous plots & horribly mismatched lovers, frightening threatening character, dislike gay characters or gay humor

See it if Fan of Dave Malloy or a capella singing & instrumentation, concerned about internet addiction, like brand new scores, creative movement

Don't see it if Not an a cappella fan, no interest in addiction stories or humorous confessionals, want lots of movement & dancing, not a fan of long 1-acts

See it if You like British theater, want to see an imported English cast & set, see a less clever Ayckbourn acolyte, fan of James Sutton of Hollyoaks

Don't see it if Don’t like English plays or 1-acts, trouble with Brit accents & language, you want to laugh a lot, hate mundane plots & unlikable characters

See it if Fan of Sam Shepard or Maggie Schiff, enjoy family dramas with a hint of the absurd, cruelty or violent, enjoy noisy family confrontations

Don't see it if Don’t like slightly twisted family relationships or plays where the message is not specifically clear or absurd situations, lamb on stage

See it if interested in Asian-American writers & cast, enjoy multi-generation family plays, want to learn a bit about mushrooms, see a woods-based set

Don't see it if you need straight-forward linear plot, confused by an actor playing several roles including a mushroom, don't like obvious family secrets

See it if curious about Rwandan genocide from a survivor's perspective, how it could be done as a one-person show, occasionally suspenseful, harrowing

Don't see it if Descriptions of mass murder and bodies piled up turn you off, can't imagine people's inhumanity to each other, don't like one-person shows

Also Despite the subject matter, there is an element of hope, thanks to the pastor who hides a small group of women and the growth and leadership of the main character who ultimately achieves her long sought after state of forgiveness... Read more Read less

See it if For subtle entree to BDSM life, to see gay & hetero couples in flux & how a doubtful set-up finally adds up, for clever use of set

Don't see it if Have no interest in BDSM or plays with LGBT roles, easily frustrated by lengthy set-ups, need actors with believable chemistry & real stakes

Also I assume the actors will develop better chemistry as they play together more--they seem certainly capable as demonstrated by some of their characters' development as the play progresses. I found it enjoyable and it is hardly hard-core in any sense of the word. It is mostly a relationship and how one relationship faces a crisis because of a BDSM component in it, and not necessarily the way one might think.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy gripping, historical plays expertly directed & acted, linear plot, actors playing multiple roles, clever set & projections

Don't see it if 3 hours, 15 min. is too long for you, no interest in Lehman Brothers or immigration, have bad recession memories, hate corporate America

See it if You like the Temptations, Motown, history of R&B, great dance moves, inner workings of a music group, dynamic presentation, true stories

Don't see it if You’re not a fan of the Temptations, R&B music, Motown music, loud sound & bright moving lights, superficial historical plots

See it if you're a fan of Meat Loaf & his music, enjoy loud rock music & energetic singing, you like brash production values & constant movement

Don't see it if you don't like loud rock music, simplistic plots, screeching singing, these anthems from the 80's, bright chaotic lighting, basic dances

See it if interested in family dramas with secrets, curious about how eating disorders would be handled in a play, like new contemporary-set plays

Don't see it if don't like slowly-unspooling revelations, eating disorder depiction can be a trigger issue, frustrated by families talking around issues

See it if You’re a fan of McDonald and/or Shannon, interested in an early McNally play, like romance between an ill-matched pair & Debussy of course

Don't see it if You expect a definitive version of the play, can’t see McDonald and Shannon as working class schlubs, uncomfortable with simulated nude sex

See it if Interested in true crime tale of murders of Mexican women on the border, to see single actress manage play's odd structure, fan of actress

Don't see it if turned off by subject matter, confused by a man's story played out by a woman, don't like occasional Spanish phrases in dialogue

See it if you like discovering rarely produced Irish play from early 20th century, enjoy Mint Theater's meticulousness & serious plots

Don't see it if Not a fan of Irish spoken on stage, don't like old unfamiliar plays or a touch of melodrama, don't enjoy 'fallen woman' stories

See it if you're a fan of Emily Bett Rickard, enjoy dark, but frequently funny, mysteries, stories about broken people resolving past incidents

Don't see it if not interested in stories about dollmakers, don't like quirky mysteries that go in unexpected directions or short one-acts

See it if Enjoy LGBTQIA humor & situations, non-binary characters, challenges between generations, drag queens, feminism, plot twists

Don't see it if Don’t like gay subject matter or characters, drag acts, occasional overacting, loose continuity, talk of death

See it if Caught the last performance but found it enjoyable, the two leads did a good job, the play is a bit unreal as characters move between motels

Don't see it if The growing relationship between the 2 leads was tender & the resolution satisfactory but it took too long to develop, parents monstrous

See it if you like Miller, never seen this play, enjoy powerful family dramas, fan of Bening & Letts, want dramatic confrontations & sense of morality

Don't see it if don't like Miller's realistic style or sense of justice, not a fan of bombast, of secrets are slowly revealed or nontraditional casting

See it if curious about the Negro League & first female pro, like stories about a woman's grit to succeed in a male field, enjoy true sports stories

Don't see it if have no interest in baseball, impatient in distinguishing characters, don't enjoy hearing "war stories" or repeated plot development

See it if you like the unexpected, interest in black playwright's take on racism & surveillance & victimhood, like to see 4th wall demolished,

Don't see it if expect a through story line, uncomfortable with issues of racism & audience involvement, could develop conflicted feelings

See it if fan of Daniel Portman (GOT's Podrick), playground stories, adolescent struggles, friendship tales, audience participation, WWE tropes

Don't see it if no interest in adults playing 15-year olds, playground rivalries, contributing fan enthusiasm to show, teen vulnerabilities, loud yelling

See it if You enjoy stories about singers (rap & pop), as well as the cruelty of show biz, discovering young talent, barriers faced by minority artist

Don't see it if Don’t like plays where characters play & sing or tales of struggling artists, not a fan of rap or classical, mix of strong & weak acting

See it if you're a fan of the Sue Monk Kidd book, admire LaChanze & the cast, like new musicals with folk/roots score, enjoy uplift with some suspense

Don't see it if not a fan of musicals, don't enjoy shows with minimal sets, don't like folk-rock music or shows about racial tensions & abuse

See it if have interest in Federal Theater and union movement, enjoy Blitzstein's music with echoes of Weill, see strong advocacy work in a musical

Don't see it if you want linear plot, don't like cliched heroes & villains or social commentary, want to learn about the famous evicted performance

See it if interest in the paranormal, family stories, immigrant experience, grieving experiences, unexplained situations, minor special effects

Don't see it if you expect major CGI & lots of scares, need everything unusual to be explained, some predictable twists & surprises, unbelievable friendship

See it if Fan of Haley Feiffer & Trip Cullman, enjoy plays about the plight of single lonely women in the City & ill-fated love affairs, plot twists

Don't see it if Not interested in single women getting hurt by urban life or insincere guys, single-act plays, plot twists that stretch credibility,

See it if you enjoy theater created by an ensemble, have ever been in a focus group, have young children, Like satire with a cutting edge

Don't see it if not interested in parents of young children, plays about focus groups or created by the actors themselves, are an overprotective parent

See it if You like musicals, fan of the film or Some of the cast, enjoy delicious nonsense, like unexpected stage effects & plots of the supernatural

Don't see it if Don’t like to think about death, watch characters die violently, too much schtick, mediocre dancing, depictions of hell (no matter if funny)

See it if For fans of Enda Walsh & Cillian Murphy, enjoy explorations of deep, unwavering grief, multiple creative & surprising visual, aural styles

Don't see it if Don’t like depictions of intense grief, neglected children, imaginary characters, loud noises, chaotic surreal plots, personal head games

Also Unusual frustrating theatrical experience that despite all the chaos, noise, frantic visuals, confusing situations, etc. becomes quite touching by the end. Genuinely not emotionally manipulative as one might expect from such a situation (the sudden shocking death of a young wife and mother)... Read more Read less

See it if interested in Greek history, Socrates's life, death & methods, the emergence of Plato as philosopher, plays with many characters

Don't see it if don't like nonlinear non-chronological plots or care about Greek history, confused by actors playing multiple parts with unfamiliar names

See it if yo're interested in prison life, the legal & parole systems, impact of extended incarceration, prisoner & volunteer relationship

Don't see it if No interest in frustrations of prison life or hearing truth about facilities &rules, don't want to see murderers depicted sympathetically

See it if you enjoy theatrical exuberance, flashy costumes, multiple styles of presentation, complex storytelling, slapstick, mid-Eastern atmosphere

Don't see it if you need straightforward storylelling, get confused by actors taking turns playing the same part, not a mid-Eastern or slapstick fan

See it if to catch a rare revival of this Jacobean tragedy, enjoy violent bloodletting, murders & manipulation, along with irredeemable characters

Don't see it if difficulty clarifying many characters' relationships & with Jacobean language, don't like onstage murders & violence, like decent characters