See it if you like plays with a nasty bite. This is drawing-room comedy on a collision course with "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."
Don't see it if you would get bored by constant dialogue with little physical movement. All the movement is in the parry and thrust of the conversation.
Also This is my third encounter with a Yasmina Reza play. I saw the origina... Read more Read less
See it if to witness Elaine May's return to Broadway after 50 years (!), if you like Kenneth Lonergan's plays, or if you're interested in dementia.
Don't see it if you can't handle a quicksilver change of tone. Like dementia itself, this play moves quickly back and forth from comedy to tragedy.
Also I feel privileged to have already seen two of this year's likely Best ... Read more Read less
See it if you're naturally inquisitive and appreciate personal history and found objects.
Don't see it if you like your theater straight up. This combines acting with multimedia, object display, and poring over documents in a classroom setting.
Also Because of the title (especially the exclamation point), I expected a ... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in an intense exploration of the multigeneration legacy of sexual abuse, and the lasting effects of a parent's suicide.
Don't see it if you're squeamish about dark psychological topics. You prefer a conventional theater setting to a small setting with smallish folding chairs.
Also Powerful exploration of the emotional turmoil of a young man whose cho... Read more Read less
See it if you want to learn more about the nine teenagers who integrated Central High School in Little Rock despite mobs, threats, and violence.
Don't see it if broadly written and played characters will ruin the show for you.
Also Well-staged show with music and projections reminded me a bit of "X: O... Read more Read less
See it if Just to see Condola Rashad's fresh, riveting, and contemporary performance as Saint Joan. Or if you like talky plays such as Travesties.
Don't see it if You are bored by static tableaux of people (mostly middle-aged white men) talking to each other.
Also The play is written as a series of deciding moments in which important... Read more Read less
See it if you would like a fast-paced, intellectual play that deals in literature, politics, and the history of ideas.
Don't see it if you want some pathos to go with your logos. You don't want characters reciting history at you as if they are a walking book or newspaper.
Also I've liked Tom Stoppard's work in the past (The Real Thing and Arcadia... Read more Read less
See it if you like loose, improvisational monologues with a bit of audience interaction. Puppetry, oddly, is not THAT much of a feature of this show.
Don't see it if you dislike meandering philosophical conversations; if you prefer very structured entertainment or shallow, fun topics.
Also Randy the Australian puppet does some fairly standard comic shtick (wh... Read more Read less
See it if you'd like a funny show about dating in NYC; you're a fan of Sex and the City or HBO's Girls; you're a woman who's done online dating.
Don't see it if you only appreciate very polished productions.
Also My high score is partly due to the subject matter. I too went on score... Read more Read less
See it if you'd like to see an RSC actor bring a little-known but relevant historical character to life; if you're interested in racial justice.
Don't see it if you dislike historical plays or one-man shows.
Also As a true labor of love, Royal Shakespeare Company actor Paterson Jose... Read more Read less
See it if you like a new twist on a classic; if you like Shaw. If you want to see one of the best performances by an actress this year.
Don't see it if you prefer shows with a large cast and lavish production.
Also This streamlined version of the play hits most of its marks but fumble... Read more Read less
See it if you like thoughtful one-person shows about growing up in unusual circumstances, as well as some exploration of race and class.
Don't see it if you find personal reminiscences boring.
Also Charming and unusual memoir about growing up in an apartment above the... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in how large entertainment companies select films to adapt for Broadway, and how the show is "positioned" for the audience
Don't see it if the "Mean Girls" movie is too lowbrow for you.
Also Well-run event in the attractive small cinema at the School for Visual... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in political revolutions and enjoy immersive, participatory theater.
Don't see it if you aren't interested in geopolitics, or if you like to stay in your seat.
Also Exciting and educational piece of "immersive" theater for the playgoer... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in the topic of gay marriage, or marriage in general. A bookend to Bright Colors & Bold Patterns, though goes beyond that.
Don't see it if you can't handle a show that takes a turn for the dark and agonizing. Audience was engrossed. I ate it up!
Also Well-thought-out play on the meaning of marriage that explores both cu... Read more Read less
See it if you like British plays with lovely costumes, flirtations, clever lines, or you relish Shaw's timeless morality
Don't see it if you can't sit in your seat for 3 hours, or if you need acting/tone to be really consistent
Also Picked this up on the spur of the moment walking around the Theatre Di... Read more Read less
See it if you're a fan of Janet McTeer, enjoy behind-the-scenes history of iconic Shakespeare productions, want to see women breaking down barriers
Don't see it if I saw it in previews. If you can't reshape the pieces of this show in your head, don't see it in previews; wait till it opens.
Also *Spoilers* I'm a fan of both the magnificent Janet McTeer (so charisma... Read more Read less
See it if you enjoy mime and "physical theater," you have attentive kids aged 8-12, or if you would like Symphonie Fantastique with no sound.
Don't see it if you have a short attention/concentration span. This show works best if you take a deep dive into it, achieving an almost meditative state.
Also Iconic Swiss mime/physical theater troupe uses oversized puppets, cons... Read more Read less
See it if you like silly, campy, over-the-top musicals with a royal or Elizabethan setting. If you liked Spamalot or Into the Woods.
Don't see it if you're uncomfortable with sexual jokes and characters exploring/questioning their sexuality. Theme contributes to the show's energy.
Also "O brave new world, That has such people in't!" Madcap, spiritually ge... Read more Read less
See it if you liked "Hindle Wakes" at same theater, you're interested in economic inequality, you'd appreciate a strong character arc for female lead.
Don't see it if you don't want to concentrate on following a slowly developing story. Most of the physical drama is in the opening.
Also Compelling, well-focused story of former university classmates with di... Read more Read less
See it if you'd like to see how Jewish music and experience created the American musical. Lecture is accompanied by PowerPoint slides, video clips.
Don't see it if you don't like taking classes. I love that Show Score offers these.
Also Substantive and well-paced class stuck to the topic and made a couple ... Read more Read less
See it if you like tense, explicit, uncomfortable dramas and are interested in how cultural values cause teen girls to be sexualized at an early age.
Don't see it if you can't handle a play that keeps you on edge for two hours with very few laughs to ease the tension.
Also When a fifteen-year-old girl loses her mother and has no one else to p... Read more Read less
See it if you like Middle Eastern music, great singing and innovative staging. If a mood of romance, yearning, and melancholy appeals to you.
Don't see it if you're bothered by a problematic sound system. You like shows with big song/dance numbers. (This cast COULD dance but generally doesn't.)
Also When an Egyptian military band is marooned in a small Israeli town, th... Read more Read less
See it if you like classic American works by Miller, O'Neill, Wilder and would enjoy seeing a flawed but ambitious new play along such lines.
Don't see it if you have high standards for playwriting.
Also With similarities to "Death of a Salesman" and "Our Town," and nicely ... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in families dealing with mental illness or disabilities; you like shows with a single tour de force performance.
Don't see it if you prefer a show with a balanced ensemble of performances; you are a proponent of casting actors with disabilities.
Also Beautifully staged show with terrific music, sound effects, and visual... Read more Read less
See it if you want a living, detailed picture of how, why, and where the U.S. detains undocumented immigrants.
Don't see it if you want lighter fare; if you believe in building a wall and are not willing to change your mind.
Also Two families---a mother and daughter from Venezuela and an Iranian-Can... Read more Read less
See it if you want to experience a classic, extravagantly produced Broadway musical that is heavy on singing and dancing.
Don't see it if you prefer older works to be updated for contemporary times. Other than the first of a black actor in the lead role, not much is new here.
Also Having lived in New England (and like the lead characters, fallen in l... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in visual art, puppetry, or classical music.
Don't see it if you come to Show-Score for plays only; if you need a plot, story or narrative to make your evening worthwhile.
Also In this genre-expanding puppet show, a team of five unseen puppeteers ... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in LGBT rights (sometimes known as human rights), gay history, coming-out stories, and generational differences.
Don't see it if clunky lyrics and an inconsistent tone would ruin the night for you.
Also Slight, tender 90-minute musical lacks conflict and focus for the firs... Read more Read less
See it if you enjoyed Lena Dunham's GIRLS or other plays/movies/TV shows about single professionals in Brooklyn.
Don't see it if you're hoping for new insight or an intense theatrical experience.
Also Lots of creative and clever parts don't add up to a satisfying whole. ... Read more Read less