A Parallelogram NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (179)
See it if you want to be entertained by some nutty ideas...that maybe aren't so nutty
Don't see it if you have no sense of humor, or don't like great acting and fantastic set changes Read more
See it if You like speculative illogical sci-fi. It requires thought, which is always a good thing, and while we do not like these people, it was fun.
Don't see it if You need things to make sense, which this doesn't, even on it's own terms, or you need a satisfying conclusion. But unclench, and go anyway.
See it if you you want to see an interestingly staged play about seeing our older self & what the future holds and trying to change it for the better.
Don't see it if you aren't a fan of plays that predict the future and go back &forth in time even though done very cleverly and not at all confusing.
See it if Clever Bruce Norris scenario of a young woman encountering her older self. Anita Gillette is endearingly hilarious.
Don't see it if Kind of slight, but we really enjoyed it. When they magically replay scenes, you can see how well the actors know their parts.
See it if Phenomenal staging and very good acting.
Don't see it if The first 40mins or so are very much expendable. The script is rather banal at times and reuses the same conceit over and over.
See it if enjoy thought provoking drama that will spark memories - good & bad!
Don't see it if can not sit thru a drama that will challenge the audience to be attentive.
See it if Well acted entertaining show--surprised at how much I ( and others I spoke with afterwards) liked it
Don't see it if Somewhat depressing show bother you.
See it if Woman repeats parts of her life while talking to an older version of herself. Interesting philosophies, clever acting and staging.
Don't see it if A bit repetitive in spots. More intellectual than emotionally engaging. Characters are humorous but lack depth.
Critic Reviews (31)
“Norris has tackled some of life’s thorniest issues and difficult questions with an almost unprecedented mixture of honesty, humor and fearlessness. Those qualities are in evidence once more in ‘A Parallelogram’...a top-notch production under Greif’s remarkably assured direction…What could come off as mere intellectual pretension instead feels very real thanks to the efforts of this extraordinary cast…May not be Norris’ finest work, but I nonetheless implore you to make the time to see it!”
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"Having just seen the first New York production of this gently nihilistic comedy, I think I’ll never forget it...Keenan-Bolger’s gift as an actress is to keep her façade abnormally placid while revealing what’s just below the surface, as well as what’s wrenching her gut. Michael Greif’s direction pairs her beautifully with Gillette…In the end, its message is a downer, but the play is thrilling to watch while it’s there in front of us.”
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“Although there are metaphysical elements involved in the premise, don’t let that worry you. You don’t need to understand them to enjoy the play…Did I mention that the play is also very funny?...The production is first-rate: the cast is uniformly excellent, the direction by Michael Greif is sharp…The play has more to appeal to the intellect and the funny bone than to the heart. It runs a bit long too. But it you want to see a quirky example of superb stagecraft, I highly recommend it.”
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“A powerful theme and the playwright does afford some fascinating explorations of this existential dilemma, but the central shtick of redoing scenes gets repetitive long before the evening ends. There are also several holes in the plot…The adept four-person cast brings much shading to these confused characters…Norris has previously presented complex and layered puzzles in his plays…But ‘Parallelogram’ comes across as a one-joke sketch stretched out to two acts."
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"A super cast and Greif’s sharp staging of Norris’s snappy dialogue, characterizations, and provocative insights, make for an entertaining if sometimes overextended journey...Some of the ideas become repetitive. But the concepts with which the playwright deals are intriguing...He succeeds in laying them out in often hilarious situations and conversation...And hovering over everything is the superb, memorable, and enjoyable performance by Gillette."
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"Bright performances and a smartly designed production (neatly staged by Greif) mitigate somewhat the sorrowful essence of Norris’s seriocomic tale. As the show progresses, it is possible that you will be able to overlook the not-altogether-credible sci-fi mechanics of the play to more pleasurably focus upon the characters...The dialogue is brisk, and so is Greif’s pacing; the half-dozen-odd 'Groundhog Day'-type repetitions in time are amusing. And the performances overall are persuasive."
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"Norris is a master of the snappy line...Director Greif is a master stager of all kinds of material and he's adept here as well, working hard to delineate the time shifts...The show also has a top-notch cast...But neither the good acting nor the jocular dialogue made me care about either of the Bees or the men in their life. In the end, the only takeaway the play could offer up is that life is better when people are nice to one another. Which...I knew going in."
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“A puzzling, static meditation on determinism and free will that never coalesces satisfyingly…Keenan-Bolger as Bee has little to do but embody quiet desperation, looking blank and frustrated…Jay’s behavior marks him as a playwright’s construct; nothing about it rings true…Although there are several interesting ideas at play, the whole leaves one stymied…One must depend on the performances for satisfaction…It’s Gillette who soars…She’s the production’s best asset.”
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