Michelle888

See it if you like musicals that make laugh and cry, and think about life but not in a totally depressing way

Don't see it if you hate really-well written plays!

Also Wow wow wow!!! Haven't enjoyed a show this much for a really long time. Phenomenal directing and exquisite writing. The actors are fantastic. Do yourself a favor and see it before it closes.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a light comedy about a group of felons trying to run a sandwich place while dealing with their abusive boss

Don't see it if you expect a thought-provoking layered play with a lot of subtext

Also The acting of most actors was great, Lynn Nottage decided to go for something light and entertaining. A bit of a disappointment as the characters don't really go through significant change.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Alanis Morissette and family dramas

Don't see it if you don't like melodramas, you don't want to see a rape scene

Also overly didactic show, felt bad for the actors who had to follow through with the melodrama. what's really missing in the show is SUBTEXT. everything is flat served on the table... Read more Read less

See it if you like modern adaptations of Shakespears comedies

Don't see it if you're expecting a traditional Shakespeare play and don't like it when words are added to the original text

Also Great staging, fun adaptation to this not-so-great play. They really did the best that could be done with this play. Great acting.... Read more Read less

See it if you like family dramedies, if you enjoyed the writer's American Hero, if you like plays about family and relationships

Don't see it if old age depresses you, if you have a problem with same sex sexual acts on stage

Also The acting was a little exaggerated sometimes, but I love everything that Bess Wohl writes and the director did a great job as well. There were a few really good jokes.... Read more Read less

See it if if you love the play, love Shange, and want to see a new version of it with new music and some extra poems by Shange and sign language

Don't see it if you're looking for a traditional, linear play. if you are easily offended by jokes about white people... you're there to listen

Also heart breaking experience, exquisite movement of all actors, lady in blue has goddess singing voice. everything about this production is so well executed. well done!!!... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an interesting way of telling a story about dysfunctioning family and how the kids carry the wounds to adulthood

Don't see it if you don't like child actors as main characters, looking for big dramatic moments

Also After American Hero I was looking forward to see what Bess Wohl does next. This is a bit of a disappointment as the play feels incomplete and some moments feel redundant. It is very anti-climatic.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see something different, you like getting out of your comfort zone. If you like almost entirely sang-through shows

Don't see it if you are looking for a drama/musical with a traditional plot line

Also The music and use of looper is captivating, the show has a feel of a fringe festival and is refreshing to see on a mainstream theatre like Lincoln Center... Read more Read less

See it if you've seen 3 sisters many times and want to see a different, contemporary take but still very much in the spirit of Chekhov .

Don't see it if gay jokes bother you, you don't like self aware / meta theatre type of references

Also Just like in The Pain of my Belligerence, something Feiffer is very good at is to get her point across very clearly, whether you like it or not. Also, there is never a dull moment in this show and it is always entertaining.... Read more Read less

See it if you'd like to see the classic story in a very similar way to how it is told in the original novel with a diverse cast

Don't see it if if you're hoping for an interesting, edgy take on the original story.

Also Hamill takes the character of Jo a step forward with her non-binary/trans identity but if feels like it's going nowhere in the end. Also, the anti-war message is kind of blurry. I wish the production had a stronger point of view to justify itself.

Also, being that the piano is a big part of this staging, was it that hard to find actors who can actually play instead of the playback?... Read more Read less

See it if you like Sam Shepard. I think the production does justice to his writing. If you like family tragedies.

Don't see it if you don't like slow pace and long speeches. if you are easily disgusted by dirt and food being thrown all over the place and on the actors.

Also The play makes it clear how social mobility is practically impossible if you are a member of the "starving class". the kids try to think of the future and create a better reality for themselves but coming from where they are, they don't have the support needed to do so.... Read more Read less

See it if you'd like to see some interesting staging and lighting towards the end of the play and don't care so much about the content

Don't see it if you want to see a play that has a point or a message to it. this is just an American dude telling us all about his travels

Also it seems like the performer is trying to say something about immigration but really doesn't know how to make his point. someone should have edited this play and guide it to the right direction. also his Hungarian, Jordanian and Croatian accents all sound the same. no point and offensive at times. there's one joke about women at the red light district in Amsterdam that is purely transphobic.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to watch something that starts as a comedy but then gets a dark twist

Don't see it if you hate patriarchy so much and you encounter enough douchebags in reel life that you just can't stand to have them on stage as well

See it if if you want to see a tale placed in Africa about a protagonist that's being loathed for her beauty, discussion of appearance in our society

Don't see it if you don't like heavy accents

Also There is a beautiful musical number in the middle. the singer is phenomenal and the costumes & choreography (Raga Feather Kelly) are very moving.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of Yael Farber's work, want to see a modern South African adaptation of Strindberg

Don't see it if you have a problem with partial nudity, sharp objects, racial issues discussed in a brutally honest way, you don't like heavy accents

Also it was interesting to watch in the context for the #meto era. the white mistress clearly has power over her black worker and Farber/Ali maintain it pretty much all through the end, quit different from the original play. I haven't seen the original that was directed by Farber so I'm curious to know how different that is.... Read more Read less

See it if you really want to see something about Iraqi refugees and their identity crisis after living in the US for sometime

Don't see it if you want to see good directing and writing. Unfortunately this is not the case.

Also I was excited about the show, the topic is interesting and relevant. I love plays about the "others" in society. But the playwright wanted to address all issues in one play and ended up with something confusing and dated. Unnecessary voiceovers, unclear relationships and a protagonist that is all over the place. Directing wise - pacing back and forth on stage for no reason, weird reactions. In short: a mess. This was preview but I doubt that they will re-write the whole thing completely.... Read more Read less

See it if you are curious about North Korea, conflict within the American-Korean community. if you want to see quit unusual set design and staging

Don't see it if you don't like fast pace talking, American slang, lots of social media and technology references. don't like translation on stage

Also I liked how a play about North Korea can be funny at times and have songs. Switching between light scenes and heavy ones makes the tragedy even more terrible.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in sexuality, LGBTQ relationships, transgender identity.

Don't see it if if you don't like speeches and almost no action at all

Also I'd give this play 100 for the writing. This is fresh and interesting, the vagina monologues of the 2000's! The part where I felt the play was lacking is the acting/directing. It's not easy to carry a speech. Sometimes it feels forced, like the actors feel that they have to make something "intense" instead of just let it be. Or make it super awkward more than necessary. We get it, you're talking about puberty, it's embracing, no need to go overboard to make it even more so.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a satire about the genocide of the Natives, Veganism, white-male-privilage, PC culture. Written by a Native American.

Don't see it if you have no sense of humor!

Also This show is THE BEST thing on Off Broadway wight now. Didn't stop laughing for a minute. Great acting. This playwright is amazing, she presses all the right buttons. Brilliant!... Read more Read less

See it if you like theater. If you love to learn a little history. If you enjoy the contemplations of an actor when preparing a role.

Don't see it if you don't like fast heightened language. If you don't know anything at all about Shakespeare and about Sarah Bernhardt.

Also I'd say this one is definitely more enjoyable if you are familiar with the material. The Bernhardt-Duse rivalry and the way theater used to be in the 19th century. I usually don't like Rebeck's work but this time she did fairly good job. Lots of humor and some clever insights about theater and art in general. If you're a heavy thespian - go see it!... Read more Read less

See it if you love the music and want to see it performed by great singers and dancers.

Don't see it if HIV/AIDS is a very sensitive topic for you

See it if you're interested in a discussion about privileges within the gay community, gender issues, racial and class issues. Appreciate a good laugh

Don't see it if you support Trump? the characters are devastated to see him elected

Also The first half I thought was good. Didn't really like where the plot was going towards the end. It seems like gay couples just "wish to be like everyone else" - which means marriage, kid etc. There is no space for people to be alone or child-free. Also the acting felt forced especially on the more "emotional" moments. Directors, please stop telling your actors to yell/tremble on cue. The audience is not buying it.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a modern version of waiting for Godot, masterful writing, never a dull moment act of gut wrenching critic on racist America

Don't see it if you don't like profanity, if you have a problem with the N word

Also This writer is going places, she does an amazing job flushing out each character. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next - no. She turns it upside down. I really hope this will continue to show and win some awards. They deserve it.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see GOOD fringe theater

Don't see it if you need to understand what's going on on stage at all times

See it if you want to see a thought provoking comedy about racial issues and identity politics

Don't see it if you have a problem with simulated sex and nudity

Also At times it felt like O. Harris wrote certain moments just for the purpose of provoking and being the new cool bad boy of Broadway, and then sometimes he manages to ask important questions about racist America.... Read more Read less

See it if you like family melodramas, long dialogues and plot twists in the form of new information that is being revealed rather than action on stage

Don't see it if you expect to learn something about the history of the conflict in the area and the American involvement in it

Also Poor actors, they had to endure with all this melodrama and forced emotions. There are some serious problems with the play and the directing. Some details don't make sense at all. This is a shame since the topic is interesting and important, I was looking forward to seeing it.... Read more Read less

See it if you like to see people from different American communities (Japanese, Indian) tell a story

Don't see it if you don't like long monologues and plays that jump back and forth in time

Also Joseph is a wonderful writer, perhaps he wrote this for COVID and the result is a play where actors stand far from each other and most of the time are alone on stage, one at a time. It is sometimes challenging for the attention span, even though acting is great for the most part.... Read more Read less

See it if you like stories about immigration and the impossible reality of kids to immigrants with no papers in the US

Don't see it if you're looking for a light, fun show

Also Majok's writing is fantastic, the directing/acting is melodramatic at times, it's not easy to carry this show on the bare stage. There are moments of comic relief which are great.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a coming of age play of girls talking about politics and puberty

Don't see it if you don'e like very fast talking, characters talking over each other

Also I liked most of the play, the acting could be stronger. I think the resolution at the end was a but lazy. To introduce 2 new characters out of the blue is a bit much, even though we hear about them in the play. The mantra repeated in the end also feels like the playwright is feeding us her ideas instead of trusting the audience to get them on their own.... Read more Read less

See it if you'd like to see historical matters told from the point of view of the women (wives) of the time.

Don't see it if you're expecting a complete, coherent, experience. This feels more like work in progress.

Also The idea is good but the execution is disappointing. The writer has ideas and beliefs that are worth spreading but it feels like the characters are just spelling out a manifesto instead of working out conflicts in their lives. Also, actors fall in and out of accents, there was no clear standard for a certain way of speech for everyone at a given time period and it was very confusing. The last act was a case study of "telling" instead of "showing". This is theater, please show us 'what it was like' instead of giving the characters huge speeches of descriptions.... Read more Read less

See it if you like soap opera, melodramatic, type of writing and acting. If you're interested in learning about racial issues in Chicago of the 30's

Don't see it if you're looking for a comedy. If you don'e like a plot that goes back and forth.

Also I thought the play had a good start, mixing the events and going back and forth between past and present. But 30 minutes into it there was nothing left to tell and it just felt long and forced. The actors didn't know what to do with the melodrama and the result is forced acting. Cause what else can you do?... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of Keri Russel or Adam Driver

Don't see it if you want to see a new take of a somewhat dated play.

Also I am honestly not clear on why this play was selected for a revival. The genre of Fool For Love. A woman falling in love with a beast who curses all the time and treats everyone like shit (wife and kids anyone?). Then she comforts him (oh yay finally a man can show emotion) while he never does the same for her. I love Keri Russel and wish she could play something that is not so passive. I guess that's the kind of role women get on Broadway nowadays.... Read more Read less

See it if you like to see a straightforward production of Hamlet with some great actors and some that aren't

Don't see it if you're looking for something innovative and different than Hamlet you've seen thus far

Also Hamlet, Ophelia's father and the Hamlet's father's ghost were excellent... Read more Read less

See it if you like a comedy that feels like an episode of the office - race, gender and class issues

Don't see it if you'd have hard time watching essentially one scene for 90 minutes

Also I love The Mad Ones and Lila Neugebauer's work, that's why I was a little disappointed. Miles for Marry was fantastic and they didn't quite live up to expectations this time. It's a focus group discussing a TV show for 90 minutes, at some point I just wished there was a "bathroom break" so the characters can be a talk more one-on-one and develop relationships, but that never happens, it's a facilitated discussion of 6-7 people throughout the entire show.

Also - it was often hard to hear what the actors were saying. the acting style is very day-to-day mockumentary type but they should find a way to speak louder or use microphones.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to challenge about how you judge people who stay in an abusive relationship

Don't see it if you don't want to see violence against women, fat-shaming, racism, chauvinism, mansplaining

Also the play is not easy to watch but I think Feiffer is saying something important about abuse and dependency in a relationship. "it can happen to anyone", it really is true.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a musical about how people are bribed in order to shut down unions. if you have patient because it's quite slow

Don't see it if you want a light, entertaining musical. this one isn't meant to make you feel good

See it if you want to see a modern adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya about enduring life even though it usually never goes the way we want it to

Don't see it if you don't like Chekhov's humor

Also I was a little disappointed. Posner is a good writer and I felt like many of nuances were lost in this production. The fighting scenes seemed forced and the humor didn't come out as I expected.

Some elements in directing were interesting and creative though - like showing the characters when they were younger and presenting a character on stage while others are discussing her.... Read more Read less

See it if you are into family dramas with interesting relationships but no big surprises

Don't see it if cancer and chemo are sensitive topics for you. Also alcoholism and fertility challenges

Also It's a very sweet and honest family drama, but I expected something more, maybe more of a meaningful message... Read more Read less

See it if you'd like to see something different, be surprised. if you want to learn about Iran and the Farsi language.

Don't see it if you're looking to see a play. this is more like an experiment and a Farsi lesson.

Also the idea is quit brilliant. I has dome issues with the way it was executed - I wish Nassim explained why his plays are banned in Iran and why he's so lonely all the time. I get that this is the motif but we need more than that as a conflict. repeating the manta "I'm lonely" is a bit tiring.... Read more Read less

See it if you're interested in a play about a southern halfway house, looking to see a comedic drama

Don't see it if you don't like it when characters speak really fast, don't like long expositions before something actually happens

Also There are a lot of good things happening in the show: great acting, interesting topic, no "color blindness" - race issues are introduced and that's refreshing, main character who hates (some) men for good reasons.
Things I'd change: shorten it by at least a third, louder and clearer speech, character of Hern - not sure what his job is/why they all hate him, it's introduced as a given, either I missed it or that wasn't clear.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see something extremely relatable and real. Most of us knew a family member who became senile at some point.

Don't see it if you are very sensitive to topics such as old age, Alzheimer

Also Great show, fantastic acting, the lead actress is phenomenal. Literally everyone around me cried: the woman on my left, lady on my right and row of men in front of me.
Two things I'd change:
*When actors are told to yell/cry at a certain point it never comes out real. Other than that I love Neugebauer's work.
*Some plot details aren't followed through: the effect of losing the gallery on Gladys, the meaning of art in her life. Also Dan promises to speak to the landlord and 10 minutes later in the show he again says he'll do it, finally it's done and it doesn't really matter dramatically speaking. Something was off with that.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a version of Joan of Arc that focuses and the characters who's stories we usually don't hear. Social classes and faith

Don't see it if you're looking for a fun, light evening and don't want to see something about war, tortures, death and corruption of the church.

Also I was a little confused by the writing. She mixes high and low language but not in a way that I particularly appreciate.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Brecht. You want to see great interpretation of the gangster character by a wonderful actor. If you need a reminder to vote...

Don't see it if you can't sit through a play that doesn't have fancy set and that is ultimately not there to entertain you but rather to educate.

Also It's always great to see Brecht and to be reminded of his epic theater and special technique. It is a bit long to sit through this genre (2 hours) but the production is very loyal to Brecht's legacy and I enjoy seeing that.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a 2 character show about segregation in the South of the 60's.

Don't see it if you're looking for a comedy, if you're sensitive to boom sounds, sharp objects, abortions.

Also The first half I thought was well done. But as the plot unfolds the play becomes more and more melodramatic and unrealistic. The actors had hard time believing this reality as well.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a nice way to learn some history, if you want a show to take high school to learn about racial issues

Don't see it if you're looking for something with unique point of view or with unusual staging and performance

See it if if you like periodic pieces and interested in a modern House of Bernarda Alba

Don't see it if you have hard time with long speeches, slow pace drama and phatos

Also I was so waiting to see it and was really disappointed when I finally did. There's so much more you can do with the fascinating circumstances of New Orleans switching from being controlled by the French to the Americans.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a white person who wants to be put a mirror in front of your face. literally.

Don't see it if you don't like Caryl Churchill style of theater (Brecht, Absurd etc.)

Also It takes a moment or two to realize what exactly it is that you're seeing especially if you don't have any pre-existing knowledge about the show. It is unusual, strong and we need to see more of that material.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a good story that is well written about recent historic events

Don't see it if you're looking for a fancy production with big scenic design

Also The only thing I felt like could be stronger was the acting. Sometimes the actors were on auto pilot, didn't really respond to each other, just hurried to their next line. Other than that - very moving show, I like historic dramas like that. It has a lot of humor as well.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be provoked by ideas about the "new woman" in your face.

Don't see it if you have problem with nudity, are not a feminist, and prefer linear drama type of writing

Also 3 short plays that have the theme of women's body women owning their body and reclaiming it. I usually enjoy Ensler's work but this felt very long at times. It's not easy for the actresses to hold 20 minutes of monologue each.... Read more Read less