Bruce 6

See it if sophisticated view of ambivalence of marriage; amazingly witty lyrics/book; marvelous sets, scenes inventively restaged; 1st class cast

Don't see it if show about pain of not being married by 35 is somewhat dated; Katrina Lenk as Bobbie/lead, singing/acting struggles in role

Also "Bobby" or "Bobbie" is a tough role 2 play. Some have described it as a void at the center of the show. Seeing Katrina Lenk in a preview, it was clear she was struggling w the singing demands of the role b/c she does not have the required vocal range. Her acting was also a problem. Though she was memorable in "The Band's Visit," here she does not seem to have figured out how to convincingly show how and why her character is melting down. Another problem: By 2020, the problems of a straight 35 year old woman in not being married do not feel that urgent. Thus, Lenk has the formidable task of convincing us that her not-so-compelling character is compelling.... Read more Read less

See it if punch to gut; captures ethos of mining community & sense of loss/anger after explosion; fine cast; Earl's folk tunes provide authenticity

Don't see it if never reaches potential as rallying cry vs corp greed; doesn't build 2 dramatic moments; music too unvaried 2 heighten emotional impact

See it if interesting aesthetic as story channels pulpy detective novels & video screens evoke film noir; humor leavens; solid cast

Don't see it if takes implausible left turn at end; ultimately w/o crisp plotting or deep insights into behavior of son/family, lets you down

Also Let's play the "name game". The title "The HEADLANDS" refers to (1) the mysterious/idyllic recreational area near SF where the parents met, characters visit throughout play; (2) the fact that much of the mystery is played out in the head of the son; and (3) a promontory over waters from which one can see far into the distance; in this case the play seeks that vantage point from which one can clearly see the events leading up to the murder. Alas, these promising elements do not come together to produce a compelling play.... Read more Read less

See it if acutely shows banality of evil in Khmer Rouge mass killings; fine actor-musicians; Cambodian rock/Dylan fill scenes w emotion

Don't see it if broad & jokey; contrived plot; still works as entertaining vehicle 2 bring alive chilling historical chpt

Also Imitation is highest form of flattery. This vehicle is redolent of a number of cultural memes including Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt re Adolph Eichman; 1984; Heart of Darkness; Rock ‘N Roll by Stoppard about the Czech Velvet Revolution and others you'll spot.... Read more Read less

See it if community ripped apart by violence; perceptive study of how deputy scapegoated for society's ills; script surprises/gripping final scene

Don't see it if hollow response of deputy w/o PTSD strains credulity; static staging; no payoff or catharsis, only numbness, by end

See it if joyously embraces carpe diem 2 deal w life's inevitable disappointments; Janelle McDermoth dynamic narrator/lead singer w virtuoso rock band

Don't see it if not fully realized musical; rapturous ending feels unearned as too-short vehicle @ 55 minutes skims surface of narrator's life

See it if Kathleen Marshall provides charming choreo; Malone acts/sings/dances up a storm; pro-immigration message gives middle finger 2 Donald T

Don't see it if cornball; not enough great tunes; tho revamped as feminist, Molly remains cartoon saint; missing sizzle & polish of Bdway production

Also This musical by Meredith Willson/Music Man draws inspiration from a combo of "Annie Get Your Gun" (as in Annie, here the male/female conflict is between Molly and her husband claiming, as did Annie, that she can do anything better than he can) and "My Fair Lady" (Molly like Eliza is from the lower classes and sees the hypocrisy of the self-styled elite). Yet these other two musicals are classics, as is Music Man, that are often remounted while "Unsinkable" recently is infrequently produced. Why? Perhaps it has something to do w the fact that the classics are filled w memorable tunes and a sharp book. Attempt to modernize “Unsinkable” w new script and some new songs unfortunately does not cause this derivative vehicle to take wing.... Read more Read less

See it if a total hoot; clever send up & bracing feminist indictment of toxic masculinity; Matthew Amendt campy & terrifying as Dracula

Don't see it if hits u over head w feminist view; abrupt tonal shifts w combo serious-feminism/Darwinism/Dracula as quasi-religious "father" & camp

Also Matthew Amendt, playing Dracula, exemplifies difficulty in finding ground between terror & camp. In playing campy Dracula, he is hilarious; in playing D as monster, he's sometimes chilling, sometimes feels as if he is stuck in middle of a low-rent slasher movie.

Too much Trump on the brain: my partner & I kept pointing out the eerie, possibly intentionally-drawn, parallels between Dracula, a self-styled "superman," who is parasitically exploiting others, & the cult around him, and the President & his cultish acolytes.

Mise-en-scene: in stripped down production, appreciate how the sound design creates an atmosphere of terror.... Read more Read less

See it if brilliant theatrical form: concurrent stories of 3 gens of women on stage together allow u 2 see inter-gen patterns; sharp Mametian dialog

Don't see it if confusing interplay of sep scenes; characters speak on top of each other; few answers provided re hereditary nature of mental illness

Also I suggest that you try to view the play in the same way you experience a complex symphonic work or fugue. You don't try to analyze every note or the interplay of instruments, but let the themes and variations wash across you. In this case, playwright Alice Birch (i) presents words, gestures, poses & other actions repeated by each woman to show links and echoes across generations & (ii) groups different characters in different formations (duos, trios, etc.) so that you can experience the varied effects that characters have on each other. Sure this is a lot to ask, but try it so you can start to appreciate the impact of this extraordinary, if not always easy to parse, work that teems w life & struggle.... Read more Read less

See it if clever pastiches of '60s music esp Bacharach; shows the problems with sex divorced from intimacy; hilarious abashed "orgy" scene

Don't see it if not fully realized musical/more a concept album; skims surface of '60s; unlike movie never get 2 know characters

Also This is what this show tries to add to the movie: By showing the characters singing confessional songs, mic in hand, the musical shows the characters as conscious performers for an audience. Cast in this way, the show seems to be saying that the sexual revolution of the '60s converted sex from an intimate private act not discussed in public to a form of public self-expression. By separating sex from intimacy and morality you could show the world how hip and enlightened you were. In the end however the movie and this musical show the limits of this stance.... Read more Read less

See it if graphically shows how dehumanizing it is to work 4 min wage in big box store; actors work their a**es off 2 make funny

Don't see it if cartoonish & shallow; lethargic pace; characters 1-dimensional; pt-less mystery @ end

See it if rich in ambiguity; Lucas Hnath raises interesting ?s about what is real/what's not, how manipulation is key 2 effective communication

Don't see it if haphazard; story starts out strong portraying relationship between medium & subject, loses its way w irrelevant characters/plot

See it if all hell breaks loose when wife expresses desire 2 divorce; Jane Alexander funny/moving as wife seeking to be noticed

Don't see it if tame "Neil Simon"-ish humor, never raises searching questions about marriage; children's reaction 2 divorce cartoonishly overwrought

Also One of the central comedic exchanges is between Jane Alexander and her gay son played by Michael Urie. He is shocked, shocked that at or near 80 she still cares about sex. If that's your idea of humor, you're in for an entertaining evening; if not ...... Read more Read less

See it if thrilling propulsive performance of 80s rock n roll by skilled young musicians; hyperkinetic choreo; Brenock O'Connor's revelation in lead

Don't see it if disappointing 2nd Act; predictable cliched tale: teen rebellion thru rock n roll opposed by evil priest; needs work b4 opens in move 2 Bdway

See it if graphic portrait of despair in failed mining town; mine's dominance brilliantly evoked; Edmund Donovan shatteringly portrays mental illness

Don't see it if tho Hunter's plays are usually terse & unshowy, this one is melodramatic & contrived

Also My guess is that Hunter wrote this play, set in a small fictional mining town in Idaho (Greater Clements) in 2017, in part, 2 deal with the question: how could rural voters so overwhelmingly vote 4 Trump in 2016 when the vote appeared 2 be vs their own interests? In this case, the residents of Greater Clements vote their own town out of existence, ending many essential services. Judith Ivey, the central character in the play, whose family has been in town 4 generations, [SPOILER] votes 4 this proposition b/c she is both aggrieved by how the town has treated her family & resentful of how rich outsiders are taking over the town. (Her son's mental illness manifests itself in hallucinations about horrors associated with the mine.) As her friend points out, Ivey's vote makes no sense; it is nihilistic & self-destructive. Thus was Trump elected by those fueled by despair & resentment.... Read more Read less

See it if shows women in 1935 terrified by men, w gun-toting Fefu @ center; scene of friend in bed voicing her paralyzing fears makes u shudder

Don't see it if u don't like strange plotless avant garde plays; some characters extraneous; rotating diff parts of audience 2 see diff scenes a distraction

See it if 2 c amazing staging; cinematic flow of scenes; set in future when Harry has son, resonant story of father/son conflict

Don't see it if need 2 know Harry P basics 2 appreciate this update; much of the plotting is illogical; by 2nd of 2 parts, the wow factor has disappeared

Also The staging gives u a sense u are in a mysterious world of wizardry including:
- special effects that cause characters to magically materialize & disappear, and evil spirits to fill the hall
- use of lighting that produces a "chiaroscuro" effect of shadow & light that painters use to enhance dramatic effect, and
-dynamic choreography, featuring characters flipping their long black capes in unison, accompanied by stark sounds, giving an impression of a coordinated display of a flock of strange birds.

In all, I have never seen a production that so successfully integrates the set, costumes, lighting, sound, special effects and movement to evoke a world so completely unlike our own. Bravo to all the professionals who brought this about!... Read more Read less

See it if thru plot centered on Berlin artists' ineffectual reaction 2 '30s rise of Hitler, raises deep ?s about artists' duty 2 deal w Trump

Don't see it if awkward/very meta; adding new scenes w/ a talky "Kushner" character 2 original drama turns this into meh drama w commentary bolted on

Also Here's what I think happened in the remounting of this play. After seeing the cruelties of the Reagan admin Kushner/K wrote the 1st version of this play borne out of his conclusion that Reaganism was similar to the rise of Hitler. Then when Trump came along, he concluded, oh my God, it's even more like the Hitler scenario than b4 where the failure to stop an autocrat early (Reagan) led to something even worse (Trump). To explain the remounting of the play he introduced a wry new character, who is his alter ego, to explain WHY he revised the play. In the process, this morphed into a play w commentary bolted on. That's one problem. The other problem is that in this early play K has not yet figured out how to personify ideas in characters as he memorably does in "Angels". My guess is that were this not a "Tony Kushner" play, The Public would not have produced it.... Read more Read less

See it if strong Aidan Quinn/Kristine Nielsen as couple; shows devastating effect of loss of central thing in life: 4 Quinn his job, 4 Nielsen her son

Don't see it if not as moving as original; weaknesses in plotting exposed; few actors provide combo authenticity/gentle satire roles demand

Also This play is a tale of 2 cities: Houston & Atlanta, representing the old & new South in 1950. It's no accident that the couple's son expresses his homosexuality in libertine Atlanta. Or that their son's grifting lover from Atlanta (never seen on stage) makes his way to Houston where he haunts the couple and destabilizes their relationship. Foote is telling us: by 1950 the ways of the new South are starting 2 invade & upset the old. Also this is a tale of 2 races: the white family that is the focus of the play and the black servants who take care of them. The whites are shown to be full of sound and fury, obsessed w money & a risible racist conspiracy theory involving Eleanor Roosevelt & the black servants of Houston. The black servants, though beset by weightier problems, are portrayed as dignified and uncomplaining.... Read more Read less

See it if Henry is a marvel, utterly convincing as a man crushed by system, w a voice of great emotional range; fine dancers bring action alive

Don't see it if story w little nuance; much of the music sounds the same; lyrics simplistic/uninspired; still affecting b/c of Henry

Also The music and lyrics are by Ross Golan who writes contemporary hip hop and R&B music. This may be a stretch but in "The Wrong Man" he appears to be trying to capture the heartache of ordinary people in the same way as does country and western music. Take, for example, "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash which features a man who shot a man in Reno who ends up in prison and pines for freedom. Cash's music is elemental and unsparing. Here a black man is framed for shooting a man in Reno and also ends up in prison, losing his bout to win his freedom. Though Golan's music is more complex, it communicates an elemental story of justice denied, which, like country and western music, packs an emotional wallop, particularly when placed in the hands of a great artist like Henry. Too bad there is not more variety in music or nuance in lyrics.... Read more Read less

See it if Fierstein, a force of nature like Bella, is a good person to play her; reminds us of how far women have come b/c of Bella

Don't see it if broad caricature of Bella telling a lot of lame Borscht Belt jokes; need dramatic situation or foil 4 Bella to galvanize the play

See it if poignant interaction of dying woman who will not go quietly/those honoring her; dance scenes brilliantly reveal inter-generational dynamics

Don't see it if 4 some Nelson’s approach/observing everyday scenes among family/friends is agonizingly slow; I find it revelatory here

Also It's important to note that the subject of the choreography of the dying woman is bringing alive everyday actions: walking, sweeping a floor, etc. That’s precisely what Nelson does in his plays, finding the significance, even spirituality, in everyday interactions about basic things. Here that’s death and dying. In this play, you get a bonus: very well-done dancing of 3 cleverly-choreographed pieces that show the creative vitality of a fading candle. Thru these 3 pieces you see this intergenerational cycle: the older generation critically judging the younger (the dancers are the choreographer's daughter & niece), mirrored by the younger generation looking back at the older for her blessing.... Read more Read less

See it if celebrates cycle of life, how day-to-day living is an evolutionary triumph, featuring lyrical script/fine ensemble/self-deprecating humor

Don't see it if no clear plot; some may c play w Chris played by 1 character after another as a gimmick, but works if u realize Chris is Every(wo)man

See it if witty 1st Act shows Macbeth character’s path to become the "Burger King;" clever songs; hilarious use of 3 witches as provocateurs

Don't see it if in 2nd Act becomes overwrought & didactic when has 2 deal w/ Mac/Lady Mac's guilt & self-destruction; Sweeney Todd it's not

See it if powerfully illustrates how US prison system mistreats Muslim w controversial political views; actors talented musicians

Don't see it if meandering; story arc predictable; music could be used more effectively/see below

Also Music is used as a central element of the story, serving as the backdrop for the relationship between the younger and older brother. Perhaps this is asking a lot of this vehicle but there is the potential to use the music in a much more targeted way to capture the younger brother's evolving relationship w his jailed brother. For example, the playwright could have shown how (i) the younger brother initially struggles w/does not understand a jazz piece being composed by his jailed brother, (ii) then rejects it associating it w his brother's rage/criminality, and (iii) finally comes to accept & understand it as a reflection of brother's complex personality/yearning to break free from racism/oppression.... Read more Read less

See it if scenes re crimes of establishment will rip your head off; those underscoring fatuousness of polit deliberation hilarious; strong script/cast

Don't see it if members of City Council are cartoonishly hapless; needs stronger link between 1st half farce & 2nd half indictment

Also I think there's a link between 1st half farce & 2nd half jeremiad. Many Council members at 1st appear clueless b/c they aren't willing to take a position or agree 2 objective reality. This I think is Letts’ reaction to the Age of Trump: the truth is up for grabs so nothing or nobody can be trusted. I think Letts sees this nihilism about truth as linked to our willingness to be blind to the truth/crimes of the past - and even cover them up - since to deal w these crimes would challenge our narrative about the righteousness of our ascension. Spoiler alert: in the play, those crimes center on the massacre of Native Americans/NAs by white soldiers; the cover-up involves the elimination of a Council member who threatens to reveal this truth, which will upset the town's central myth about its heroic past. At the end we see Council members in blood-stained shirts circling like NAs in a blood-lust ceremony. Per Letts, this is the deep underbelly of America.... Read more Read less

See it if raucous sitcom, fine comedic ensemble; gourmet approach 2 wings; shows healthy community of gay men, 2 in loving relationship

Don't see it if unchallenging; never rises much above sitcom genre; conclusion: gay men are like the rest of us (but more fun) is not earth shattering

See it if shows how Kor-Am playwright tries 2 find her creative identity; result-story of feisty/hilarious Korean divers that teems w life & loss

Don't see it if awkward 3-part structure moving from realism to meta-ism to absurdism; absurdist satire of white stage managers is blatantly obvious

Also My partner pointed out an arresting central metaphor in the play: the portrait of how a pearl grows in an oyster starting w the irritant provided by a grain of sand. Once you see it, it's clear: the creative irritant is the gnawing idea that the playwright is missing something by not drawing on her Korean ancestry; the pearl is the play that grows out of this.... Read more Read less

See it if comedic whirl-a-gig; explores roots of political & artistic paralysis in Age of Trump; hilariously idiosyncratic characters esp Frank Wood

Don't see it if disjointed & rambling/too many irrelevant characters & subplots; ending that neatly wraps up things is unsatisfying

See it if wonderful score by Herman; fine choreo & dancing; w performance as Mabel, Alexandra Socha emerges as one of NY’s leading musical stars

Don't see it if weak book/show fades as relationship between M&M fades; never brings 2 life Mack making comedies or Zeitgeist of silent film era

Also Herman's great triumphs w Hello Dolly, Mame, La Cage were w shows where trenchant optimism paid off w a happy ending. This show which centers on a troubled relationship and has far from a happy ending is not cut from the same cloth.... Read more Read less

See it if best thing about this study in poor black family dysfunctionality is bold performance by Kara Young as teen resisting implosion of her world

Don't see it if overlong & exhausting, ills of poverty accumulate, but 2 what end?; use of NP come-to-life as inspiration 4 Kara is a gimmick w/o payoff

See it if for O’Connell’s matter of fact but chilling performance; fascinating combo horror story & confession

Don't see it if what is pt of play? unreliability of memory; how victims of violence blame themselves/identify w perpetrator; how religion distorts vision?

Also I note the similarity between this and the play by Hnath I'd seen earlier this year. That is "The Thin Place" that deals w a medium who helps her clients communicate w the dead. In this play, it is central to Hnath's mother's identity as a pastor that she helps patients in hospice care deal w the transition to the next life. Hnath, in this phase of his playwriting, appears to be grappling w the thin line between life & death... Read more Read less

See it if interesting use of accompanying music; choreographs how the newly-created creature discovers the world like a newborn baby

Don't see it if thin production misses Gothic horror & rejection of "monster" by the community which underlines reaction of convention to the OTHER

See it if to see LLL, at the height of her powers, playing both Lucy w her open-minded artistic imagination & her irascible closed-minded mother

Don't see it if Strout's incantatory, stream of consciousness, novel is not/probably can't be replicated on stage; still LLL is worth the ticket

See it if entertainingly absurdist tale of murderous plant; hear Menken's fine music, Ashman's witty lyrics; Chris Borle masterful in various roles

Don't see it if fatuous plot; 2 much Borsht Belt humor; uneasy marriage of silliness & darkness; some music dated; anti-racism message too obscure/see below

Also Little Shop may be viewed from a number of perspectives. On one level, it may be viewed as a Faustian tale where nebbishy Seymour makes a deal w the devil (the plant) to gain fame, fortune & the love of Audrey. As in Faust, once Seymour gives into his darkest impulses, they consume him & everyone around him. Or deeper yet, one may view the tale as over-the-top Swiftian satire.* The plant, which sings R&B and speaks w a pronounced Southern accent, clearly sounds black. Per some critics, its murderous behavior & its nefarious plan to have its offspring infiltrate communities here and wide is a reflection of the racist portrait of blacks being painted by white politicians like Nixon and Reagan. Seen in this way, Little Shop becomes an absurdist send-up of the racist campaigns being waged vs the black population. Too bad this Black Lives Matter message is not made more overt.

*Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" proposes that the burden of the poor be relieved by eating their children.... Read more Read less

See it if creative set/choreo/music; commanding Kathryn Hunter/Timon; resonant allusions 2 today's income inequality; Shake's incomparable writing

Don't see it if little depth or subtlety; after high-spirited farce turns into unconvincing tragedy; secondary characters don't register

Also Tho there is sometimes an issue in having women actors play male roles, this was done successfully in Timon where several male roles including Timon's were inhabited by women. Hunter physically embodies Timon. Though small in stature, her low mesmerizing voice & mastery of dynamic movement makes her the magnetic center of attention.... Read more Read less

See it if intriguing mash up of "Lord of the Flies" & the Scottish play shows how violence once unleashed can consume everything; shattering ending

Don't see it if energetic not great version of play; transition from childhood games to murderous actions much too abrupt

See it if shows dehumanizing racism vs black WWII soldiers; thru their work songs/choreo links racism 2 slavery; strong cast individuates each soldier

Don't see it if stodgy compared 2 today's imaginative race-based plays; flow of scenes formulaic; stereotypes abound but see below

Also Many of the characters in the play are stereotypes including the racially dismissive commander of the base, the viscerally racist white soldiers on the base and the exemplary Sidney Poitier-like black lawyer tasked w solving the murder. The portrayal of the sergeant who is murdered however is not routine. He is a self-made man who cannot abide weakness in his black subordinates, severely punishing black soldiers whose behavior he perceives reinforces white stereotypes about blacks (e.g., they are lazy, child-like). This graphically underlines how racism vs blacks can have the insidious effect of making certain blacks hate their own race.... Read more Read less

See it if creative staging; well-sung songs esp by J Jones/Roxanne; Drinklage's engaging; villain/De Guiche made 3 dimensional

Don't see it if songs pleasant not memorable, dumbed down 4 Drinklage who's not a singer; I've seen funnier versions; ending is maudlin/not moving

Also Spoiler/Not on the nose: In lieu of having Drinklage bear a big proboscis to mark his singularity & reason for self-doubt, the production just allows his dwarf stature 2 serve the same function. And it works!

There are 2 details to note on the staging:

1. In the cafe scene in the 1st act u see food grains streaming thru the hands of the kitchen workers. In the 2nd act, u see seeds streaming thru the hands of the nuns working in the garden. I think these gestures suggest the timeless nature of these basics of life, preparing food & planting crops, in contrast to the evanescent dramas of life presented on stage.

2. Many of the actors either move in slow motion or pause periodically while moving. My speculation is that this choreography is designed 2 give the scenes an old timey, cinematic quality, suggesting that the production we are seeing is an artifice, a type of fable, in contrast to the immutable basics of life described earlier.... Read more Read less

See it if urgent cry for help; graphically shows misery under AIDs threat/homophobia but shot thru w humor; talented cast

Don't see it if play hits you over the head w message, employs perplexing absurdism where straight drama would be more effective

See it if you love Morrissette's/M's super-emo songs sung affectingly; song "You Oughta Know" in 2nd act stops the show; @ times quite funny

Don't see it if u r not a fan of M's music/I'm not; lyrics unintelligible; scattershot "lifetime movie" plot; message-"nobody's perfect" is a big duh!

See it if heartbreaking; richness of novel w multiple story lines showing residents' misery & moments of grace; includes scabrously hilarious putdowns

Don't see it if overlong, unfocused w far 2 many characters & plot lines; still this is breathtaking achievement making us c humanity of the marginalized

Also The production set in a halfway house/HH on the Upper West Side/UWS has a large cast of characters, including adults who are beleaguered by a full range of problems (poverty, drug addiction, PTSD, domestic abuse, criminal behavior, etc.), their victimized children & the overmatched HH staff. Guirgis/G, w the keen eye of a sociologist, shows the HH residents and staff as a distinct subculture both crushed by their problems but also striving 2 be relevant. Part of the cast is a weed-eating goat (!) who has become a celebrity & who G cleverly uses 2 make important pts in the play. Spoiler alert: The goat is slaughtered by one of the residents, serving as the proverbial scape goat for the sins of the HH residents. When the slaughter of the celebrity goat becomes the reason that the HH is closed down by the disapproving UWS community, it becomes clear that the HH denizens have symbolically become scapegoats for the community-at-large.... Read more Read less

See it if full Broadway spectacle, big cast, set & costumes flood your senses; fun 1st act send-up of love songs; Karen Olivo outstanding lead

Don't see it if little nuance or wit; no original music/all juke box love tunes; 2nd act is cliche-ridden & melodramatic; the opposite of Sondheim

See it if shows religious conservatives as deep/thoughtful; clearly explains their anti-LGBT/abortion stance; key insight: sex looms behind doctrine

Don't see it if every character is hyperbolic particularly the Christian warrior/Ann Coulter stand-in & the confused wreck; lacks satiric edge

Also Periodically interrupting the voices of the 4 graduates is a deafening, cacophonous "Tower of Babel"-like sound; this is initially blamed on a malfunctioning generator. But you may intuit it's likely something else: the theatricalized "voice of God," letting us know what the deity thinks about this welter of harsh Christian voices.... Read more Read less

See it if uses material from extraord Anna D Smith interviews about Crown Heights race riots capturing radical diffs in black/Jewish perspectives

Don't see it if padded, do not need to hear from so many strident black/Jewish leaders saying the same thing; relentlessly serious, would benefit from humor

Also Before launching into an intensive examination of Crown Heights (CH), playwright Smith has the actor communicate materials from several interviews that are more abstract. One is w a professor of astrophysics from Columbia who explains why building a bigger telescope, that can incorporate a broader range of objects, minimizes distortion of the objects. Smith appears to be saying that is the approach she has taken in the play. Rather than focusing narrowly on one set of participants in the CH dispute or only focusing on one aspect of the dispute, she interviews participants from all walks of life w differing priorities. In effect, what Smith is doing in the play is building a capacious vehicle for examining the CH incident & the Crown Hts community in an effort to avoid providing a distorted view of all the forces at play. Pretty heavy stuff.... Read more Read less

See it if sexy propulsive dancing by 7 sensational dancers; tells vivid individual stories of black women caged by patriarchal society

Don't see it if stories told via DENSE poetry; individual stories not well integrated; black feminism moved past this show’s focus on black male oppression

See it if harrowing feminist tale; in set as stark as the moon, tells hellish tale of Syrian female refugee w/ dreams crushed by tribal purity rules

Don't see it if awkward flashbacks; inconsistent feminist pt of view: protagonist oscillates from compliant 2 outraged; SPOILER: violent end 2 abrupt

Also Multiple possible meanings for "power strip": (1) the electrical conduit used by the refugee to plug in her heater & phone; (2) the fact that the woman has been stripped of her power by the patriarchal society in Syria & as a refugee in a refugee camp in Greece; and (3) the woman's genitalia/she refers to her vagina as the strip between her legs & wonders why men imbue it w such power/significance.... Read more Read less

See it if shows what a jungle high school is; joyous dancing; creative sets; clever connect'n human/animals seeking dominance

Don't see it if none of songs, lyrics, performances are memorable; jokey, not hilarious; conclusion "don't be so mean" to each other is weak

See it if brilliantly shows how Sally becomes inspiration 4 two powerless women, inching towards a new understanding of their relationship

Don't see it if many dramaturgical problems including irrelevant characters & illogical plot lines blunt the play

Also Play set on roof of bldg in St. Louis centers on meeting of 2 long-time friends 2 hear news on radio about the impending launch of Sally Ride as 1st American woman in space (broadcast is used brilliantly as ambient voice of outside society). Friends were aspiring poets who now work as waitresses & are trapped in unsatisfying relationships w men. In short, they’re powerless in a man's world. Ride has become a touchstone 4 these women as one who is both able to succeed in a man's world and is able to thrive w/o being dependent on a man. As time goes by, the 2 women, under the influence of Ride, start to understand that their friendship may be something more akin to Ride's loving lesbian relationship. Tho this play has ingredients 2 be a powerful feminist statement, the experience is unfortunately hindered by pointless characters and subplots.... Read more Read less

See it if truncated script/small cast/no frills set drives plot relentlessly forward; Corey Stoll strong as Mac descending into madness

Don't see it if should be other-worldly & macabre, but isn't; focused on Macbeth, Lady Mac, an operatic character, barely registers

Also What Doyle appears to be doing in this production is trying to turn Macbeth into a universal tale about the dangers of political ambition & power. But he does this at the expense of effacing or underplaying elements that make Macbeth uniquely macabre including the 3 weird sisters/witches & the kinky gender & power inversion of Mac & Lady Mac ("unsex me").... Read more Read less