meccentric

See it if you like kitschy musicals.

Don't see it if you're hoping for something profound.

Also this is the kind of show that's best performed by a group of your friends in a rented basement in a college town.... Read more Read less

See it if you like to laugh/like intelligent conversation.

Don't see it if you are an anti-vaxer.

Also the intricacy of the foundation Gadsby builds in order to end the show with dozens of call-backs is absolutely astounding.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Pinter or any of the cast involved.

Don't see it if you don't like to engage.

See it if you enjoy acting with a capital a.

Don't see it if you're not interested in a wordy story about a family fortune.

Also West End production, Picadilly Theatre, August 2019.

See it if you're into supporting a freshman playwright/or are interested in a young millenial story about faith/shame.

Don't see it if you're a snob.

Also one performer was so out of touch with the energy of the room, they nearly dragged the show down to the point of no return. They were playing to the back row of Carnegie Hall when the tiny venue appears to have less than 100 seats.

Collette Astle's appearance a little past the half-way point breathes life onto the stage and completely salvages the outing.

This is a nice first script. It's very short and seems to intentionally leave major narrative tent-poles open-ended. This could have been just a first act. I didn't need concrete narrative answers, but I would be interested to know more about certain characters' respective backgrounds. The dialogue is solid, but it needs a lot more biography.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a big fan of Feiffer's writing and/or extremely absurdist work.

Don't see it if you want to be entertained.

Also I really have no idea what Feiffer was getting at here but the cast was committed and there were several really good laughs.... Read more Read less

See it if your absolute favorite celebrity is stunt cast into it.

Don't see it if you have the opportunity to see any other show.

See it if you are interested in a new frontier in musical theatre form, queer representation, black representation, or autobiographical work.

Don't see it if you’re a prude or your empathy is off.

See it if you'd like to support NAATCO and their important work.

Don't see it if you have a short attention span.

Also wonderful actors can't save this script. The first scene is fantastic and sets up an extremely intriguing world that you don't return to until the end of the play. The script spends the most time in the "movie" portion of this story, which is by far the least interesting.... Read more Read less

See it if you love church vocals and/or effective barebones staging.

Don't see it if you know and hate this story.

Also the Atlantic subscriber audience at my matinee was ASLEEP. Dear Atlantic Theatre Company, PUT YOUNG PEOPLE (of color) IN THOSE SEATS.

I remember being moved by the film when I first saw it (I was quite young), but the problems with the narrative have been explained to me many times since then and they're quite stark. This adaptation doesn't "fix" them, but they do get a little bit masked by the music. Luckily, the music and the cast singing it are exceptional. I certainly wouldn't fault anyone who couldn't enjoy this show due to the book, but I was able to overlook it.

I'd be interested to see what would happen if Nottage gave May the same arc she has in the novel. I don't know that it's the better direction, but I'd be interested to see that show.... Read more Read less

See it if you truly think you’re up for anything.

Don't see it if you don’t think you should.

Also I know there is intention here, I just need so so so much more time to process it.

***

I'm becoming increasingly aware that good theater criticism isn't about whether or not one enjoys a piece, but more so about whether one accomplishes its objective or not. I think Underground Railroad does, quite effectively. That does not mean it's pleasant. In fact, quite the opposite. I'm sure there's debate on whether or not that objective is noble or not and I don't know that I have the authority to definitively say that it is.

What I can say is that I was affected. This piece of theater works on me. Score has been appropriately bumped up.... Read more Read less

See it if you have an open mind and like Malloy’s modulated harmonies.

Don't see it if you are dead-set on linear narrative.

Also it takes an esoteric turn towards the end that is thematically sound, just not quite as astonishingly poignant as the first half. If the tone had been consistent throughout, this would be an easy 100/100. The first three numbers put jaws on the floor.... Read more Read less

See it if you like for a theatrical experience to be like a massage chair: it does all the work for you.

Don't see it if you’re sick of movie adaptations.

Also this is a Stepford Wife of a show, created by scientists for maximum profit. Every last line is overly calculated and hollow. And despite trying to lecture us on the gender politics at play, this premise is still transphobic and there’s no effort to instigate that conversation in the book. Instead it's just condescending and very late to the party.

Santino is working really hard and is difficult to ignore, but that’s all this show has going for it.... Read more Read less

See it if a radically self-deprecating sense of humor speaks to you.

Don't see it if you are easily made uncomfortable (possibly the most graphic nude scene I've ever seen).

Also Feiffer’s performance is riveting and nuanced, but I can’t help but wonder how an actress of equal ability who didn’t write the play might have attacked it.

Kai walks off with the show in the third act and proves that she should be playing lead roles all over town.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy theatricality and storytelling.

Don't see it if you are a defender of theatre with a capital T.

Also this is marvelously staged and wonderfully performed. And I think the implication that this is a "TED Talk" is hurtful. Perhaps the storytelling is unconventional, but this is 100% THEATRE.... Read more Read less

See it if Adam Driver.

Don't see it if see it for Adam Driver.

Also Adam Driver is a supernova. Simultaneously subversive and natural. Huge, but nuanced. An absolute masterclass and spectacle in and of itself.

There's definitely big narrative elements of this script that don't age well (even though it was written by a gay man), but they mostly get swept away in the luminosity of Driver's performance.... Read more Read less

See it if you think hyper-naturalism sans plot has value; if you have any formal acting training.

Don't see it if you MUST see narrative.

Also this is the most naturalistic acting I have ever seen. Those who have studied acting will be riveted.... Read more Read less

See it if you have an open-mind or you’ve studied theater as practice in any form.

Don't see it if you are a traditionalist to a fault.

Also there is an unnerving, knowing, stoicism to this production that turns a golden age piece of Americana into a disturbing horror-satire.

Fish’s palette is initially stark, but this only makes his more colorful strokes all the more bold. Light cues strike like lightning, sound modulation hypnotizes, movement entrances, and unspoken gestures illuminate motives that one couldn’t lift from just one reading of the text. THIS THIS THIS is what I want to see when a classic is revived.

Also, Damon Daunno: hallowed be his name.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy PARTICULARLY dark, absurdist comedy.

Don't see it if you often feel you are being talked down to.

Also this asks a lot, but the payoff is big and tragic. Language as a weapon + monotony and repetition = absurdist theater.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see classic, American musical theatre.

Don't see it if you don't want to see classic, American musical theatre.

Also excellent choreography. O'Hara is serviceable in the book scenes but, expectedly, blows the roof off every time she sings. Bleu is surprisingly the standout with a real dancer-leading-man charisma that one might've thought extinct in the current era.... Read more Read less

See it if you appreciate theatricality.

Don't see it if you have no imagination.

Also I think this thing is perfect, but I need a few more days to gather my thoughts.
***
Okay, I'm pressing charges because this was an assault on my senses, emotions, and personage. I am still in pain. I will accept orchestra center comp tickets as reparations. I will keep you posted, Show Score.

***

Another update: I've now seen the show twice, through unexpected twists of fate. Its broad metaphor feels so personal to me that I have a hard time imagining that anyone enjoys this piece as much as I do, but judging by the thunderous, 10 minute curtain call yesterday (6/16/19), I know I'm not alone. What a time to be alive. De Shields, Gray, Page, and particularly Noblezada seem to have really come to life since previews. Replace Carney with Damon Daunno and this is a 100 ;)... Read more Read less

See it if no reason not to.

Don't see it if again, no reason not to.

Also the Cake is simultaneously by the numbers and subversive. Familiar, but original. Predictable, but with the slightest surprises. Rupp is rapturous. I cannot wait for this play to make its way across the country because I feel that with its compassion for diverse viewpoints, it can burrow into the toughest of hearts and minds. Bravo.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy theater as an intellectual exercise.

Don't see it if 3+ hours and serious mental cardio is not for you.

Also the cast is mostly strong throughout.

This falls somewhere between American Son and Slave Play. I’ll say, this was the most skillfully written of the three, though I’m not certain of its value. It wasn’t overly didactic like American Son, and it wasn’t spectacularly grotesque like Slave Play (which is not a fault, by the way).

All of this text’s intellectual power comes from the audience’s willingness to suspend disbelief about a particularly far-fetched device. It took me perhaps a little too long to drop mine. Had I played along sooner, I think I could’ve made some more discoveries. It’s a fine device, but I think that the production’s design and direction could perhaps do a little bit more to help the audience play along with it.

That said, there are one or two scenes that are so degrading, I wonder if their existence is progressive or regressive.

Side note: if you are the woman who sat next to James Franco (3/17), please step forward and tell us why you were scolding him... Read more Read less

See it if you love the material.

Don't see it if you’re not into Sondheim tropes.

Also the stripped down staging doesn't quite feel essential but it's nice. The cast is uniformly strong with Manu Narayan as a major, legitimate standout.... Read more Read less

See it if you’re interested in a conversation about sexual assault in the ether.

Don't see it if you can’t handle a conversation at its most painful.

Also the plot is a Trojan horse for the issues at hand, but they are important nonetheless and the actors bring them to life effectively. The talkback facilitator the night I went was SPECTACULAR and really made this a memorable experience.... Read more Read less

See it if you’re dying to see the complete cycle.

Don't see it if you struggle with patience.

Also I come to this having enjoyed Sojourners and loved Her Portmanteau. I was invested in Abasiama and Disciple as characters and yet, I found both of these plays unforgivably tedious. The first 30 minutes of runboyrun are essentially silent housekeeping and only the last 15 minutes held my interest. In Old Age could’ve been 30 minutes.... Read more Read less

See it if you can.

Don't see it if would you honestly pass this up if you had the chance?

Also I heard “it felt like a community theatre production” numerous times as I walked out of the Delacorte. Newsflash to you all: it is. And honestly, that's its biggest strength.

Unfortunately, the new material is impotent, forgettable fluff.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy solo shows.

Don't see it if you're prude.

Also West End production, Wyndham's Theatre, August 2019.

See it if a live production of Coriolanus is on your bucket list.

Don't see it if you're not into theater, especially Shakespeare.

Also Kate Burton drags this across the finish line. Sullivan attempts to let this direct itself, when this text begs for a deep dive when it's in front of a contemporary audience.... Read more Read less

See it if you are okay with heavy themes LGBT justice.

Don't see it if you’re sick of the “consequences” of homosexuality on stage and in media.

Also the opposing forces in this story are boldly drawn as irreparably good and evil. That’s not to say that this kind of Christianity isn’t ever-present in Uganda and throughout the world, but I imagine (and felt, sitting among them) many New York audiences are looking for a narrative more advanced and nuanced than “gay is okay” vs. "kill them" illustrated with unbearable trauma and irrational characters.

All that aside, this is a solid and moving play. Strong moments of levity, good dialogue, and Blankson-Wood is terrific.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy solo shows.

Don't see it if you don’t enjoy solo shows.

Also the script doesn’t hit its stride until a little past the halfway point, but Cale’s youthful earnestness sells it and guides it to a devastating climax that will invariably produce tears for anyone with a heart.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a person living in the United States.

Don't see it if you are completely opposed to tearing down theatrical conventions to prove a point.

Also this is the first time I've left the theater physically shaken. I was shaking, chills throughout my entire body, long after I had left the theater.... Read more Read less

See it if you see everything.

Don't see it if you have access to a different air-conditioned space.

Also lovely actors, but this two hour cliche cannot be saved.

See it if you live in the United States.

Don't see it if you are terrible.

Also powerful as ever. Had the pleasure of seeing this in both of its off-broadway venues and it still plays like dynamite, even in the Helen Hayes. Whether it was the Kavanagh hearings, or the shadow of multiple abortion bans, current events keep this piece relevant and frank. It is cathartic, devastating, and uplifting every time I see it.... Read more Read less

See it if you have any appreciation for Shakespeare, or, you know what? Theatre.

Don't see it if N/A

Also brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

See it if you enjoy living room dramas.

Don't see it if you don’t enjoy plays.

Also this would be astounding if it were a BFA senior project. Woodell and Winstead are solid, but need to be tremendous to make this a particularly memorable outing. I can’t help but wonder what kind of performances Neugebauer could’ve coaxed out of them.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy this music or impressive live music in general.

Don't see it if you cannot with jukebox musicals.

Also I suppose this is about as good as a jukebox bio musical can get. It's performed quite marvelously and the spectacle of these performances is world class.

That said, I just couldn't justify the book's existence. The music doesn't propel the narrative (does it ever in a jukebox?) and whenever we had a book scene, I just wanted to see the cast sing and dance. I know this is my particular taste, but I would've preferred this as a revue and then watched a separate, in-depth documentary film on The Temptations.... Read more Read less

See it if you would like to see two perfectly matched performers in a two-hander.

Don't see it if you're not down for an extended, fully nude sequence.

See it if you are willing to derive catharsis from aesthetics, not narrative.

Don't see it if you are brainwashed into American theatrical conventions.

See it if you’re a solo show junkie.

Don't see it if you don’t like solo shows.

Also I think this will get much better with time. It has potential, but ultimately there is no urgency. Pressley simply doesn't seem to have the words in her body to the point that she can make choices with them. It was just a recitation.

Up until now, Audible Theatre at the Minetta Lane had a perfect batting average for me.... Read more Read less

See it if you haven’t yet seen or read this American classic.

Don't see it if you firmly believe classics shouldn’t be revived in purist form.

Also O’Brien makes no attempt to shine a different light on this script and constantly blocks Walker with his back downstage, but Miller’s words endure. Letts and Benning are terrific.

I've read the play multiple times and yet the ending still stunned me. This may be Miller's best and most enduring work. The script survives some seriously boring direction. This production skates by on Miller's writing and strong performances.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy Shepard plays and masterful, transcendent scenic design.

Don't see it if you can only handle literal, straightforward, realistic narrative.

Also Shepard’s text transcends any acting and/or directorial hiccups. Set and lighting are STUNNING. More effective and poetic than just about any scenic design on Broadway.... Read more Read less

See it if you loved Oslo.

Don't see it if you hated Oslo.

Also I wish Sam Gold’s King Lear took place on this set. Gorgeous staging, script duller than dishwater.... Read more Read less

See it if you’d like to be in the same room as Isabelle Huppert.

Don't see it if you’re not willing to fill in narrative gaps.

Also Huppert can take you right into her head when she stares off into space.... Read more Read less

See it if you love marionettes.

Don't see it if comfortable seats matter to you.

Also if this had been 30 minutes in total, it would’ve been perfect.

See it if you know the text well and have respect for the superlative cast that has been assembled.

Don't see it if you have any sort of difficulty with heightened language.

Also I love Shakespeare. I love this entire cast. I love Sam Gold.

This is a directorial failure.

I vehemently defended Gold's barebones staging of The Glass Menagerie, which was panned by critics. His Othello is still perhaps my favorite Shakespeare production I have ever seen. A Doll's House, Part 2 was perfection.

This, however, is quite simply not directed enough. Aside from the storm, there isn't much effort being put forth to make this visually engaging. The cast is abandoned. The storm is the only deliberate directorial "choice."

The set is overwhelming upon first glance, but its stagnancy seems to be the loudest character in the play. If Gold really wanted to highlight the text and the performances, the set needn't be so loud. In fact, a replica of his nothing set for The Glass Menagerie would've been a much more thought-provoking choice .

These misfires aside, it is a wonderful privilege to see Glenda Jackson in person and her focus and poise are inspiring in and of themselves... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy the way Hnath can superimpose his big ideas onto characters you recognize.

Don't see it if you’re hoping to see idiosyncratic impersonations of the Clintons.

See it if you have an open and quick mind. Some of ya'll haven't studied avant-garde and it shows.

Don't see it if you don't like foul humor.

Also given the circumstances, it's a miracle that it's on its feet at all. Nielsen was markedly nervous, and for good reason, but she still gives a generous and committed performance.

White is hysterical from start to finish. Lane is uniformly great.

This may be a good play, I'm still thinking about it. Each line is a new idea. Political parallels abound. One pops out and the moment it feels profound, it's on to the next fart joke. Its absurdism feels a bit like Pinter or Ionesco.

I think this will change a lot, but in any case, I had a great time.

EDIT: *NEW YORK TIMES CRITIC'S PICK, BONCHES*

ANOTHER EDIT: 7 TONY NOMINATIONS, INCLUDING BEST PLAY, BINCHES.... Read more Read less

See it if improv and/or freestyle rap are of interest to you.

Don't see it if you are dumb if you have the opportunity and don’t take it.

See it if you enjoyed the irreverent and shockingly subversive quality of Slave Play. If you’re open to *anything.*

Don't see it if don't care for the wildly abstract.

Also Daddy bounces from idea to idea non-stop for three hours. It is never boring, but also, rarely focused...though that feels intentional. It is shockingly personal and conveys ideas that seem to have been on the zeitgeist's subconscious but haven't been explored, likely due to the pain associated with them.

Much like Slave Play, I'm not sure what to make of this, not sure how to "score" it. I'll be processing it for at least the next week. This isn't "good" or "bad." This is radical artistic expression and it's given me a lot to think about.

Also, I sat in the front row and there was a towel supplied for me...and I definitely needed it.... Read more Read less