Sharon Beth

See it if You are interested in period pieces and coming of age stories

Don't see it if You like a musical to be a lot of songs strung together or need a full orchestra or full set You dislike actors playing more than one charac

Also Normally I like to be immersed in theater "show don't tell". The ability to be "in the play" rather than listen to or read a narration is why I pay for a theater ticket rather than take a novel out of the library for free.
However this coming of age story is all about memory and a man just coming out of adolescence intellectualizing his experience as part of the process of maturation. Therefore the narration is his way and thus the audience's way of distancing oneself from the story as the main character is trying to do.
As a psychiatric nurse I found the subtext more interesting than the main theme--the subtext being how a woman who was what today we would call a borderline personality could have such an impact on different men who were very vulnerable and neurotic, each in his own way. The healthiest character, as the neurotic doctor realized, was actually the youth whose vulnerability to her was only due to his youth and that this was his first "relationship".... Read more Read less

See it if (Already closed) You want something different and more serious than theusual community theater stuff (theater was in Brooklyn).

Don't see it if You like plays that have resolutions. You like more traditional theater

Also I was afraid that this would be too absurdist or avant garde but it worked and actually touched on the political situation in China in the 1930s although the play was meant as allegory. I went partially to help me deal personally with the question of the play "How can one be good and not be taken advantage of?" but the show provided no answers except to say that trying to put on a phony tough defense does not work for too long.
All acting was good and I was especially impressed by the leads Carolyn Baeumler and Joey Collins.
In Life of Gallileo I marvelled at Collins' incredible energy. Here I marvel at his range as he played several characters very well. I hope he goes places.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in pre WWII history from a different viewpoint. Like plays about internal psychological conflict

Don't see it if You prefer lighter fare

Also I did not expect a play that was kind of quirky, especially one written in the 1930s but this worked well and was tied together well.
The theme "That the arc of history bends towards justice" was done in a unique way, through ghosts whose insurmountable problems in the 1840s would no longer have been problems in the 1930s. Dark but upbeat at the same time. Acting, as usual at Metropolitan Playhouse was great... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in seeing lawyers interact and issues of sexual harassment.

Don't see it if You are sick of issues of sexual harassment, dislike some foul language and graphic description

Also I believe that this was quite realistic and do not know why others are reviewing this poorly. The nephew would be a bulldog as a lawyer to show his uncle who thought that he was a wimp that he could be a bulldog.
The uncle, although a villain in many ways, had some redeeming qualities.
This was true to life and the acting was great... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in psychological issues caused by AIDS. You are interested in the concept of dance theater

Don't see it if You dislike non judgemental depictions of hard drug use Dislike small theaters and limited sets. Dislike stories about gay relationships.

Also Although I had expected more dance what it had was relevant to moving the story along, which is what dance should do in something that is billed as dance theater, and since the dance was done in "dream sequences" it was not out of the context of the story. Unfortunately the stage was small.
Although life and love with HIV is not a new theme the dialogue was clever and the fact that the play said that in spite of new drugs this is still an issue, as well as issues of sexual fluidity, made this play relevant. Well acted.
I saw this play for only $11 through TDF and I hope that it reaches a wider audience. With slight tweaking it could make off Broadway.

Although it was probably necessary to move the plot along, as someone who had once been an alcohol and drug detox and rehab nurse, I did have a problem with the largely non judgemental depictions of heavy alcohol and hard drug use.... Read more Read less

See it if You like old fashioned feel good musicals You like entertaining stories with some psychological heft

Don't see it if Unrealistic depictions of relationships annoy you You like/need full orchestras at musicals You have no interest in social history

Also This play requires a suspension of disbelief concerning the nature of marriage. However, the ideas expressed about it such as, nature and rest can heal all relationships, and in fact heal almost all psychological pain, the woman is mainly responsible for keeping love in marriage, the absence of a woman can make a man's heart grow fonder, were common in the 1920s.

This play should be enjoyed for what it is, an entertaining feel good musical that reflects the lives and values of the the English upper and middle classes in the 1920s

Although it may be considered dated and patronizing to women by today's standard, for the time and social class depicted the women actually behaved in feminist ways... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in the effects of child sexual abuse and in watching some very dysfunctional people

Don't see it if You like lighter fare; even when you like heavy drama you like likeable characters

Also I saw God Said This less than a year ago which has many similar themes. I believe that that was one of the best plays I had ever seen, and I see a lot of theater.
So why is this such a disappointment although the acting ranges from good to excellent? I believe that most good theater shows some growth in the characters that need to grow, so there is uplift even in tragedies. In this play one character was in total denial and the other one, in spite of urging from her sister, wanted to or believed that she had no choice but to remain stuck.
When I was in high school I learned that the difference between tragedy and melodrama was that in melodrama the characters do not cause their own problems but in tragedy they do. However, in spite of one character's acceptance of his death there was no redemption or even a hint that it might be possible for the characters that needed it most.
In this play there is a lot of tragedy but no tragic heroes. It is little more than melodrama.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in family dramas especially dealing with issues of responsibility to aging parents

Don't see it if You need staging and sets, you cannot suspend disbelief when actors playing father and son are of different races

Also (continued) or other characters that in the play would have had to be white are played by a Black man. You have trouble with one actor playing more than one character.
____________________________
A little of the dialogue was hard to understand and in the beginning some of the acting was just a little uneven but in general it was well acted and a superior script. If the main actor was a little stiff in the beginning it was to show that the character was feeling uncomfortable.
To keep it up to date both the father and son's ages should be increased by 10 years--the 79 year old father and the 50 year old son circa 1962 had the problems that an 89 year old (Alzheimer's, deafness, talking about horse drawn funeral coaches) and a 60 year old (widowhood through cancer, seriously considering retirement) might have today. However, the play says some very important things
Although this production did start as an acting school project I thought that it was very professional... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in the Nazi era. You like psychological studies of real heroines

Don't see it if You do not like political shows that border on hagiography

Also I saw this show several days after seeing the show on Hannah Senesch.
Acting good although there was some stuttering. It balanced the personal and the political well which is difficult to do. Pacing was good. We do not have a lot of information on Sophie Scholl or the White Rose movement in English so this is an important contribution. I hope it can be played somewhere where it gets a wider audience. I'm glad that they did not try to use German accents, for the most part. It would have distracted the audience from what was actually being said.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in eating disorders and family dramas

Don't see it if You do not like psychological family dramas. You prefer entertainment

Also It was unclear to me if the beginning when the acting was very stilted was because it indeed was stilted or because the characters wanted to show how uncomfortable they were with each other.

The parents seemed to be charicatures but the play wanted to make an important point about parents trying to live through their children and how anorexia is a form of rebellion.

The subtext here is the United States upper middle class culture and how dysfunctional its values can be. As a friend told me, poor women are seldom anorexics.... Read more Read less

See it if You like solo musicals

Don't see it if You are offended by partial nudity and non judgemental depictions of casual sex. You do not like solo performances

Also I had thought this would be cabaret style with just songs strung together loosely related thematically and was pleasantly surprised as to how theatrical this actually was.. Good use of set and fairly original take on an old theme of a person coming of age trying to find her professional identity and love
Actress was a so-so singer but a pretty good dancers and made the most of a small stage. There was partial nudity which was unnecessary and I wondered if it was there to increase interest in the show--the actress is physically beautiful... Read more Read less

See it if You like psychologically based shows and shows about gay themes.

Don't see it if You are upset by verbally graphic descriptions of rape. You do not like shows that are almost totally reminiscing

Also I do not know what people are complaining about. I thought that the acting and the writing was just terrific. I have seen a lot of shows about gay coming of age (although this said so much more) and this was one of the best. Of course there will be a certain amount of self absorption and melodrama in the characters and acting--the whole point of the play was a man coming to terms with his past. However, this was done with humor and wit. Of course there will be a small theater, which was perfect for a play that took place in the closet (of the character's mind) and low production values--this is off-off Broadway! Incidentally, I paid $11 TDF, not $35.
What I personally found disturbing was the implied euthanasia, to which I am very strongly opposed.
Unrealistic? I am planning to take a friend whose life experiences and feelings are almost identical to the character's
I liked the pacing and the mixture of drama and humor. I hope to see more from this great playwright... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in issues of prejudice, disability rights, holocaust

Don't see it if You become too upset about the murder of children. You have no interest in WWII history

Also This show was polemical but that is to be expected from a theater affiliated with the New York Catholic diocese. It did what is frequently very difficult to pull off--used the characters as mouthpieces to present political points of view while still giving the characters a lot of depth. The show was able to do this because it focused on a very short time period and stuck to one theme, although it did present different aspects of the theme. The acting was also terrific... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in problems of poverty and women in developing countries

Don't see it if Discussion of child prostitution offends or upsets you. You dislike solo shows (even though 1 actress portrayed 5 characters well)

Also This actress was amazing in that she portrayed 5 characters well, gestures and everything, with no transitioning time between them. She was also a pretty good Indian dancer. Although the political message of female exploitation hits you over the head repeatedly that is the life of the main character. The characters were also multi dimensional; except the minor characters of the priest and the customer. Although this play could easily have turned into melodrama it did not; there were no real heroes and villains among the main characters. I would like to see a sequal to this and certainly more from the same playwright.... Read more Read less

See it if You like the story. Are interested in issues of morality in society

Don't see it if You have a problem with plays that are too wordy--there was dramatic action but also a lot of conversation that was important to the theme

Also Well done although wordy. It appeared that the playwright wanted to throw in all of Wilde's epigrams even if they were not in the original novel (although he made them all relevant). Acting of the person who played the character of Basil was uneven as was the acting of the character who played Dorian in the beginning of the play although he later improved. It might have been better for the characters to forget the accents and focus more on other aspects of their characters.
Use of smoke was very clever and the play followed the novel pretty closely, including the novel's dialogue. The audience had to focus intently to follow the dialogue and get all the witticisms.
Although the play touched on nineteenth century life including servants, social class relations, and opium dens I did not at all feel that the play was dated. The themes of self v society and the relationship of behavior to one's sense of self are timeless. I cannot understand why others are reviewing this poorly.... Read more Read less

See it if Concerned about child/parent relations, concerned about how economic social class affects attitudes

Don't see it if You want something light, need more action (this whole play revolves around conversation in a living room)

Also Although the parents of the bully were a little stereotyped this was great acting about a difficult yet important situation. It was original because it focused on the feelings of the parents instead of the kids. I thought that it was very powerful. As far as the ending plot twist being unrealistic I believe it sheds light on why the victim's attitude which at first to me seemed an over reaction for a seventeen year old, were indeed justified. I hope that this play is published and made available for high schoolers to see in local theater and also for them to perform (although for a good performance this play needs strong actors).... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in women in Afghanistan

Don't see it if You do not have an interest in women in Afghanistan or in feminist themes or themes of gender identity

Also Although this show was well acted and well paced I have a problem with mixing naturalism with politcal polemicism. There were times when I wondered if the characters were meant to be real people or just mouthpieces to make political statements or symbols of different types of thinking.and the the play banged the audience over the head with the feminist theme and feminist statements.
May be to make this play more universal the political environment unique to Afghanistan was brushed over too lightly--that the reason that Naseema had to change over was because under the Taliban it was too dangerous for her to go around as a boy was mentioned very quickly in passing and the danger of Naseema traveling alone was also treated very lightly--this frustrated me and I believe detracted from the realism. I also wonder if someone who gender identifies as male would be romantically interested in males. However, this would be a great play for high schoolers to both see and perform... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in plays about people speaking truth to power

Don't see it if You dislike plays that sometimes veer into political polemics

Also The previous reviewer did not like the modernization of set and costumes but the two previous productions in England and Chicago did the same--I thought that it was part of the playwright's stage directions to show that the situation is just as relevant in the modern era. Sometimes I felt tired of having the same theme banged over my head again and again, although freedom of speech is an admittedly important issue, but that was the fault of the script and I understand typical of Brecht.
All the acting was great but the lead as Galileo was just amazing. I could not believe how he could keep up the energy to be so emotionally wired for two and a half hours.
The use of music was clever.
As far as the theater itself is concerned, the old sanctuary turned into a theater, I believe added to the atmosphere, like having The Nance playing in the oldest Broadway theater
I thought that it was a perfectly fine venue... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy historical dramedy

Don't see it if You have no interest in historical politics

Also Yes, this is dated but that is the purpose of Metropolitan Playhouse. It is very interesting to see the political concerns immediately after WWII and how things differ, for ex. the political clout of labor, and how things are the same, for ex interest group politics and how political campaigns are run.
Also for its time very feminist not only in that it approved of women influencing campaigns and running for Congress but that it showed a semi "open" marriage with both parties having affairs. (Play was judgemental about this but forgiving).
As usual at Metropolitan Playhouse acting was great in spite of several minor flubs of lines at my performance... Read more Read less

See it if You like good acting; you like melodrama (which here was meant to be symbolic) with a historical backdrop

Don't see it if You do not like fictionalized history, and this history was fictionalized into a preposterous story, you dislike melodrama

Also This show wanted to say some serious things about war and the role of women but the fictionalized history of the bombing of Hiroshima with the survival of Allied soldiers in a foxhole detracted from it. So did the family melodrama.

It was also disconcerting to have the grandmother as a caricature although she played an important part in the plot, while the rest of the actors were being naturalistic, at least most of the time

It takes a lot of skill to combine symbolism with naturalism and this play did not quite pull it off.

The child actress was amazing although at the end she too was saying symbolic things rather than acting like a child.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in gay parenting and child abuse issues

Don't see it if You are not interested in gay parenting and child abuse issues

Also As someone who has been a caseworker in family court there is nothing unrealistic about this show. Social workers, to cover themselves, have to pull a kid if there is an accusation of sexual abuse and ask questions later. This show says some important things.

Acting of the female lead was a little uneven.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in the emotions of young people on the verge of adulthood. You like great acting and very clever staging

Don't see it if You are expecting the show to be about the problems of African immigrants--this is not that show

See it if You are interested in Black gay life; the life of young people without families who come out of the foster care system

Don't see it if You like dance to be done on a full stage, lines that you cannot hear bother you a lot, dislike acting that seems acted

Also This could be a great play but it needs work on the timing, better transitions between moods; the fact that the lead at the end could forgive and indeed could contemplate a romantic relationship with someone who set up (to be killed) his lover seems unbelievable. Some lines were inaudible. Some (not all) of the acting seemed acted.
However it tells an important story... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in a realistic depiction of mental illness and a concise but nuanced version of the Me Too situation in theater

Don't see it if You are uncomfortable with real depictions of mental illness. You are sick of hearing about Me Too situations although this is nuanced

Also I agree with Daniel K and I do not know why this show is being reviewed so badly when I believe with some tweaking the show could be Broadway or off Broadway material and in fact won an award award at the Midtown theater festival last year.
Perhaps the depiction of the mentally ill doctor made people uncomfortable. As a psychiatric nurse I do not believe that this portrayal was unrealistic" and I know of situations where doctors ended up as patients in state hospitals. The codependent relationship Antonia had with Charles was also realistically portrayed..
The acting of the twink (Journigan) was uneven and did not always seem real nor did the chemistry between Charles and his twink, but given the script Journigan had a difficult task; he had to portray a person who was very conflicted and ambivalent on several different fronts as well as portray two other characters when he portrayed an auditioning and rehearsing actor. I felt that the play needed to be fleshed out, not tightened.... Read more Read less

See it if If you like cabaret style pieces. You are interested in seeing works about lesbians

Don't see it if Songs and script with some very explicit description of lesbian sex upset you. Some themes in the show have been explored before

Also It was unclear to me how much of this show was true, especially about Solidor's personality, and how much of this was just speculation. The theme was that her personality was really Sunset Boulevard, the aging star who is washed up but refuses to see the reality, but was this really so?

I would have been more interested in the political context, especially the history and details as to why Solidor was declared a traitor after WWII and was forced to leave France. Why specifically did this happen and what did she do after she was exiled? How did she return to France?... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in unusual staging, interested in well done gay soap opera

Don't see it if You are offended by very explicitly described gay sex, dislike combining melodrama and naturalism and very deliberate audience manipulatio

Also This long show ran from brilliant to banal. There was some incredible dialogue and characterization, especially in the first half, yet some of it was very trite. Yeah, it was soap operaish. Yeah, it was manipulative, but the dialogue, acting, pacing and staging were so well done that in the first part I was so willing to overlook it and in fact I skipped doing something important to stay for the second part because I so much wanted to see how it ended.
Second part was more banal and melodramatic with a hit you over the head moral. In other words, first part was naturalism, second part was largely allegory and the two did not always work well together.
As far as social class issues are concerned the main character's, Toby, psychological issues with his class background, which was a major part of the plot, did not seem real.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in what it is like to be a low wage worker in a large corporation

Don't see it if You preferromantic comedies. Do not like things about social significance. Like fully developed stories

Also Well acted and well paced but I consider this just the beginning of a play. I realize that this is not a novel but I would have like the circumstances and background of at least one character to have been more developed. I found myself wanting to know more about each of the characters... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in American Black culture. You are interested in the relationship between the stigma of physical illness and self esteem

Don't see it if You do not like simulated sex on stage (although it is not gratuitous). You prefer lighter fare. You are not interested in minorities

Also Although the play was not traditional, almost avant garde, it worked and did not overwhelm the story or the point. In fact, it kept the play on point rather than have a fully developed plot where there might be distractions. I was afraid that this would be absurdist but it worked.
I do not know if the bit I saw with the actor telling the audience member to put her cell phone away was part of the script or not but if it was serendipitous i it was relevant and should be kept in.
For the white audience it was interesting to see how AIDS is viewed in the general Black community. However, if one does not have some familiarity with American Black culture one would not understand most of the (few) jokes. Yeah, it was a little polemical at the end but it made sense. I hope to see more from this playwright.... Read more Read less

See it if You have a strong interest in race relations in the US.

Don't see it if You do not like one person playing a variety of different characters

Also I saw the original in Queens Theater in the Park about 20 years ago and this is 100% better. The actor is amazing.
The problem was that the play did not get to the heart of the issue 1. the competition for property in Crown Heights among those to whom property ownership is seen as the main means of wealth. 2. The pressures that turn kids to violence and following gangs i.e. the pressures of being and immigrant kid.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in political history and feminism You like Harvey Fiersteine

Don't see it if You dislike one man monologues You have little interest in politics You dislike the political left

Also Was this Harvey Harvey not Bella Bella? Yeah
Was this a vanity project?
Isn't that true about all one man shows?
Actually this was very similar to a show not written by Fierstein but where he was the main character Gently Down the Stream which was largely a solo monologue although there were other characters

In spite of this it was great. Fierstein is a consummate actor who knows how to command a stage. The not wearing drag was a great idea to get the audience to focus on the serious reality of the history.

I was a young teenager in the early 1970s and was only vaguely aware of what was going on; this show filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge.

One thing that concerned me--I saw Gently Down the Stream less than 2 years ago. I realize that there are all sorts of tricks with lighting, makeup and costume but it seems that Fierstein has aged a lot and also gained a lot of weight--is he sick or did he relapse into alcoholism?... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in the problems of refugees and modern Arab women

Don't see it if You dislike suspenseful plays. Stories of rape and prostitution. Like light fare

Also No drama? On the contrary, I thought that it was too suspenseful. It maintained a lot of suspense (Throughout the play I thought that the main character might be further harmed when she was not) and at the same time had some very well developed characters.

This play is radically feminist (I am not surprised that it started in Women's Project theater) and has a very cynical take on heterosexual sex and relationships.
It is essentially about a young woman who ultimately rejects the prospect of a "good" life where she would have to pretend to forget past trauma, but nevertheless she refuses to remain a victim.
The play implies that this is the healthy, empowering choice which is an interesting point of view on trauma.
Although the play tells a lot about the refugee crisis its theme is relevant in many different contexts, both historical and current.

Evocative set and I thought well balanced between the personal and the political.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in problems of incarceration, social class issues

Don't see it if You are not interested in class and identity issues; do not like one man shows

Also Yeah, the characters, apart from the protagonist, are a little cliched but you cannot present an entire 18 month prison experience in all its nuanced entirety in an hour and a half. A little polemic but that is to be expected given the material. The actor does great voices and portrays the admittedly stereotyped secondary characters well. I felt that the masturbation scene was unnecessary and mainly there to increase interest in the play.
Overall this play for a one man show is interesting, very well acted, and says some important things. I'm glad that the run had been extended.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in the life of Heddy Lamar and the life of women in acting of that era.

Don't see it if You dislike what is basically a low budget solo show with two supporting actors who play multiple roles with varying degrees of proficiency

Also I thought the main actress was terrific doing what amounted to a solo dialogue with some intermittent minor two hander acting. Reviewers are complaining that not much was said about the technical details. Maybe the dialogue could have been clearer but it seems that they hit on the main principles and how they discovered how to do it (by following the principles of acoustics used by orchestras and player pianos.
The only thing I kind of had a problem with was that this play was basically hagiography. Heddy disowned her older son who may have really been her biological son, not adopted, it is believed because at the age of TWELVE he said that he preferred to live with another family and she never forgave him. This shows another side of Heddy which could have been explored. In fact, virtually nothing is said about her relationship with her kids... Read more Read less

See it if You like a well paced and well acted show about a WWII heroine

Don't see it if You do not like shows that deal with serious historical issues. You do not like flattering portraits of historical characters

Also I see a lot of theater and this play is one of the best. Acting, set and pacing were great. The balance between the political and personal was very good, something which is very difficult to do in theater with a political or historical theme. It would have been very easy for such a play to turn into hagiography or political polemic and this play avoided both and stayed interesting and well paced. I hope that it is filmed and shown to students world wide.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in how traditional people respond to cultural change; are interested in rural Ireland; you are interested in gender issu

Don't see it if You want lighter fare. This ends sadly. Although it treats prostitutes sympathetically it ultimately stands for traditional morality

Also Well paced and I thought that the actors ranged from good to great. The Great Depression is the larger context in which this story takes place; one of the subthemes is how poverty and social class affects behavior.
It promotes beliefs about sexual morality that have no relevance to today? There are many people nowadays, and not only in third world countries, who might objectify prostitutes as sinners not deserving of protection just like the villain in this play.
I liked the ambivalence at the end of the story. Did the female lead really commit the crime or was she taking the rap as a way to do penance and redeem herself?
Although in general I do not like developmentally disabled people used as symbols, if it must be so, I prefer them to be considered, as in this play, savants who because of their purity have more insight and foresight than to be the butt of jokes or considered to be tragedies. For its time this play was enlightened with regard to disabled people... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in problems in the Orthodox community and how a traditional culture handles the stigma of mental illness

Don't see it if You are uncomfortable with any negative depiction of Jews or Orthodox Jews. You want light fare

Also Leads were very good. Supporting characters so-so--the social worker did not seem real but I understand that she was sick. The father was difficult to understand and did not seem authentic
This says an important story, not only about prejudice about mental illness but the psychological difficulty of being a caregiver... Read more Read less

See it if You like the theme of young people trying to find their identity as they break from their upbringing; you enjoy and understand Black humor

Don't see it if You are offended by casual sex very explicitly depicted and a lot of cursing, you are offended by very sharp spoofing of Christianity

Also Although I understand why some disliked and/or were offended by this show it was a Broadway musical on steroids. Acting was great except that some lines were difficult to understand;it did not have a neat ending as most musicals do but a somewhat more ambiguous ending like one might see in off-off Broadway theater.
To understand one of the main themes one has to know who Tyler Perry is (Madea who then went into more Christian and moral writing) understanding many of the jokes would require some knowledge of American Black culture.
Lyrics to songs were good (and sometimes pretty profound) the score itself; same as for most Broadway musicals, so-so... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in what it feels to be biracial in the US

Don't see it if You do not like solo shows or shows where the theme never really varies

Also The audience is hit over the head with the theme; it's tough to be biracial in a country where there are so many cultural differences between Blacks and whites, although a lot of the differences were just implied. Much of the same story could be told of young people who are not biracial but who are raised by people of a different race.
Actor was very sincere and sensitive and it was about as good as a solo monologue could be.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in the effects of addiction on intergenerational family life

Don't see it if You do not like non linear plays. You prefer totally happy endings

Also Some of the acting was a little uneven but the actors were given a very difficult task; they had to play evolving personalities over a 30 year period. One thing that was obvious but was touched on only indirectly was that social class mobility and social class have a lot to do with how people turn out emotionally and professionally regardless of how functional the family life is. At times I found the non linear scenes confusing. I would have preferred a linear play and if the author wants this play understood by adolescents he would probably have to change it to a linear format.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in Holocaust history and some of the background as to why the Nazis were so easily able to exterminate Jews in Poland

Don't see it if You want to see something light and upbeat. You have no knowledge of WWII holocaust ghettos (some background knowledge would be useful)

Also I generally do not like plays that try to impose political polemic on interpersonal drama but that was not what was happening here. The purpose of the play was to tell the story of the Warsaw ghetto and the characters were clearly vehicles to do this but it clearly discussed the moral dilemmas that the characters faced. I was actually surprised that there was as much characterization as there was. Given the ambitious scope of the play (history of 18 years of a city where the government was changing constantly and its impact on Jews) it was surprisingly well paced. Yes, under the circumstances discrete scenes were necessary but they were all related.
Because the play was fast paced some background was necessarily left out. Especially towards the end it might have been difficult to follow if the viewer had no previous knowlege of Holocaust ghettos.... Read more Read less

See it if You are concerned about cultural misunderstanding, the culture and politics of Kenya, economic development

Don't see it if You have no interest in the above and do not like two handers (although I am not so fond of them either but I really liked this show)

Also Well paced but the last prison scene could have been expanded more--to understand better the female lead's ambivalence. Because the play was so short (although it said what it needed to say) it could have been paired with something else, either a sequal or better yet, another play with a similar theme but another viewpoint or focus
All in all, I was impressed with how the play said so much in such a short time yet did not seem rushed or cluttered; nor did I feel that it hit me over the head with political polemic... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in life in the gay underground. You are interested in seeing how people cope with guilt and objectification

Don't see it if You dislike sexually explicit although simulated acting. You dislike monologues and stories told in a non linear way

Also I disagree that the actor did not convey the edginess to what he was doing. The whole point of the show was how objectification detaches
a person from his/her feelings so of course the presentation would minimize the grittiness of it, because the actor was trying to show that that was what the character was doing. Because of the character's detachment from his actions and his dehumanizaton, when faced with unresolved/unabsolved guilt he became obsessive and self destructive.
Far from being amoral Tyler was willing to risk death to expiate his guilt, or redeem himself, and to try to return from an alienated object back into a full person.
Acting was great although in the beginning the enunciation could have been a little clearer. The non linear narrative was a little confusing and I believe the story could have been more effective if told linearly. Intimate immersive set was very effective to emphasize the contrast between connection and alienation... Read more Read less

See it if You like very well acted family dramas with an uplifting, though sad, ending

Don't see it if You believe that uplifting endings are too corny. You have a problem with foul language or seeing graphic depictions of sickness

Also This has some of the best acting I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot of good acting. It is a contemporary drama that promotes "family values". I do not know why people are saying it says too much since everything relates to the theme of the importance of love and forgiveness.
Unlike other reviewers I believe that the John character was important to prevent the story from being too insular and to give the problems the family was facing some economic and cultural context as well as to provide some comic relief
Yeah, it was a little formulaic. During the last third I kept wondering is this was going to end so predictably or will there be a plot twist? However, because the acting was so superior it overcame this. I found myself gasping "Bravo" at the end.
If some of the foul language was taken out or changed this play could be a real hit on Broadway.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in the problems and perspectives of immigrant youth in the city

Don't see it if Reading from scripts, plays that are basically just broken up monologues, although they are monologues by a number of people, annoy you

Also Although these monologues are apparently the real stories of the kids (ranging in ages 20 to 24) who say them and they do not sound like recited lines although the kids are reading, in some cases there is a lack of emotion. The actors, although young, are looking back on their childhood and teen years and to a certain extent are intellectualizing and distancing themselves from the lived experience.
This is necessary work for an adult but at the same time did not give the full drama of the emotion the kids must have been feeling at the time they faced the problems that they discuss.
In some cases I would have liked more details of their experiences, especially in their feelings about their relationships This show could be expanded by another half hour to an hour.
The walking around, although I understand the symbolism behind it, and that it gave the audience and actors needed one minute breaks for this no intermission show, made it a confusing to follow the actors' stories... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in the assimilation and PTSD issues of refugees. You like relationship dramas with a lot of conversation

Don't see it if You prefer lighter fare. You have difficulty listening to foreign accents on stage.

Also Understanding the actors because of the accents and occasional lack of voice projection is sometimes a problem.
This is a standard drama format with an explosive plot twist at the end. It weaves back and forth from naturalism to symbolism a little bit, although for me not enough to be disconcerting, it may bother others
Acting was uniformly good... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in gay cultural history and stories about flawed people trying to connect. Heartfelt dialogue and performances

Don't see it if Psychological dramedys bore you. You are deeply offended by portrayals of anal sex and teens making risqué jokes.

Also Also do not see it if you believe that people who focus on their own emotions are self indulgent.

This is the third time that I have seen this in the past year (two times off Broadway) and each time I feel differently about it, especially the ending.

The first time I believed that Arnold was a fool (like so many of us) to go back to Ed, a vapid, self centered user who put himself first in every situation. The second time I felt that Arnold had become more empowered by implying that Ed was clearly on probation and that if they were to be together he had to shape up. The third time I believed that Arnold's growth came not in that he became more empowered in protecting himself but in having the courage to make himself more vulnerable. That from "I care, but not enough" he journeyed to loving whole heartedly even those who rejected him. In other words, "From each man kills the thing he loves" to "If equal love cannot be then let the more loving one be me". (Auden)... Read more Read less

See it if You like historical dramas dealing with moral dilemmas

Don't see it if You dislike shows with a lot of dialogue and little action You find oral sex visually hidden but explicitly depicted onstage to be offensiv

Also I realize that there were time constraints but it bothered me that the show, in spite of the dialogue discussed the characters' motivations and moral dilemmas fairly supercially. I kind of felt that both Heidigger and Arendt were caricatures.... Read more Read less

See it if Excellent solo acting about a relevant situation

Don't see it if You have trouble with the prochoice position being expressed well. The prolife position was not expressed as well although it was implied

See it if Like shows on gay themes. Shows about how minority cultures and prejudices change over time

Don't see it if There was symbolism, talking babies, providing commentary for what otherwise would be pure naturalism-this dichotomy can be disconcerting

Also This was just an update of Papa Woof Daddy Hot. Same theme and plot structure only expanded to include lesbians and transvestites. Like Papa Woof story moved along largely by dinner party conversation.
I believe that Torch Song which is the grandfather of most of these gay relationship plays did it better, although now it is more than a little dated. Torch Song exposed more pain and had more heart.... Read more Read less

See it if You have a strong interest in modern Chinese history' like BD Wong

Don't see it if You have a real problem when actors voices are unclear

Also I normally have a real problem with preposterous plots trying to pose as naturalism but the feelings were so real it overcame this. I know many Chinese immigrants and the feelings he faced, how China crushed the souls of so many, are so real I was truly able to "suspend disbelief" at the plot devices.
Problem was that Manford and the Americancoach were not always entirely easy to understand; they both could have used mikes although BD Wong, with the heavy Chinese accent, was crystal clear.
Superior acting of BD Wong.... Read more Read less