Stephanie 22

See it if you'd enjoy the chance to see two short one-acts in tandem (both concerning Greek literature, Higher Ed, and sexual dynamics). Brisk.

Don't see it if you'd be put off by writing where you can feel the author preaching to the audience a bit or partial male nudity & sexual/identity themes.

Also Enjoyed Ajax (Jampol/Lorenz cast) until the dramatic shift in focus to Israel-Pslestine conflict. Charismatic leads and great staging. Needed stronger ending.
Enjoyed the longer and meatier Squash... until the last minute of the final scene. [That banter should be rewritten(!); it undermines the strength of the preceding 60 mins.] Charismatic cast and interesting premise of waxing and waning Eros & Agape among the three characters.... Read more Read less

See it if u want to witness emotions laid bare. A couple comes to terms w/ who the other really is & how to bridge their disconnection through empathy

Don't see it if you're not in the mood, as audience member in a small theater, to experience the rawness of emotions that the actors make manifest. Intense!

Also If you enjoyed the intensity of last season's "Cal in Camo" by Colt Coeur (as I did), expect something akin... but with a slightly sci-fi conceit. Great actors + good direction + writing that packs a punch to the gut.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a great performance by Brannon and appreciate minimalist staging. Would've liked a 3rd actor for role of guard to enliven.

Don't see it if you would be uncomfortable seeing a man shackled and chained; expect dramatic arc; want great writing at the basis of a dialogue-driven play

Also Despite its hardness, the bleacher seating effectively conjured both jury box and pews and thereby cast the audience as judge and/or parishioners. Unfortunately, the writing just wasn't compelling enough to mesmerize or do justice to this staging idea.... Read more Read less

See it if u want a satirical portrait of the effects of Boomers' lifestyle/mentality on their GenX children & today's socio-political/economic climate

Don't see it if stories of intergenerational wealth disparity & the (maybe/maybe not) detrimental impact of the "me generation" hits too close to home.

Also Amy Ryan was (Absolutely) Fabulous... and channeling a bit of "Edina Monsoon." See it for her alone! Hilarious!... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy stories from perspectives/of experiences unlike your own. You want to salivate over the playwright's & actors' use of language.

Don't see it if u prefer more action/less talk. Strong emphasis on comm. (dialogue btwn characters & direct addresses to audience). Waxing philosophical.

See it if /to consider issues of racism, financial exploitation of women, propriety & piety, personal sacrifices to pursue joy punctuated w/ music.

Don't see it if u want a show w/ more dramatic arc. It's more of a character showcase that foregrounds the music that brought these talented women together.

Also A truly enjoyable 90 minutes! It's impossible not to be moved by the great singing, the teasing banter, and the sincere fondness that these seemingly different women develop for each other.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to watch a whirlwind... on wheels. It's inventive & lively in its economical staging. You'll have a blast along with the cast.

Don't see it if u want a traditional (vs. rollicking) production or can't tolerate over-acting bordering on camp. Avoid barstool seats (row C) at any cost!!

See it if u want to open a time capsule from pre-WWII Amer South to find characters' challenges w/ human connection & alienation that resonate today.

Don't see it if you would find the social casting out & hiding away of those with PTSD/anxiety/depression/delusions uncomfortable and/or unbearable to watch

Also As a woman born and raised in the South, I was surprised by how adeptly Foote captured Southern colloquialisms, the role of the Church in social life, and the frustrating way that one can actively ignore or turn a blind eye to evident problems (as epitomized by Scarlett O'Hara).... Read more Read less

See it if u want to consider contemp. US socio-political climate thru TCO lens: race/servitude/inequality/class (im-)mobility/entrenched views/change.

Don't see it if u want a traditional production of TCO. Felt a bit muddled in its new take on classic source, but hope that will better mesh after previews.

Also Harold Perrineau granted Lopakhin the complexity this character deserves, and his big "reveal" in the third act shed light on his conflicted nature as a loyal man long in the family's orbit but also a pragmatic striver for whom success is a compulsion.... Read more Read less

See it if u want to explore themes of projections/realities, desire/lust, blurriness of self/other in relationships, genre- esp. noir & "love stories"

Don't see it if u want to take play at face-value. Processing reveals gratifying subversive take on gender, self, predation, "love" & need/wish fulfillment.

See it if u want a fresh update on golden age of musicals: feel-good songs, all-out dancing, cheeky costumes & dash of holiday magic. Pinkham sparkles

Don't see it if u want edgy or rock-n-roll. It's tonally akin to last season's She Loves Me (and on the same stage). It's charming in its wholesomeness.

See it if u want tale of mid-life crisis & mid-century ennui in post-WWII England, when Brit. society was seeking identity/meaning in new world order.

Don't see it if u want a story that draws you in/resonates. Though I can relate to two 40 y.o. examining life thus far, the endeavor was tedious/distancing.

See it if u seek an uncomfortably humorous at times examination of (co-)dependency, grief, isolation, addiction & (illusory) solace. Shepard-esque.

Don't see it if you could not empathize with characters in the depths of despondency trying (unsuccessfully) to eke their way back through human connection.

See it if you want a fast-paced, quirky, satirical musical to banish the blahs of a bad day/week/month at work. It's silly, but delightfully so!

Don't see it if you just couldn't possibly bear good-natured poking of fun at Shakespeare and/or 20th c. musical theater.

See it if u want a Classic tale about pawns & sacrificial lambs in "the fog of war" brought to modern times. EPIC battle scene! Glover & Stoll shine!

Don't see it if u have a low threshold for poorly written female characters: Cressida comes across as a schemer w/ karmic problems; Cassandra as hysterical.

See it if you are in search of meaning and/or connection in life or want to observe a band of six lost souls do so. Surprisingly funny & resonant!

Don't see it if u don't want to be implicated as participant-observer. Stellar design of theater space & staging make silent, watchful audience self-aware.

See it if u want a captivating & claustrophobic update on classic. Having the leads rarely exit the stage ratchets up the domestic tension. Sweltering

Don't see it if u want sexy-ice-queen Gillian of "Hannibal"/"The Fall." G radiates as much heat as the New Orleans streets & is as unhinged as the shutters.

See it if you want a positive message despite/predicated upon a senseless crime via charismatic storytelling in a streamlined one-man-show. Uplifting.

Don't see it if you want bells & whistles with your production. This show is ideally suited for portability, i.e. traveling to youth centers or campuses.

See it if u want a very cerebral interrogation of race/identity/heritage/social constructs/language couched as family drama. Amazing sets & lighting!

Don't see it if u don't want to float above the slight plot to unpack/probe the layers of ideas posited via dialogue & meta-theatrical devices. Slow.

See it if u like intense dramas, stellar acting, creative staging & lighting, ominous music, allegories, witches, mean girls, spurned lovers, martyrs.

Don't see it if u have hearing difficulties. It was sometimes hard to hear the actors projecting over the Glass score & sound design. U want brisk pacing.

See it if u want Hare's imagining of Wilde‘s perception of & reaction to his indecency trial & the respective roles of his lover, friends & family.

Don't see it if you'd be uncomfortable w/ 20 mins of full-frontal male nudity, sexual themes, selfishness & betrayal, or strident & screechy declarations.

See it if u want a well-directed & vibrant telling of the effect of economic collapse on the working class. Felt fresh due to charismatic performances

Don't see it if you have zero interest in factory decline, blue-collar milieu, Detroit struggles, morally gray defiance, rap music, or interpretive dance.

See it if u want a very funny & slightly punk rock "Taming." Female ensemble is perfect; McTeer/Jumbo/Moore/Champlin shine! Brilliant/offbeat staging!

Don't see it if u dislike premise of "taming" women (although this upends); prefer more traditional stagings; want period costumes. 2 hrs w/o intermission.

See it if u want "It's the end of the world as we know it & I feel fine!" bc the state incentivizes the end of empathy & it's easier to look away...

Don't see it if u want really bleak dystopian fare a la Haneke's "Time of the Wolf." It's disquieting in that it's "civilized" society that ruins us all.

See it if you want a drama about alienation and man's primal need for attachment. You are interested in characters on the brink.

Don't see it if you want an unambiguous takeaway message or an action-packed plot. Here you are steeped in a mood: desperation tinged with hope.

See it if you want a murky two-hander exploring a taboo relationship that demands emotional depth & breadth from the leads. You like Jeff Daniels.

Don't see it if you expect catharsis or closure. [I wanted to like this more than I did, but the ambiguity was not the satisfying kind. I wasn't drawn in.]

See it if u want to work... at following the brisk pace & character changes during the show & then unpacking the dense, intertwined themes afterwards.

Don't see it if u prefer not to wrestle w/ big philosophical & neuropsychological ideas presented in fractured yet related vignettes. U prefer light/breezy.

See it if u want a play as warm & crisp as a summer breeze that reminds u of a period in your life free from the everyday & full of potential. GREAT!

Don't see it if u expect a lot of action: this is more a celebration of (clearly drawn & relatable) characters in moments of self-discovery & transition.

See it if u want a new adaptation of 19th c. classic w/ minimalist staging. Ensemble is terrific, esp. Gabriel Ebert -- sparkling, dynamic, magnetic!

Don't see it if u'd find rapid shifts btwn fantasy & reality and/or actors playing multiple roles across time/space to be confusing. 2 hrs w/o intermission.

See it if u want the younger, rowdier sibling of Cirque du Soleil. Mostly aerial acts. Wonderfully transparent staging: rigs, pulleys & counterweights

Don't see it if standing for 2 hours on hard surface; lack of polish/mysticism of CdS; sharp tonal shifts & wildly eclectic house band are not your thing.

See it if you want a tender & engaging portrait of a somewhat eccentric writer/illustrator that focuses less on his art and more on his personal life.

Don't see it if you are not into non-traditional staging including video projections, puppetry, and archival audio interviews. You want a linear narrative.

See it if you'd enjoy an exquisite comedy of manners that's brisk and sure-footed. Excellent costumes & wigs. Clever and snarky, in the best way!

Don't see it if you have zero tolerance for gossip, backbiting, sniping, plotting & lying... although the perpetrators are justly schooled in the end.

See it if u want a great old-fashioned romantic musical w/ charming cast, sweet & quirky songs, and a set that marries snow globe & pop-up storybook.

Don't see it if you have an aversion to saccharine romances, candy-colored sets, and endings tied up in a bow. You prefer new stories and big dance numbers.

See it if you want a window onto working-class British factory life in the 70's as men celebrate small victories and pleasures in a bleak canteen.

Don't see it if a 2-hour play on the near soul-crushing effects of low-paid shift work is not your cup of tea; if you have a low tolerance for crotch grabs.

See it if you wish to ponder whether the realm of private equity is vampiric capitalism or an unfortunate (necessary?) agent of Darwinian economics.

Don't see it if you're expecting the ratcheted-up dramatic tension or outsized egos of "Billions" or "Glengarry Glen Ross." This is more of a slow simmer.

See it if you enjoyed the second and third acts of "Noises Off!", here without the play-within-a-play/backstage premise but rather a marriage comedy.

Don't see it if madcap hijinks, innuendo & double entendre, over-the-top acting, and multiple quick character changes are not your thing. Light as meringue!

See it if you enjoy U.S. history set to music or shows poking fun at protagonists. Refreshing take on flawed congressmen *working* towards resolution.

Don't see it if you like your history tidy and full of heroes. The founding fathers are portrayed as haughty, petty, meek, drunk, greedy -- merely human.

See it if you'd enjoy a lesson on religious tolerance in the form of an extended parable. You appreciate translations using today's parlance.

Don't see it if you hope to learn anything about historical context (just after the Third Crusade) or religion(s). Emphasis is on message's timelessness.

See it if you want to mine the effects of familial dysfunction across several generations through a challenging narrative approach. You like puzzles.

Don't see it if you'd be confused by lead actors playing multiple generations of family members across time and space, sometimes with little differention.

See it if you want to consider the social & psychological effects of a "failing" school's slated closure on its teachers, students, and administrators

Don't see it if you feel that school closures based on test scores and graduation rates is a simple, black-and-white policy matter.

See it if u want a play that is to dementia what "A Curious Incident" is to autism: poignant insight into a lived experience via theatrical artistry.

Don't see it if u don't want to *feel* the disorientation and frustration brought on by a darkening mind, as the play is written and staged to do just that.

See it if you want a smart & in-your-face update on a classic replete with charming musical interludes, sly cultural critiques & stirring performances

Don't see it if you don't care for meta, f-bombs, angsty protagonists, shouting, philandering, gun violence, or edgy narrative devices... but see it anyway.

See it if u want a show about a character unable to change his stripes despite frequent, adamant proclamations about his great desire to do so. Talky.

Don't see it if you have a low threshold for narcissistic protagonists, albeit here hilariously clueless and ineffectual in attempts at redressing that fact

See it if you want a cerebral yet moving meditation on life/death/memory/dreams/the firmament that reveals itself as friends casually reminisce.

Don't see it if you do not want to ponder significant matters, piece together meaning from well-crafted fragments, listen vs. watch, OR leave w/o closure.

See it if you want to see the most precisely executed display of everything going sideways by theatrical geniuses playing imbeciles. Uproariously fun!

Don't see it if u have a low threshold for absurdist physical humor, hilariously dimwitted characters, or the play-within-a-play narrative device (times 3).

See it if you want "House of Lies" + Hannah Arendt + a "House, M.D." differential diagnosis on steroids & down a rabbit hole, w/ a dash of Neil LaBute

Don't see it if you don't want to listen attentively for clues amidst rapid-fire, frenetic dialog on a constantly moving target OR like conspiracy theories

See it if you want a show with everything: hootenannies, bandits, gold-diggers, evil stepmoms, imbeciles, murder plots, talking heads, talking birds!

Don't see it if you don't care for farce, mistaken identity romances, or bluegrass... But you should see it anyway because it's fantastic and so much fun!

See it if u want to ponder the myth of the American West in our era & relatedly the power of faith/ambition/self-delusion in forging on in tough times

Don't see it if you couldn't empathize w/ characters who use avoidance & fantasy as coping strategies as the global economy, and their household's, crumbles

See it if you want a coming-of-age tale that very much feels that it was written by a literate, 60 y.o. playwright making sense of his adolescence.

Don't see it if nostalgia steeped in literary references is not your thing or if you have no interest in examining the difficulties of one's mid-teen years.

See it if you want a play examining our collective need to establish our individual meaning vis-a-vis art or the artistic process, at great expense.

Don't see it if you do not want to tease out the significance of secondary and tertiary characters offstage that clutter the central story towards ambiguity