Accidentally Brave NYC Reviews and Tickets

"Maddie Corman, giving a riveting performance, mostly as herself...'Accidentally Brave' does not offer answers...I wanted to see, rather than just hear as an anecdote, how Ms. Corman came to understand her husband as someone who isn’t evil but unwell, poisoned by pornography. And how she came to stand by him, as her wedding vows promised...The monologue form being what it is, Ms. Corman’s performance is more convincing with the negatives than with the positives."
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"Standing ovation for Maddie Corman...'Accidentally Brave' goes beyond play or performance; as directed by collaborator Kristin Hanggi, the 90-minute piece is an example of drama therapy...It's riveting, personal theater, but it is also truly harrowing...There are no easy answers, and there's no skirting the fact that this play will make a lot of people ethically, morally, and physically uncomfortable. But 'Accidentally Brave' is a must-see for all of those reasons."
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"Corman discusses her pain and frustration with admirable honesty...Remarkably, 'Accidentally Brave' never strays far from being a love story, or at least one that tests the boundaries of love. Despite moments of expressing pure hatred for her husband, she doesn't stop loving him. And there's extraordinary power and bravery within her compassion, making 'Accidentally Brave' a truly uplifting experience that allows you to believe that one day Maddie Corman will be okay."
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"Throughout the piece, Ms. Corman embodies the characters in her narrative, including her children, friends, therapists, and an Angel who gets her to completely own the situation...The production at the DR2 Theatre has just the right space to give an intimate feel. It is almost like Ms. Corman is in her living room having an inner monologue...After listening to her truth and trying to understand her dilemma, I came away with a sort of empathy for the situation."
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“Extraordinary solo show...Corman’s show is about how, day by day, she charts a way forward for herself...Corman tells her story with enormous tact and, whenever possible, humor, neither of which obscure the profound trauma that has been her lot. Surely, the director, Hanggi, has played a key role here, seeing to it that the star never strikes a sour or maudlin note in detailing the gradual process by which her shattered family puts itself back together."
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"As she repeats more than once, Corman wants to pass along lessons she’s learned, often handing out tips for the similarly troubled among her audience. But there’s no mistaking that she’s continuing to talk to herself, to buck herself up, to face her irreversibly skewed world. She may have been accidentally brave before, but there’s no missing that she’s deliberately brave now. Good on her."
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“Corman is personable, engaging and mildly comical but ‘Accidentally Brave’ comes across as a self-conscious vehicle to showcase her presumed tremendous talents. A recreation of her howling reaction to the revelations is painfully awkward, and there’s a lot of overdone character voices and mugging. For some, her grandiose histrionics will culminate in a heartfelt standing ovation. Others, may find her pampered socialite persona vapid and her aim of wanting to help others disingenuous.”
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"She can't tell her husband's story or her children's story, because it's not hers to tell. This is a smart move because it keeps the show from becoming salacious or feeling like she is capitalizing on a tragedy...She is able to find humor at the appropriate times, giving the audience opportunities for much needed laughs, without ever making light of her husband's horrific actions. Sometimes the writing does veer a little too much into self-help territory."
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"It is to Corman’s credit, and to her director Kristin Hanggi, that they have crafted an evening that is pitched at exactly the right level of revealing personal drama (and trauma), that still leaves room for one’s own feelings...Though this unique play takes us to some very dark places, it is a journey. And though I use the word 'happily' with caution, it is one of empathy and compassion—and well worth seeing."
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"A one-woman, true story, one act play, or a 90-minute therapy session. The actor tells the story first person. Only first person. No one else’s account but of Maddie Corman. This is commendable. Painstakingly it is clear she can only speak to and answer questions about what she knows firsthand and has experienced...This is a heart wrenching journey (don’t you hate that expression Maddie asks the audience) through an unimaginable addiction."
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"What is so smart about her writing are her insights on the behavior of her friends (those who mean well and those who probably didn't); her own unwillingness to accept that other people's problems - both those she met while visiting Alexander in rehab or, later while attending 12-step programs - were just as difficult and horrible, in their own way, as hers; and her frank admissions about how she was just as upset about the small changes to her life as the big ones."
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"Corman's confessional show, partly self-therapy and partly inspirational exposé for those with related problems, is a humdinger, not so much because of the sensationalism of its subject matter but for the engagingly performative way she relates her tale…Corman has the chameleonic skills to spark warm laughter, to make her eyes well with tears, and to plunge into terrifying anger. Several moments are as overpoweringly expressive as anything on a New York stage."
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"’Accidentally Brave’ is honestly good...Under Hanggi’s sharp direction, Corman’s storytelling is aided by projections...But mainly it’s just one small woman on a stage reliving the worst months of her life...Corman has the quirky charm of a Beta girl determined to be everybody’s best friend...Each performance seems to be cathartic for Corman...Corman also says she wants her story to serve as a morality tale. And it just might...It is a model of feminine perseverance."
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"In the opening moments, she intrigues us because what she tells us is unvarnished, self-effacing yet unapologetic...There is rage in the 90 minutes that it takes her to spill everything before us; but there is also humor, compassion, and self-examination driven by a ferocious need to understand and to heal...I won’t spoil the ending of this beautiful piece of stagecraft, but I urge you to see it, and to let it wash over you to see if you are as moved as I was."
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"The very well written and performed show serves as an opportunity for Maddie to do the opposite of what so many would do. Rather than hiding, she chooses to share her story, as it appears to give her strength to not live in the darkness of shadows. It is cathartic and likely empowering for her to take control of this tale, rather than for it to control her...A solid window into her experience, with even a few laughs along the way."
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