Featherbed Lane

See it if You want to see a modern sung-through musical with scattered lines that gracefully and powerfully tackles race dynamics over 50 years

Don't see it if You are looking for something linear or fluffy or fast paced. This is a serious play with a story line that jumps around and takes its time

Also Broadbend Arkansas is two acts - one with the impressive Justin Cunningham as Benny Tate. Benny is a hard working single father of two young girls. In the first act he tells a story of a fraught and complicated relationship between two women - one he cares for and one he works with & for. This is the hardest part of the play because it takes awhile for it to work and come together. Eventually that story serves as a great way of unveiling Benny's core values and explaining his support system plus there is some amazing singing along the way.

The second act opens roughly 25 years later and is dominated by Ruby, Benny's grown daughter played by Danyel Fulton. Ruby beautifully unveils her life story as she seeks guidance from the departed.

Broadbend Arkansas is about life and race and race as a part of life - often a defining part of life. The play never gets preachy but it asks us to keep fighting for racial justice - to keep getting back on the bus.... Read more Read less

See it if You are devoted to musical development & interested in assessing talent or understanding what makes this not work as well as similar shows

Don't see it if You are expecting something polished or original

See it if You can get into absurdity as a means for truth telling

Don't see it if You want something straight forward

Also The work place dynamics depicted in this play should be long over BUT we know from conversations with our wives, sisters, mothers that things similar to these absurd events happen all the time

So if you are, or you are close with, a man, who regularly hits on the single women in the office or who makes jokes about women's bodies, who tells women to "lighten up" when they have a legitimate work place complaint then get yourself or that friend to this play. It might help you or that person realize what an idiot you/they are & the damage you/they are doing.

My wife experienced behavior like this in her job at a big "progressive" non-profit. Men she worked with dismissed women's ideas in meetings, used sexualized "jokes" to shut down debate & called women"stressed out" and "difficult" when calling out that behavior, Men speculated on bedding women from partner groups, Men promoted women who wore feminine attire or who laughed at their jokes and negativity evaluated women who didn't... Read more Read less

See it if For first class performance by PATRICK J. SSENJOVU If you enjoy serious topics & puzzlingly how you might behave in similar circumstances

Don't see it if You don't enjoy plays about serious matters or questions of ethics

See it if To explore sexual abuse from a deeply personal vantage point To understand shame and need for self-forgiveness experienced by victims

Don't see it if If abuse issues hit too close to home and would trigger trauma or if you are unable/unwillingly to feel compassion for gay victims of abuse

See it if You enjoy trying to figure out "how he did it"

Don't see it if You are looking for something exciting or thrilling - not that kind of illusion / magic

Also Honestly I was trying hard to appreciate Vitaly but his corny dated humor ruined the show for me.... Read more Read less

See it if You are willing to confront the hard consequences of race and colorism in family & society. This is a powerful work that holds nothing back

Don't see it if You want something light, if you want happy endings or if you have little appreciation for how skin color impacts opportunity.

Also This is a brave piece of theater - digging in hard to colorism within the Black family. The plot does have extreme situations that may be feel less relevant or plausible for the milenial generation.
This production was at the Billie Holiday theater in Bed-Stuy. This is a very comfortable venue, but one that many people don't go to because it's in central Brooklyn. I noticed for example that ShowScore tickets were available for weeks & that the play was listing on TDF throughout the run. This fact is pretty insane given the level of talent and accomplishment associated with this production. This featured direction by Timothy Douglas who is critically acclaimed for good reasons, Jessica Frances Dukes who just came from "the" play to see this last season: "God Is". She give a BLOWOUT performance. The male lead is Tyrone Mitchell who has tons of serious Off-Bdway credit. & Last but not least this is from brillant author Dael Orlandersmith & the play was a 2002 Pulitzer finalist!... Read more Read less

See it if You like hybrid performance art / traditional theater, this is somewhere in between. If you can hang in for ups and downs - leaves you sad

Don't see it if You are looking for raucus fun or light heartedness - there are moments like that in the first act but somber for much of the play

See it if You enjoy wit - this is a very well written critique of capitalism - done with a unique combo of farce & modern dry / dark humor

Don't see it if You really believe in deregulation, privatization or that capitalism is a great economic system then this is not the play for you

See it if You have appetite for fresh risk taking writing - this play needs serious editing but could be great if the dialogue was more natural

Don't see it if You want something light or you don't have the temperment to see an unfinished / unpolished work Don't see if stage violence would disturb u

See it if N/a

Don't see it if N/a

Also I clicked on wrong play ( Fall instead of The Fall ) so I have deleted content... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in racial tension & questions of how race defines relationships / if you enjoy a good plot twist

Don't see it if If you want something light - this is a very witty & funny play but it is also sad & full of tension

Also Strong reflection on NYC in the '80s - refers to some of those most tragic race related deaths of young Black men - cases that are too often left out of today's conversation but are important to recall as part of this City's history... Read more Read less

See it if You can forgive questionable writing ling enough to enjoy two fine performances.

Don't see it if You want something fresh, several better plays tackling similar immigrant / refugee stories have been staged over past years in greater NYC

See it if You enjoy great performance - Jason O'Connell is remarkable and George Merrick shows off his skill and experience with great flair

Don't see it if You are looking for a traditional adaptation, this is a cross between Steve Martin's Roxanne and the classic or if you dislike outdoor venue

Also Jason O'Connell & Brenda Withers have written a classy and witty adaptation. In the playbill O'Connell describes this as "a gently irreverent and deeply affectionate adapatation" which is a perfect description.

O'Connell and Merrick are fantastic !!! O'Connell as Cyrano is the Dork Knight ( his must see solo show) with romantic flair and killer vocabluary.

Britney Simpson is also strong as Roxanne and worth looking for again.

Nance Williamson on the other hand is an odd choice for the role of La Bref and I was distracted by her performance not for the gender bending but because it felt like her efforts to project in the outdoor venue took precedence over any subtly in the role.... Read more Read less

See it if You want a great time at a fantastic first class musical Kellie O'Hara still has it ! & Will Chase should win an award for this

Don't see it if Hard to imagine why not to see this production -

See it if You want to learn more about an under celebrated architect of the civil rights movement & to draw connections to current race matters

Don't see it if You are uninterested in efforts to expand human rights & perhaps students of Black history could take issue with some portrayals

Also Great effort by lead actor - he brought several characters (figures from the civil rights era) to life - not just Baynard - he was a convincing Abernathy & Carmichael

Good media mix of archival video, hip-hop & narrative - strong audience engagement

Tiny venue

Just the right length

Fantastic history lesson

A bit superficial in parts... Read more Read less

See it if Great performance by Jason O'Connell and timely production of an important play

Don't see it if If you came to see a happy go lucky play you are in the wrong place

See it if You are concerned about the state of womens' rights. Try to bring someone who needs to be pushed a bit on womens' economic & bodily freedom

Don't see it if You hate women

Also This one act is a perfect length. It's very engaging. It sets up a debate but at the same time it has a point of view. The acting is strong & one of the actors is the writer. Very worthwhile - hope it sells out.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy farce & you can handle rapid fire wit. Strong cast playing demanding roles - lots of dialouge and physical play

Don't see it if U r only in town for a day or 2 - this is for someone who sees a lot of theater - it's not the season's best but it's on the get to list

See it if U r an avid theater goer & appreciate lower cost productions with emerging talent & if u are comfortable with scripts that still need work

Don't see it if You agree with Donald Trump on immigration issues or if you only want to see high caliber shows

Also The plot centers on our immigration detention system & if anything paints too flattering a picture of it. I appreciated the content and the way it illustrated how our foreign policy impacts & can contradict our immigration policies but the author assumes too much knowledge on the part of the audience about Iran in the 80s and Venezuela in the recent past. The play does a nice job of showing that there are different kinds of people working inside the detention system as well - with one caring and relatively enlightened agent & one xenophob bully. That character could be richer with a more accomplished actor in the role. The cast is uneven but overall quite good for such an off off off bway show. The young woman in the lead role of Maria is impressive and there are a couple veteran actors that ground the production.
Overall the play needs some polish - an edit to cut out unnecessary repitition, more political context & stronger character development - particularly of Maria's mom.... Read more Read less

See it if You want something to bring the grandkids or great grand parents to / if you want to see Black family life normalized in a good way

Don't see it if If you want eitger intense drama or light 💓 ness - this is a recounting of the author's childhood memories. Typical families' ups & downs

Also The author & actress is a polished performer & the staging is great -

See it if You are interested in internal movement dynamics regarding race, class & gender

Don't see it if If you are looking for a story thachronicals how change is made - this is focused on the importance of holistic worldview not change making

See it if You like intense drama - Billie Piper is on fire - if you are interested in contemporary reimagining of Lorca's play

Don't see it if If you would be put off by a radical reinterpretation of the Lorca play or if you want a light night out