20 Seconds NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (135)
See it if you're interested in the autobiographical story of a man's childhood and how he became who he is today
Don't see it if you're looking for a large elaborate production
See it if you want a laugh/cry for 90 minutes; his true story is so compelling; and he presents it with such passion. I was engaged the whole time.
Don't see it if one person shows don't interest. Make an exception in this case; you will not be bored!
See it if you want to have a heartfelt, engaging experience in the theatre.
Don't see it if you don't want to see a play about a turbulent childhood. See it anyway.
See it if Extremely relevant. See it if you want to see a story that is important to discuss. Amazing outcomes. Caring people. Incredible
Don't see it if Do not want to see family dynamics at their worst.
See it if Absolutely a wonderful show! A story of healing and moving on to heal others! Don't miss this one!
Don't see it if If you don't want to hear about domestic violent or mental illness,then skip this show.Even if you don't like one man shows, see this anyway
See it if you too find healing, hope, and endless comfort in the presence of music and in a story of a similar soul. Very moving and not to be missed
Don't see it if you're uncomfie with evocations of physical or emotional abuse or of mental illness. Even then, it's humbling to bear witness to Tom's story
See it if you enjoy great story telling. There are tough moments, sweet moments, and funny moments.
Don't see it if the retelling of childhood trauma will be painful for you
See it if you want to see a one person show performed by the author. He exposes his life story living under extreme family situations.
Don't see it if if you don't want to see a one person show. The actors plays multiple roles exposing his difficulty with suicide, mental illness
Critic Reviews (3)
Sweitzer inhabits over a dozen characters in this play entitled "20 Seconds: A Play with Music," albeit two of them are him when young and him telling us the story now…two people he knows intimately. He is never so broad as to suggest caricature. His female characters are vibrant and flesh-and-blood enough for you to suspend disbelief that you aren’t actually seeing his mom Kathy, and Erdean, and Ms. Ruth, the fleabag hotel manager, and Denise, the girl next door, and finally his creation, Vivian Delgrosso, a drag homage to the Italian women his mom’s age. He brings the same depth to his male characters, with the masterpiece being his sadistic, yet eventually repentant father Tom.
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“While ’20 Seconds’ almost feels like an advertisement for his non-profit organization, it’s really an affirmation of why he makes music and how one man can build a better future.”
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Sweitzer does a decent job of capturing his autobiographical selections, but the material, for all its sincere inspirational goals, is not especially interesting, illuminating, unique, funny, or, sad to say, inspirational. His acting covers the spectrum from buffoonery to sentimentality to operatic Weltschmerz, but the personalities he introduces are mundane, and, occasional ripples of laughter aside, the comedy tends toward flatness.
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