Susie 6156

See it if A wonderful cast, a bright stage, a pretty good story are all in its favor. Ashley Park’s intuitive mining of character Jess is excellent.

Don't see it if Often felt like a retread of examining marriage in its late stages with nothing particularly new to explore..

See it if A modern-day musical based on the Macbeth story is your style. Song & book quality at dinner theater level, acting fine.

Don't see it if You expect sophisticated parody of a classic play. Jokes are obvious & reliance on gratuitous swearing overused. Just falls flat.

See it if A beautifully crafted stage show of Byrne’s oeuvre that will have you on your feet. Don’t know the songs? Still infectiously joyous.

Don't see it if I didn’t know the songs, so the title still bemuses & the show was a tad long, but the production’s energy & talent is inspired.

See it if A diatribe against breakdown of democratic society invoking different historical eras. Large cast of good actors.

Don't see it if You appreciate subtlety. Yes, times are scary & only if we act can things change but is Kushner so frustrated that harangue is only choice?

See it if Gorgeous, exuberant panoply of black women’s experiences told through spoken & sung words & dance. Cast of talented actors.

Don't see it if Unfortunately, what was ground-breaking a generation ago - telling the story of marginalized people - drifts into rueful nostalgia today.

See it if ... you thought K-Pop had original staging, this was groundbreaking in ‘70’s. Provocative & sly, charming & angry, pyrrhic call to action

Don't see it if A few important lines seem rushed; the play invokes the ‘30’s but doesn’t follow through, but I’m nitpicking an important production.

See it if ...a story about the events in one’s life that influence forever played by a variety of “Chris”. Needs to go deeper.

Don't see it if ...the appearance of a character before 1st scene to explain what the play is about worries you. It’s not that mysterious.

See it if Anna Deveare Smith takes oral history & creates art. Michael Benjamin Washington is a revelation on stage. Fascinating work.

Don't see it if the words of witnesses to tragic events in Crown Hts. in 1991 woven into a play voiced by one actor isn’t appealing. Just a tad dated.

See it if Two-hander about broken marriage & 2 people who deserve each other. Funny, occasionally poignant, more often revealing.

Don't see it if Dark as it is, this is an entertainment. If you want deep drama about universality of human condition, look elsewhere.

See it if You are interested in black women’s susceptibility to exploitation on several levels.

Don't see it if The playwright, a successful actress, received rave reviews for a play in which I could not figure out the topic until I read those reviews.

See it if You’re interested in a good idea that’s been overworked. Tiresome book with rhyming, banal lyrics. Game cast & band, nice set.

Don't see it if You enjoyed the original novel. The flights of fancy make little sense & very little of Einstein is revealed.

See it if You enjoy essentially one person performance, story delivered in prose & song in 2 connected one-act plays. Emotional but not angry.

Don't see it if You are not interested in ruminative visit to 1961 & 1988 rural Arkansas on spare stage. Second part is slow.

See it if The show begins brightly and absorbingly with a fresh look at history that might have been had women been in charge.

Don't see it if The end bogs down in self-indulgent, even embarrassing, rant on womenhood, motherhood and feminism. Even a feminist will have issues with it

See it if Interesting premise where two young religious Jews deal with observance & commitment. Some strong acting; engaging first part.

Don't see it if There’s a problem with long soliloquy & ending & 2 main characters have little chemistry but overall an interesting voice.

See it if What if all black people in the US left? How would this directive be received? Clever premise, some strong, talented acting.

Don't see it if The show is loud & in-your-face. Some may find language offensive. Issue: some of best almost poetic lines are rushed & unintelligible

See it if A totally absorbing appreciation of a sad era of American history where dignity is given to those who suffered via musical interpretation.

Don't see it if Elegiac in fact & in effect, there is a necessary slow pace to the hour-long show but it’s not a criticism.

See it if One man piece about Hollywood black-listing interspersed with sweet if old jokes.

Don't see it if Rare for NYC, the material is better than the actor. This play deserves another production with a more nuanced portrayal.

See it if An interesting quasi-historical, social disquisition on the fate of black women’s role in history told in a swath of connected scenes.

Don't see it if Sometimes the stories are lost in the frenzied change of characters & scenes, 6 women playing many roles, but action is always exciting.

See it if Ethan Hawke: you’ve never imagined line readings as he can deliver. Mad, scary & endearing. Pau Dano: coiled emotions adroitly portrayed.

Don't see it if An over-the-top Cain & Abel story with physical violence that’s unclear in its final intention. Kind of a thrill ride; see it for the acting

See it if Pleasant production about a teen & his mother missing his father, his emotional need for a superhero & the one he finds.

Don't see it if Unfortunate, thin characterizations, banal lyrics & changes of range that do not improve the melodies keep this musical from being memorable

See it if Intense two-hander evolves from romance to drama in tightly plotted 70 minutes. Achingly sensitive as lovers try to understand each other.

Don't see it if Very emotive and well done, but occasionally the messages, important as they are, overwhelm the interplay between actors.

See it if A cross gender affectionate paean to a dramatic talented hair band.

Don't see it if The drama never rises to anything authentic. Is it played for laughs or pathos?

See it if Classic Irish theater, remarkably well-observed characterizations, every human emotion & historical, too in under 2 hours.

Don't see it if All the actors have Irish accents but the language is so lyrical that a few missed words hardly matter.

See it if Carnal, blistering adaptation of Miss Julie. Lots of symbolism.

Don't see it if Heavy-handed, melodramatic interpretation hampered by unintelligible and/or hit-or-miss accents. To be fair, some of the audience loved it.

See it if A poignant, honest look at a family dealing with the scourge of senility with love, dignity & humor and the most perfect cast anywhere.

Don't see it if Not everyone likes drama to contain such realistic issues, but the play encompasses all the emotions a family feels. My favorite Lonergan.

See it if Interpretation of German play about culpability of community in crime. A warning posing as a play.

Don't see it if Strong cast declaims rather than acts. Enormous sets intentionally dwarf actors. Intentionally lacks subtlety.

See it if Coming-of-age story in Ireland in ‘80’s with lots of music, both of the period & original, & mostly excellent talent. Still needs honing.

Don't see it if Not quite up to the intimacy of the movie & characterizations are thin & female lead is often flat but all can be fixed before opening.

See it if Impending tragedy in a fine exploration of frustrated lives well-played in a confined space attracts you. Lyrical language, tight direction

Don't see it if You prefer not to see or hear of men’s violence & women’s complicity. Some lines lost to Irish accents.

See it if You’re a Hnath fan. Smaller, tighter, more intimate piece than his Broadway shows. Concerns the place where this world & other worlds meet.

Don't see it if Clever but not deep & definitely manipulative. If you’re not one for otherworldliness, you may be bored,

Also In previews, sight lines to the stage, even from the 3rd row, were very poor. Mgmt is aware, so should be improvement going forward. Try to sit in 1st or beyond 6th row.... Read more Read less

See it if A gritty yet almost hopeful story of lives of women in a shelter. Lots of threads stay well-rendered. SAG’s most accessible play, I think

Don't see it if A 3-hour play is more than you can enjoy. Definitely needs pruning. While affecting & well-acted, issues residents deal with are predictable

See it if ..a drama concerning this year’s celebrated author & a visitor from her past is interesting. Not newest topic but smart editing & good pace.

Don't see it if Somehow the actors, while loud, don’t come alive which detracts from story. Less volume, more subtlety would help.

See it if Passion viewed through cool detachment, betrayal in every relationship, triangle based on playwright’s life. Chilling yet affecting.

Don't see it if Story is clear from curtain rise & its history is slowly dealt out. Quiet, slow delivery can either keep you enthralled or allow distraction

See it if ...political & personal reaction to a physical attack & 2016 election done up in song & dance w references to The King & I attracts you

Don't see it if ...you expect finished product. Plot needs editing, lead actress seems weary, too many directions for 105 minute show. 1st act entertaining.

See it if Did you like Motown? It’s nearly impossible not to have fun. Are the Temptations reincarnated? No, but the facsimiles are better dancers!

Don't see it if Please remember this is a Broadway show, not a rock concert. There’s no need to shout David Ruffin’s name - you’re watching an actor.

See it if Here in NY we rarely meet serious right-wing discussions in the theater. The conversations are deep & deeply felt. Eye-opening & meaningful.

Don't see it if There is some humor but also quite a lot of Roman Catholic philosophy. Not impenetrable, just new territory to explore for some.

See it if You love Shakespeare done right- witty, emotive, smacking of danger. Great, spare staging & Richard! Sly, winning, definitively narcissistic

Don't see it if This is a 3 hour production and if you sit in the first 4 rows you have to look up at the stage.

See it if You find male exploration of rage under-explored topic. Well-edited, appropriate discourse among 3 men on truth, God, good & evil.

Don't see it if You want a deep exploration of perception & fear of being revealed. Glances off a lot of topic but wrapped up in male sparring.

See it if Nice story about marriage & loss with musical accompaniment. Nothing ground-breaking but appealing cast & more than decent singing.

Don't see it if Some voices are not strong enough, some lyrics are lost in the strongest voice & closing song panders to bad taste but overall endearing.

See it if You are a John Guare fan. A play about memories, real and reconceived, that goes a wild & long way round to get to conclusion.

Don't see it if A rather indulgent visit to the past. Hard to figure out just what Guare wants audience to understand & sometimes too self-conscious.

See it if Story of empathy training in corporate office hits expected notes in an outsized, over-the-top manner with clever acting.

Don't see it if Slightly manic tone may mask real pain, some roles are not quite distinguishable from others, but message needs to be reiterated.

Also A fellow patron was complaining about the misogynistic tone of the play to all who could hear. Men’s power in the workplace, however, has not been allayed by laws or by what is often dismissed as overly p.c. assertions so women remain at risk. This play is not perfect in tone but the “old boy’s club” mentality continues to exist in far too many situations & is fair game for examination.... Read more Read less

See it if Two couples face the fallout of bullying in this timely, emotional, believable story. Characters are plausible & relatable,

Don't see it if Emotions run very high so be aware that the discussion is frank,

See it if Sharply intuitive first scene of a woman’s unhappy life is excellent. Fine acting, nice set

Don't see it if Something unpleasantly accusatory in depiction of unfulfilled life. If one is unhappy to say one is either a shrew or insane Is belittling.

See it if Story of the danger of beauty acted, danced & intoned con brio. Appealing set & costumes.

Don't see it if A not very sophisticated if heartfelt cautionary tale. Needs greater depth & editing.

See it if Jeremy O. Harris is angry. His play pulls from Greek tragedy & modern themes. Lots of male nudity & strong acting.

Don't see it if Too many themes, too much histrionics & too long but you probably will want to have seen this production.

See it if Two fine actors perform monologues in two sad stories of loss. Love & heartbreak well acted.

Don't see it if Too large a performance space for these intimate plays. Also, topics & protagonists are too similar so little more is revealed in 2nd piece.

See it if Even when one does good works, ethics are compromised & one has to deal with that knowledge. Strong actors, in particular Sriram.

Don't see it if A little bit preachy but clever & quick enough to hold audience attention.

See it if Powerfully entertaining story of black actress’s 1930’s experience. Slightly hysterical writing/schizophrenic in point of view

Don't see it if First act is far too long & even misleading as to where story resolves so stay for second even if you are baffled or irritated.

See it if Immersion in one of the great American novels, charmingly related, innovatively staged. A long time to sit but so well paced.

Don't see it if This is an 8 hour production. One or two of the actors are not quite up to the ability of the others.

See it if Funny bitter look at a terrible marriage. Think Scandinavian 19th century “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” or “War Between the Roses”

Don't see it if You don’t want to believe love and hate can coexist between a long-married couple married

See it if Family history & issues are spun as different members unwillingly share information. Sort of refreshing/sort of diabolical.

Don't see it if If you're not comfortable with lots of high volume anger, this is not for you.