Suzanne B 6302

See it if You'd enjoy an evening with Eastern European Shakespearean fortune tellers in a shipping container in a junkyard (uh, recycling center)

Don't see it if You don't like experimental, immersive Shakespeare or Balkan style music, the smell of compost and a close, dark playing space

Also Makbet felt like a real adventure. The players greeted the audience as we entered the recycling yard in Bushwick with song, dance, liquor and a bonfire. We then sat on milk crates inside a shipping container for the performance. Three actors deftly switched between all the parts, with high energy, and lots more Balkan singing from the supporting cast. Don't expect deep character studies in Makbet - but the overall conception brought out the ritual aspects of the weird sisters and the dark descent of the "Makbets" - my favorite moments were the quietest ones, when you could hear the drip of the rain on the metal roof. The eerie glint of the low level lighting in audience members eyeglasses was reminiscent of "Sleep No More." Overall, I enjoyed this experience.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to be in the pie shop where it happens

Don't see it if For some inexplicable reason you dislike Stephen Sondheim

Also Fabulous cast, in yer face staging. Norm Lewis is a powerful Sweeney and Carolee Carmelo simply IS Mrs Lovett. If you have the time and money to come early for pie, it is delicious and the pre-show atmosphere in the pie shop is a lot of fun. Chef Bill Yosses, nick-named "The Crustmaster" by Pres. Obama, makes a damn tasty pie, and his crew dishes out the mash with glee. Certain seats require a lot of twisting and turning. If you don't fancy that, then choose seats against one of the walls, or cheaper seats in the back or balcony. I loved having look around to catch the action. Sweeney pulled a hair from my head to test his razor. Aaaah! Now that's immersive theater. Even the piano player was an unforgettable character in this brilliantly conceived and executed (!) production. Wonderful!!!... Read more Read less

See it if You'd like to see the gap between the classes done British style, a sort of Alan Ackbourne version of Lynn Nottage's Sweat

Don't see it if You want the comedy to last through both acts.

Also The first act is funny as the upper crusty newcomers to a northern Brit town try to get to know their neighbors who have lived there all their lives. Second act takes a darker turn, and is ultimately quite moving. Good acting from all four players. I found the writing for the working class couple more believable and compelling than the "well educated" couple who behaved like stuck up prigs. Maybe they made me uncomfortable! Do I come across like that?... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy immersive dance theater, audience participation, following the actor/dancers around the space

Don't see it if You have mobility issues, are uncomfortable with standing for 90 minutes, direct contact with the performers, sexual and racial themes

Also This show is for people who have followed every Sleep No More loop and still want more. This show has a much smaller playing area than Sleep No More, and is a much less complex piece. Ostensibly telling through dance and some speaking the story of men going to fight in Workd War II and their families, there were few moments of real emotional depth. Themes of race, sexuality and ethnicity were touched on without offering much new insight. During the show, recorded music shifted from World Wat 2 era standards to more contemporary music which didn't suit the period. Sometimes the audience interaction with the actors was engaging and sometimes just plain silly. I did enjoy the evening but it was more like adult playtime than theater.... Read more Read less

See it if You like farce, physical comedy and some zingers about contemporary society delivered straight from Old Russia at the time of the Czar

Don't see it if A silly, farcical tale of government corruption cuts too close to reality for you

Also I loved the high energy of the great cast, the bright colors and lighting, the unique staging, Michael Urie's charming performance as the faux Inspector and the terrific program notes! I had fun. Felt like I spent the afternoon in the town of Chelm, or maybe Washington DC.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a powerful one- woman show about an angry Welsh woman with addiction issues who gets pregnant and has a tough time

Don't see it if Raw language offends, or you would have trouble understanding a rural Welsh accent

Also Tour-de-force performance - in turns, painful, funny, and ultimately moving. A view of what must be the Welsh equivalent of the rust belt from the perspective of a young woman with no prospects and lots of problems.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in the backstory of the Oslo accords or in general how people can learn to compromise and work together

Don't see it if Historical plays bore you and you are looking for something light.

Also Nice use of humor to keep interest. Fine cast all around, especially Jefferson Mayes and Jennifer Ehle... Read more Read less

See it if If you like Sarah Ruhl's work and want to see her latest piece. See it if you like Marissa Tomei who is terrific in this play

Don't see it if Polyamory & nudity offend you

Also Other Sarah Ruhl plays that I have seen were odd in the most intriguing way. The first act of this play is really very funny. The second act rather odd but not as intriguing. Great cast throughout... Read more Read less

See it if You like the work of Lynn Nottage, realistic drama with heart

Don't see it if You are not interested in the lives of Factory workers in Reading, PA

Also Engrossing look into the lives of folks struggling in middle America

See it if Your would enjoy the fabulous Jo Lambert and a stage full of good looking guys dance to tuneless rock music with bad lyrics.

Don't see it if you are expecting Talking Heads or Here Lies Love level material

Also I felt like my car broke down in the Texas Panhandle so I spent the evening at a local Christian High School watching the musical written by their band director... Read more Read less

See it if If you want to see Shakespeare's take on the cynicism of politicians and the fickleness of public opinion.

Don't see it if You dislike Shakespearean language and/or blood.

See it if You are an indie theater nerd and will relate to the ultimate indie theater nerd

Don't see it if The recitation of lists of off off Broadway plays that you haven't seen will put you to sleep

Also I admire Chris Harcum's commitment to bring to life Martin Denton's passion for theater even though there is not much "drama" to his life story. Like a play within a play, Harcum's portrayal of Denton drooling over plays of the past is like a love letter within a love letter. Marisol Rose-Shapiro plays a number of people in Denton's life, mainly Denton's mother, with wit, energy and charm. Denton and his mother are the "odd couple" for sure, and are as delightful as Klugman and Randall. I admit that I had never heard of Martin Denton before I saw this play, so maybe I was not the target audience, but I still enjoyed the repartee between Denton and the people in his life, including the audience which seemed to be primarily composed of actors and writers who had been reviewed by nytheatre.com.... Read more Read less

See it if You'd enjoy a pleasant evening under a tent on the lovely grounds of Boscobel in Cold Spring NY and a beautiful view of the Hudson River

Don't see it if If you would be bored by historical fiction about how two actors from Shakespeare's company published the first folio of his works

Also There's history, comedy, and tragedy in the Book of Will, but this ain't Shakespeare, or Tom Stoppard neither. For a new play it's pretty predictable standard fare. Some teasers of Will's actual lines thrown in here and there for the hardcore fans, as well as the requisite contemporary anachronistic slang and foul language new plays seem to require. The historical basis of this play is intriguing - why and how Shakespeare's colleagues strove to publish the first folio, but the writing didn't move me. Boscobel is lovely and really worth the trip, so it was a
pleasant outing, even if the play was uninspired. I had a nice day in the country and I now know more about the publication of the first folio than I did before. Come and picnic on the grass before the performance. The company even provides the bug spray!... Read more Read less

See it if Shakespeare's take on sexual harassment and abuse of power would be meaningful to you. Cara Ricketts is a powerfully compelling Isabella

Don't see it if If you think Shakespeare shouldn't make you think. Or if you don't like seeing sex toys with your Shakespeare

Also If you go to a matinee performance like I did, be prepared for an older crowd who aren't comfortable with seeing dildos and butt plugs. Walking through the pre-show "brothel" with the matinee crowd was a show in itself. On viewing the s & m leather display one grey haired patron remarked, "this is what happens when you don't trust the playwright." Other attendees were grumbling loudly about the sins of "modern dress." Probably better to avoid marinees and go in the evening. Overall solid cast with many fine performances. Clear that Shakespeare understood the abuse women experience. Don't knock yourself out to make it to the pre-show - it's an attempt to inject a little immersive theater into the performance and it's not necessary to see the pre-show to appreciate the actual performance.... Read more Read less

See it if You love free Shakespeare in the Park

Don't see it if If you like Trump or if you want a cogent, thoughtful conception of the play.

Also The satire about Trump,as Caesar although apt and amusing in places undercut the momentum of the play. The performance I saw was early in previews so perhaps they will fix some of the problems by the time it opens.... Read more Read less

See it if Whether you've like "part 1" or not because part 2 stands on its own as a witty 21st c play about relationships & self, gender & privilege

Don't see it if You are an Ibsen purist. You don't like curse words

Also this play was not what I was expecting. It surprised me in a good way. Clever concept, concise writing, superb acting all around serve to draw the viewer into a new view of Helmer family relationships. Brilliant use of a minimal set and a Kleenex box... Read more Read less

See it if You would like a dark absurdist play with great dancing that falls somewhere between Beckett and Martin McDonagh but isn't as good

Don't see it if You hate absurdist theater, flashing lights, blackouts, blood, and like a play with a plot

Also This was a hard review to write because I actually like dark absurdist plays but not this one. I sat next to some Irish people who were laughing heartily and gave the play a standing O, so maybe I just didn't get it.... Read more Read less

See it if You can never get enough Shakespeare and like to see eager young actors putting their hearts into delivering a lively, intimate show .

Don't see it if You are bothered by a very abridged version with not much depth or subtlety

Also College-level acting with a few stand-outs. Some of the actors are also musicians and play classic rock music during the show and at intermission. The cast is certainly earnest and likeable, and trying hard to please.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in Sholom Asch and Yiddish theater, and theater artists pushing boundaries in pre-war Europe.

Don't see it if You are looking for a light evening of theater. Don't see it if you dont like klezmer music,

Also Saw it in previews. Solid cast playing multi roles. Takes effort to follow in some spots, but I felt it was worth the effort. David Dorfman's choreography contributed beautifully to the story-telling. Run has been extended so go!... Read more Read less

See it if You would enjoy August Wilson's masterfully written dialogue performed by a superb cast.

Don't see it if You would not be interested to be a fly on the wall in a livery cab dispatch office in Pittsburgh

Also Great play, great cast- so glad I went to see Jitney. Life-affirming!

See it if You wonder about Muslim life America.

Don't see it if contrived and confusing plot lines bother you.

Also I saw this play with someone who had seen it in a previous workshop production and highly recommended it. She was disappointed in the Playwrights version, saying it didn't have the intensity the actors in the Chautauqua production brought to the piece.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a human being.

Don't see it if You don't want to be blown away.