Margaret 3

See it if you don't want to miss three magnificent actors in an absolutely brilliant staging of a riveting true story! Impossible to overpraise!

Don't see it if you are so allergic to a long evening in the theater that you don't care how brilliant it is!

Also I have now seen this production with these actors four times: twice live and twice in HD. My admiration for the concept, acting, and direction only increases with each viewing. As a professional actress myself, I cannot over-emphasize how inspiring every element of this production is!... Read more Read less

See it if you are up to the challenge of dense, often obscure poetry balanced by an amazing performance and inventive staging. Read it before you go!

Don't see it if you don't like to have to work at enjoying a theatrical performance or if it distresses you to not understand what is being said.

See it if seeing the dazzlingly talented Laura Linney do ANYTHING is enough for you. Repetitive; needs to be edited down; not well-constructed.

Don't see it if you don't like Laura Linney (how is that possible?) or you don't like one person shows.

See it if you want to see a serious and unusual play on a WWII army base. Wonderful African American actors, imaginatively staged, unexpected ending

Don't see it if you don't like plays that deal with race or you only want light entertainment.

Also David Alan Grier especially outstanding!

See it if you would enjoy a novel approach to the Adam and Eve story, with some delightful performances, even if you're not familiar with Milton.

Don't see it if you are a politically correct feminist; this version will irritate you, and the delicious Eve of Marina Shay is the best thing about it.

Also The character of "Sin" played by Alison Fraser didn't work for me at all!... Read more Read less

See it if you love Judith Ivey. She is wonderful as always. Other performances are good as well. Don't blame the actors; they have to earn a living!

Don't see it if you have anything better to do with 3 hours of your life! Too many issues, badly woven together resulting in a confused, unfocused mess.

Also Unnecessarily complicated set design for a small theater like the Newhouse - just adds to the confusion.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a completely new take on the AIDS crisis as having inter-generational relevance. Innovative structure & unpredictable story

Don't see it if you don't like plays about gay men or the history of AIDS.

Also Both parts were too long.
The ending of Part I is extraordinary; nothing in Part 2 is as good.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Harvey Fierstein - even if you didn't particularly like Bella! You enjoy recent history packaged as entertainment.

Don't see it if you don't like Harvey Fierstein and didn't like Bella Abzug or if you don't like one-person shows.

See it if you like history plays. Less confusing if you lived through this period and know all these people. Probably confusing to young people.

Don't see it if you don't like history plays, are not interested in American history and politics, can't bear long slow plays.

Also Brian Cox is a fine actor but he is miscast as LBJ - doesn't catch his out-sized personality at all. A little more effort to get the Texas accent would have helped.... Read more Read less

See it if seeing two great actors in brilliant performances can make up for a confusing, muddled plot.

Don't see it if you are irritated by a confused story line that doesn't seem to make sense.

See it if you love Mary Louise Parker and don't really care whether the play has anything to say. Smooth staging by David Cromer.

Don't see it if a story about two weird people, without any particular point, will not be balanced out by the presence of Mary Louise Parker.

See it if you would enjoy very talented, high energy performers do their best to turn a mildly diverting comedy riff on Macbeth into something more.

Don't see it if you expect anything of substance or songs that are at all memorable.

Also Best moments were Jay Armstrong Johnson's hilariously clueless moments as Banko and Will Meyers singing "Why I Love Football".... Read more Read less

See it if you want an evening that's completely different with astonishing and seemingly inexplicable outcomes and lots of audience participation.

Don't see it if you don't like mentalism, psychic experiments, or audience participation.

See it if you love KT Sullivan, Steve Ross and/or Noel Coward. And if you don't know any of them, then you DEFINITELY should go!

Don't see it if you don't like Noel Coward, cabaret in general, KT Sullivan or Steve Ross.

See it if you always enjoy Shakespeare if the cast knows how to "speak the speech" as these actors do & you want to see a play that is rarely done.

Don't see it if you are not willing to put some effort into understanding the plot. This is a difficult play. Unfortunate choice of depressing setting.

Also I don't think the choice of a dystopic, post-apocalyptic world adds anything to this play, which is depressing enough. Having everyone in rags makes the class-narrative hard to follow. I felt especially sorry for Kate Burton, trying to do a powerful grande dame while dressed as a bag lady! She was brilliant anyway!... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy seeing a musical that breaks all the molds, wonderfully performed. Different from the off-Broadway version, which I also liked.

Don't see it if you only like traditional musicals or standard rock or pop scores.

Also When I saw it off-Broadway, Andre de Shields was not in it - a definite plus for this version! Both times I loved the incredible sound of Patrick Page!... Read more Read less

See it if you think it's important to continually foment antagonism between races, pretending that it serves a positive purpose to "tell the truth".

Don't see it if you are genuinely striving to help create a world as free from racism as possible, and you believe that "loving your neighbor" is the way.

See it if you adore Adam Driver and/or Keri Russell. Driver is charismatic but has anti-sex appeal in a character should be sex personified.

Don't see it if you expect one of Lanford Wilson's best. The play hangs on overwhelming physical attraction between the leads and these two don't have it.

Also Even though the role is something of a stereotype, Brandon Uranowitz is fabulous as Larry - consistently entertaining!
Fabulous set!!!... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy well-crafted plays about family relationships and good actors playing those roles.

Don't see it if you only like light entertainment.

Also Especially outstanding performance by Alex Wolff as the college-age son.... Read more Read less

See it if you hate musicals, especially Rodgers and Hammerstein, and want to see a travesty of the original .

Don't see it if you love the original "Oklahoma!" and don't want to see an agenda-driven version, changing the ending significantly while pretending not to.

Also Ali Stroker is immensely talented and very sexy. Mary Testa and James Davis are very good under the circumstances. The "ballet" is perhaps the most excruciatingly bad sequence I have had to sit through in my entire life! All of it pretends to be profound and is just dishonest! The Laurey and Curly not only have no chemistry - I actually felt that they disliked each other intensely.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a great Irish play with an extraordinary cast - especially the sublime Maryann Plunkett.

Don't see it if you don't like O'Casey, Irish accents, or sad endings.

Also I saw this as the final part of a "Dublin Saturday" - a chance to see all three of the Irish Rep's current O'Casey plays in one day (The other two are "The Plough and the Stars" and "Shadow of a Gunman".) I go to the theater an average of three performances a week - both Broadway and off-Broadway, and this trilogy was the highlight of my year. The Irish Rep is the gold standard in proving that what theater needs is taste and talent - not gazillions of dollars! They are an incredible blessing to all theater lovers in this city!... Read more Read less

See it if you love O'Casey and Irish writers in general and you would enjoy seeing an outstanding cast bring their work to life.

Don't see it if you don't like serious plays or Irish accents.

See it if you love Laurie Metcalf and John Lithgow and enjoy anything they do. Without them, this play would be even more pointless than it is now.

Don't see it if you think you're going to get some great new insight into the Clinton relationship.

See it if you enjoy seeing a true story, enriched by terrific actors and creative staging, which is entertaining even while sounding an alarm.

Don't see it if you can't stay with a fairly long narrative with complications and ambiguities.

See it if you want to see a superb cast in a classic play by a great American writer dealing with moral issues that are always relevant!

Don't see it if you don't like serious, intense plays or if you find anything set in 1947 "dated"

Also Superb direction! No gimmicks or "concepts" to attract attention to the director.... Read more Read less

See it if you would enjoy a comedy about a houseful of black gay men with a couple of serious subplots. Good actors and many entertaining moments.

Don't see it if you will be upset by dialect that is sometimes hard to understand or you have no patience with plays that are clearly too long.

See it if you like to see everything the usually wonderful Mint Theater does - and especially if you are interested in anything by these 2 writers.

Don't see it if you are expecting the usual level of this company; this one is a rare misstep. Unfocused; not dramatically viable.

Also Vinie Burrows is mesmerizing even when doing nothing. It's almost worth sitting through these two plays that don't work just for the few minutes she's onstage!... Read more Read less

See it if it is enough for you to see skilled, appealing actors in "summer stock" material. Probably funnier if you have a martini or two first.

Don't see it if you're expecting a well-constructed play .

See it if you just want to be entertained by an extraordinarily gifted cast in an imaginative riff on Shakespeare. Delightful antidote to stress!

Don't see it if you don't like musicals, only like serious plays, and don't alternate versions of Shakespeare even in jest.

Also Incredibly talented cast - dazzlingly skillful!

See it if you have seen enough current musicals to understand the spoofs and you enjoy seeing talented dancer/singers in a lighthearted evening.

Don't see it if you haven't seen any current musicals or you are expecting brilliant satire. Some of the spoofs hit their mark; others are not as funny.

Also Performances at the York are usually not miked. I found that the miking frequently interfered with the intelligibility of the words, which are, of course, everything in this kind of show.... Read more Read less

See it if you can enjoy the refreshingly different humor of another period which requires a director and actors who understand how to make it work.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy anything that is not contemporary or you only like serious plays.

Also Slow getting started but becomes hilarious once it gets going. Delightful performances from all, but especially outstanding performances from Rachel Pickup and Colin McPhillamy.... Read more Read less

See it if you don't mind paying Broadway prices for a mildly entertaining evening of fairly mindless improvisation - sometimes funny, but uneven.

Don't see it if you don't like rap or improvisation.

Also Some of the performers are really clever, plus pleasant to spend the evening with!... Read more Read less

See it if you love Horton Foote's writing, in a play which is dated because attitudes toward homosexuality have changed so radically in 25 years.

Don't see it if you don't like plays about the South, especially one so dated both re homosexuality and the balance of power in most marriages.

Also The leading man was inaudible muchof the time. I think Kristine Nielsen was miscast because this role should NOT be played for comedy, and she is incapable of turning off her comedic instincts.... Read more Read less

See it if you appreciate great acting ensemble work - especially the great Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders and don't demand an exciting plot.

Don't see it if you dislike Richard Nelson's slice of life expressions of the importance of every moment, focusing on simple daily tasks, especially cooking

Also GET THE HEARING ASSIST DEVICES OR YOU WILL NOT HEAR IT!!!

See it if you want to see a brilliant performance by Jeffrey Bean as well as superb supporting cast. Usual first rate direction by Ciaran O'Reilly.

Don't see it if you prefer light entertainment and you especially don't like plays about alcoholism and lifetime regrets.

See it if you are willing to put up with being confused about exactly what is being said as a trade-off with some nice songs and entertaining moments.

Don't see it if you want shows with a completely clear narrative, especially when they clearly have a "message".

See it if you love over-produced Broadway shows filled with dozens of old pop music hits. If the performers are skilled, you don't need content.

Don't see it if you want a plot that isn't predictable and hackneyed. You don't like LONG shows!

Also Performers were great! I went because I love Danny Burstein, and he did not disappoint.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy seeing innovative staging concepts (this is as spare as I've ever seen!) and good actors, even if you're not a real Pinter fan.

Don't see it if you know that you absolutely hate Pinter or any play in which there is no real "action".

See it if you think you will enjoy interlocking monologues that tell the story of 3 generations of women in the same family. Marsha Mason delightful.

Don't see it if you want action or if you can't cope with Irish accents that are sometimes hard to understand.

See it if you love Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon, who are both wonderful! This is not top drawer McNally, but there are some great moments.

Don't see it if you are uncomfortable with nudity. Also, this is not for anyone who is impatient. The play is too long and too slow.

See it if you love Shakespeare and you don't mind updated versions as long as they are true to the spirit of the original.

Don't see it if you don't like Shakespeare OR you don't like Shakespeare if it is updated or has any changes in time and place.

See it if you want to see a delightful actress in a deliciously written true story with creative staging and actors skillfully playing multiple roles

Don't see it if you hate baseball and don't like race as even secondary subject matter.

See it if you know "Little Women" and consider it hopelessly dated and in need of re-writing.

Don't see it if you know "Little Women" , love it, and think it is a classic because it has characters and situations that are universal & timeless.

Also We are in the middle of an epidemic of "adaptations" in which we are given the play the original writer would have given us if she had just had been as brilliant as the current adapter! This "version" is based loosely on the original but with one scene after another re-written to suit the adapter's agenda.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy the Mint Theater's usual level of fine acting and you love Irish plays, even when the play is uneven and the outcome a letdown.

Don't see it if you only like upbeat plays and happy endings!

Also I don't think I heard or understood more than 5% of what Jesse Pennington as the son Tom had said! He doesn't project (I see he worked recently with Richard Nelson!) and his dialect was hard to understand!... Read more Read less

See it if you want an evening of sheer entertainment, constant laughs, and a sublimely talented cast just doing old fashioned musical comedy!

Don't see it if you hate slapstick even when brilliantly executed or if you only like serious, profound plays.

See it if you love Irish writers in general and O'Casey in particular, especially with a spectacularly skillful cast of actors.

Don't see it if you only like musicals or comedies and you don't like Irish accents.

See it if you are so into our Me Too moment that it overrides all other rights & if you believe forbidding male misbehavior on paper will stop it cold

Don't see it if you understand that at this moment our "antiquated" Constitution is the only thing standing between us and chaos!

Also I am sorry that Ms. Schreck's family background included so much male brutality, but it is incredible to me that she doesn't understand that it is the very age and durability of our Constitution which are the glue holding our very divided country together (if by a shoestring!) Even assuming that a new Constitution could be achieved (our current leaders can't even give us safe highways and bridges!), no one on either side would feel any real depth of allegiance to a new "constitution du jour". The rave reviews that this play has gotten mainly reveals the unanimity of political opinion among our critics. It is really a feminist screed - not a play.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a splendid performance by Santino Fontana and a reasonably funny entertaining musical version of the much superior film.

Don't see it if you don't like musicals or you only like musicals with melodic old-fashioned songs or if you have a low threshold for far-fetched events.

Also Also a hilarious performance by Reg Rogers in perhaps the most original character concept in the show.... Read more Read less

See it if a brilliant performance by Michael Stuhlbarg plus an intelligent take on the methods of Socrates can make up for excessive length.

Don't see it if you don't want to see a slow, very long play that is totally cerebral and requires intense listening.

See it if you are willing to suspend all of your usual expectations and just enjoy something incredibly "off the wall".

Don't see it if you're not able to appreciate the sheer audacity of something wildly original .