72 Miles to Go...

See it if a story which puts a FACE on the whole immigration situation our country is grappling with interests you.

Don't see it if you have ever attended a TRUMP Rally, every shouted the phrase of SEND THEM BACK where they came from, or you are a white nationalist.

See it if You like theater that reflects events and issues the country is currently dealing with.

Don't see it if You like theater that is escapism and draw less from current affairs.

Also I found both writing and acting to be mediocre. There are a few scenes that work, but I think the timeline gets in the plays way. Because of the time jumps characters are constantly asked to mouth lots of exposition about where they are in their lives that doesn't feel realistic.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a play about issues that are relevant to the country.

Don't see it if there are much better shows doing what this play, aims to do.

See it if You enjoy movie of the week type theater. It was funny and thought provoking with relevant subject matter but more for the masses.

Don't see it if You like to be challenged and enjoy edgy, smart theater.

See it if Relevant & Important story around immigration and its impact on a family. Timely. Well acted.

Don't see it if Issues of immigration are not for you. Needs streamlining. It's slow.

Also Most scenes, even though offering relevant plot overstay their welcome to the point of boredom
It's not the story as it is the storytelling that needs work.... Read more Read less

See it if Very timely story about immigration in the US. I enjoyed the story and it's well acted.

Don't see it if Show could use some trimming. Many scenes even though they were good felt like they went on too long.

See it if You’d like to see an interesting show, relevant topic but presented in a rather one note manner. Good actors struggle against direction.

Don't see it if You want to be challenged or hope to see something new/fresh. You can see the entire plot from a mile away as it plods along getting there.

Also This was ok...just ok. I ended up caring about the characters and there are a few moments of intense emotion but for the most part the whole show just moves along with no real highs or lows.... Read more Read less

See it if you're interested in an earnest & sympathetic portrayal of a family torn apart by US immigration policies at the US-Mexico border.

Don't see it if you expect a play about such a timely, controversial & important subject to be profound, provocative, original or emotionally impactful.

Also We spend way too much of the show watching one side of a series of phone conversations. This is theatrically moribund.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see every new play that deals in any way with the long-running immigration crisis at the border between the US & Mexico.

Don't see it if you like plays to have some spark of imagination.

Also “72 MILES TO GO” is an episodic saga that details the trials & tribulations of a part-Mexican/part-American family struggling to live together in the US over the Obama years. The play affords a few insights into how highly vulnerable human beings react to the unnecessary hardships foisted upon them by indefensible immigration strictures, & one deeply powerful image of a grown man’s reduction to child-like fear as he cowers & cries in exhausted desperation. Other than that, this play is TV for the stage, & mediocre TV at that. The set—by a designer responsible for a couple of the most sparkling off-B’way designs of the past few seasons—is drab even by the low standards of that most common generic stage set: the typical US house interior kitchen-living room combo. Director Jo Bonney has brought some of the most vital new plays of the past generation to stage in dazzling produtions; I am not sure what explains this one. Good intentions alone don’t make good theater.... Read more Read less

See it if interested in plight of immigrants & deportation impact, enjoy family stories, parental/step-parent issues, seeing Latina characters

Don't see it if immigration/deportation subject can be frustrating & worrying, don't like too many offstage characters, lengthy time jumps disturbing,

See it if Fractured Latinx fam ripped from headlines ripped apart by uncertainty of headlines."No matter what horrible thing you fled, it's not enuf"

Don't see it if Citizenship fatigue:DAKA.Border.Re-entry.Amnesty.Deported.Migrant."Maybe I can get my status adjusted/Don't judge me because I'm an illegal"

Also "Love has no borders/There's a right way to obey the laws/They stole our future/Request for re-entry/What if people ask about Mom?/I don't want you to feel alone/I am alone"... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a drama involving immigrant issues such as DACA. Good acting and interesting story. Very sympathetic view.

Don't see it if you do not support illegal immigration or disagree with DACA policy. This play doesn't show the bad effects of illegal immigration.

See it if You speak fluent Spanish otherwise you'll miss many words. You like talky dramas and many boring scenes with only 2 characters in some.

Don't see it if You don't like fart jokes or lengthy political speechifying like at high school graduation. Or hear their human trafficking tales.

See it if you want to see a play that deals with the struggles a family deals with trying to get immigration

Don't see it if It will bother you to see a play with so much potential fall a bit short

Also This is one of those rare plays that I really like but feel extremely disappointed leaving the theater. There is a ton of potential here. The outline of the play and all the chapters are excellent. But the sentences within the chapters are far from perfect.
During the anniversary scene and what I will call the close call scene both of these tender moments should have been a knockout punch to make the tears fall from your eyes. The scenes were well done and well acted but they missed an opportunity for the knockout.
At times they did capture perfectly the struggle of what this family was going through but there were other times that it was missed... Read more Read less

See it if Want another immigration story that looks at family dynamics, DACA, border crossings, our unending dilemma.

Don't see it if Expect story to be emotional, moving, insightful. This one flatlines w arc-less story that disappoints almost from 1st scene.

See it if You want to see new plays dealing with current issues.

Don't see it if You want a well written emotionally involving play.

See it if live theatre about DACA, emigration, emigrant family, deportation, border crossings, enlisting, floats boat

Don't see it if Hallmark effort on serious subject matter, much conducted over speakerphone would disappoint U, think it has 2 do with politics, it does

See it if you enjoy a fair play about family separation due to immigration issues

Don't see it if you prefer fast paced stories

See it if You are interested in Mexican immigration to the US.

Don't see it if You want an absorbing story. This rambles, goes nowhere, is repetitious and slow. Lots of yelling. One character heard only on telephone.

Also Dialogue like a bad sit-com. Sound in theater needs updating!

See it if invested in immigration stories, family dramas, supporting female playwrights and directors, and/or intrigued by new, realistic works.

Don't see it if you are tired of the “political” and timely works, need lots of action or excitement, or seeking something more than “kitchen table” drama.

Also I wasn’t fully sure what to expect from 72 Miles to Go, though I’m piqued by immigration and family dramas, finding them resonant. I was nicely shocked at how quickly I was drawn into this world, how 95 minutes spent with this Mexican-American family was enough to make me feel like I knew them, was there with them, and wanted to console them. Bobby Moreno’s Christian is particularly empathetic as an older and illegal half-brother constantly watching over his shoulder. One triggering close-call in particular is simply yet believably handled. The rich feeling of love among the family members is clear, even if most of deported-mom Anita’s “scenes” are via telephone. We watch nearly a decade of a split family go to war, with other countries and themselves. We witness coming-of-age and coming-apart. Ultimately, we, like the characters, are at a crossroads where “right” and “wrong” are only ambiguous terms for the same situation and where risks are made in the name of boundary-less love.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in problems of illegal immigrants, their effects on families, governmental injustice toward immigrants & family distress.

Don't see it if you desire a serious play about the plight of illegal immigrants that demands a strong emotional response but does not fulfill this promise.

See it if immigration as an issue is of interest or importance to you, or if you like family-based dramas.

Don't see it if you have had enough of the immigration debate or simply don't care about a family torn by current policies. It was hard to hear-get device!

See it if You want to see a powerful & compelling dram on an American family & how they are impacted by the current US immigration policy.

Don't see it if You want a fun musical or comedy, this is not your show.

Also It is extremely hard to review this important & weighty drama without being critical of the current political climate. Knowledge is truth & truth will set MOST people free!... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a depiction of the effects of a family member being deported. It's a relevant topic calling for a more cohesive presentation

Don't see it if you want to understand all the dialogue. Sounds were muffled, especially phone calls. Almost 2 hours without an intermission.

See it if You’re okay with a very low-key approach to a family’s difficulties, their day-to-day struggles to make a better life for themselves.

Don't see it if You’re looking for high drama and histrionics.

Also As I was watching I thought the plot could have been more interesting, but I was surprised to find I was very moved at the end. So I guess this play sneaks up on you rather than hitting you over the head.... Read more Read less