Magellan 9231

See it if you enjoy Yiddish and non-linear plots on the esoteric side.

Don't see it if you hate super-titles and are easily offended by profanity and sex themes.

Also I loved the Yiddish and the actors were a hoot. I just don't think I understood the play.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a non-linear musical about foreign culture.

Don't see it if you need to understand everything. I was lost.

Also Nice singing, but I can't say I knew what was going on.

See it if you like drama that is deep without being heavy-hitting.

Don't see it if you prefer big, obvious messages in a play.

Also .

See it if you enjoy talky dramas with social significance

Don't see it if you know the play as this adds nothing to the original.

Also Two performers were quite good.

See it if J.D. Salinger interests you, and you don't mind unconventional role playing.

Don't see it if you are put off by confusing roles such as the same character at different ages interacting on stage. Literature doesn't interest you.

Also There was originality here. Having Salinger talk with himself and interacting from the future with people in his past kept me interested and entertained. Clever and well-done.... Read more Read less

See it if you like modern, experimental re-works of Shakespeare and the music of the 60s-70s.

Don't see it if you are a Shakespeare purist, or you dislike the popular music of the 60s-70s.

Also Amusing and very well done with some good singing and fine acting.

See it if you like modern jazz (no melody or coherence) and quasi-coherent noisy story telling.

Don't see it if You dislike modern jazz and scenes from two time periods performed simultaneously punctuated with vulgar jokes..

Also Good acting, wonderful musicians performing incoherent music. I really WANTED to like it.... Read more Read less

See it if you like profound, serious, talky plays about reality and other esoteric ideas in philosophy

Don't see it if you want light entertainment and philosophy bores you.

See it if you like (maybe not love as a purist) Shakespeare and enjoy innovative departures from the classics.

Don't see it if you believe the actor's gender should correspond to the role's. You are annoyed with an extra character as a narrator.

Also I find the trend of casting actors contrary to gender distracting and to verisimilitude. The narrator is at times intrusive and almost always superfluous and contrived. Good acting overall.... Read more Read less

See it if you like clever quips and occasional over-acting.

Don't see it if you expect profound meaning and/or originality.

Also The ending "borrows" from Saul Bellows's novel Humboldt's Gift, a novel I did not enjoy, by the way. Aside from portraying a boring narcissist, the play seems to have nothing to say. The box rather than the contents being the real treasure sounds suspiciously familiar too.... Read more Read less

See it if you believe a work of theatrical art should transcend its subject matter. This is not about BEING gay. Anyone can relate this play.

Don't see it if you don't like gay romantic relationships and/or you want clear, happy endings.

Also What doesn't seem at first to be a very profound play proves to be so. To what extent does the opinion of those you love of who and what you are and love affect the degree to which you love them? Does love connote approval, or is it entirely unconditional? Of course there is no simple, definite answer! That's why this play is real art. It doesn't shout a message. All the acting was terrific, but Joshua Torgerson was masterful.... Read more Read less

See it if you believe great art transcends subject matter, you love good acting and you want to cry then laugh and cry at the same time.

Don't see it if serious resonant issues are too opaque for you, and subjects like the AIDS crisis disturb you too much.

Also I thought I would not be able to relate to a play about AIDS, but it was a play about friendship, disappointment, grief, lingering anger and the inability to know all the ramifications and future results of what we do. I was profoundly moved. I had to see it twice.... Read more Read less

See it if you are aware of and disturbed by the imperfections of our society, and you appreciate good acting. The young man is hugely talented.

Don't see it if social injustice is just another inescapable detail in America to you, or you are a racist.

See it if you enjoy serious, coherent, slightly disturbing drama. A very well-written play with exceptional acting.

Don't see it if death as part of a theme is depressing and difficult to handle, or if you need a laugh.

Also My idea of art, especially theater, is a work that transcends its subject matter. Drama is about the frailty and ambivalence of the human soul. It must not be weighed down by the details, but rather speak through them about what it means to be alive.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy quirky non-linear silliness with elusive meaning.

Don't see it if you prefer serious story telling with clear morals.

Also The actors, particularly, the announcer, were quite good, but the murky meaning eluded me.... Read more Read less

See it if you like vulgar stand-up comedy and admire someone who is energetic and enthusiastic about the material.

Don't see it if you dislike one-person shows with plenty of sexual content and vulgar language.

Also Desiree did a great job. She is sweet and likable. At the risk of being censored by a fellow theater lover, however, I just didn't find the routine funny, probably because I can't listen to continual vulgarity for very long without losing interest. I am also too old to enjoy sex and-drugs routines, or to get the cultural references.... Read more Read less

See it if you like ballet mixed with modern dancing and Vivaldi's music.

Don't see it if you don't like dancing or you insist on classic ballet.

Also Aside from the superfluous touch between movements and an audience that doesn't know not to applaud between movements, this was a very enjoyable experience. The dancers are immensely talented.... Read more Read less

See it if you like traditional arguments about good vs. evil, relatively vs. absolutely.

Don't see it if you want philosophical discussion and a new perspective on the subject with something to think about afterwards.

Also Mostly well acted.

See it if you believe parent-child relations are always smooth and loving, and parents should be perfect, so anything otherwise would interest you.

Don't see it if you are tired of listening to adults blame their parents for everything.

Also The case for a terrible father was not successfully made. He seemed like a well-intentioned curmudgeon who hardly emotionally hobbled his offspring. Tired old complaints. No insight, no transcendence, no epiphany.... Read more Read less

See it if you like edgy, innovative, off-the-wall, shockingly funny entertainment.

Don't see it if offended by nudity and gender bending, or you insist on a profound theater experience with a linear tale and a clear thesis.

Also This is a must-see theater experience. It is immersively entertaining and unique. It's the 4th show I have seen by Theater XIV, and I can't wait for the next one .I generally expect a profound theater experience with epiphanies and insight. I couldn't care less when I am having so much fun!... Read more Read less

See it if you like zany, irrational interactive theater.

Don't see it if you are shy, and/or you require coherence and clarity in the theater, Arthur Miller it ain't.

Also The miniature ubiquitous videos of that little doll-like girl who was murdered years ago, and those bizarre paintings were disturbing to me.... Read more Read less

See it if you don't mind dark subject matter or references to war .

Don't see it if you appreciate serious drama and disturbing themes.

Also Not sure this transcends its subject matter, bit it is a well-acted examination of how war destroys truth, and ruins lives in its wake, if that truth is not regained.... Read more Read less

See it if you appreciate mixing science with politics and laughing at Trump, his followers, and right wing ideas. Some of her remarks were poignant.,

Don't see it if you like Trump and dislike one-actor shows.

Also Two remarks really stuck to me. The American Revolution was really a war between England and France that France won. People were standardizing language spontaneously before any dictionaries or grammar books. Profoundly true.. She is very bright and very talented.... Read more Read less

See it if you like very short, superficial, silly, madcap plays.

Don't see it if you demand substance and thought-provoking scenarios.

Also The acting was fine. It was just a silly, boring play. If it had anything to say, I'm sorry but I missed it.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in Toulouse-Lautrec or anything French. It is light yet dark and a little bawdy. Can-can dancing is always delightful.

Don't see it if off-color humor offends you, or you hate nearly inter-active theater. Actors are very close almost among the audience.

See it if you appreciate superb acting (Alex Herrald is a genius!) and you like the brutal truth and despise injustice. .

Don't see it if you really believe racism is not a big problem and the South fought only for state's rights on principle.

Also I had to see it twice just to marvel at Alex Herrald's onstage magic. WHERE ARE YOU ALEX!!!??? A gripping drama with fine performances by everyone.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy irreverent pieces about human mischief and cruelty, and you don't insist on only likeable characters. Mostly wonderful acting.

Don't see it if gratuitous nudity annoys you (as it did me), or if you must like all the characters and have a happy ending.

See it if freedom is important enough to keep you politically aware, you will relate strongly to this serious play. It is preaching to the choir.

Don't see it if you like Trump. The subject matter is so relevant as to be disturbing. This is not meant to be entertaining but an upsetting call to action.