Ah, Wilderness! NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (32)
See it if you want to see a comedy by Eugene O'Neill
Don't see it if you want a high production budget show in a large theater
See it if you're an O'Neill completist and want to see a community theater production of his sole "comedy" about turn-of the-century coming-of-age.
Don't see it if you're seeking laughs from your comedy [There are scant few to be found here]; you seek a fast-paced, exciting theatre piece. Read more
See it if you want to see O’Neill’s only comedy.
Don't see it if you are do not like straight plays on the longer side.
See it if you have never seen this classic American play. The production captures the loving family overcoming the problems of another era.
Don't see it if you cannot sit though more than three hours with only one intermission.
See it if Worth seeing if you love O'Neill and American Classics, even tho the director seemed to forget it's supposed to be a comedy!
Don't see it if You'll get impatient with the slow pace and lack of laughs in spite of some good performances. Can't justify 2hrs20min Read more
See it if You love O’Neill and are willing to see a less than quality production of one of his earlier plays. You enjoy classic plays.
Don't see it if You need a highly polished production of a well-known classic to enjoy that classic. You are looking for a 90 minute show. This is over 2 H.
See it if Coming of age story of an idealistic literary-minded boy (based on autobiographical material) 100 years ago. Lead actor is spot on.
Don't see it if You want a polished professional production, or don’t have patience for a long, slow play about a long-gone simpler age. Read more
See it if You want to be entertained and see a play about a family in 1906 and their trials and tribulations. You want to see nice costumes.
Don't see it if You are not interested in the story of a young man and his family. You want a heavily dramatic performance. You don't want to laugh.
Critic Reviews (9)
“I’ve never seen ‘Ah, Wilderness!’ done on a small scale, and this production...Passes the no-budget test...While Dobbins’s cast is somewhat uneven in quality, most of the actors are quite good...As for Dobbins’s staging, it’s as uncomplicated as the décor...just a straightforward rendering of the play itself, which is allowed to work its quaint magic without benefit of special directorial pleading...The best thing about “Ah, Wilderness!” is the way in which it mixes sweetness with sorrow.”
Read more
“It takes an especially nimble company, aided by an equally adept director, to bring out the melancholy highlights in this otherwise nostalgic, sun-splashed comedy and, in truth, Dobbins and his troupe aren't really up to the job. In this play, more than most, nuance is everything, and it is a quality that is noticeably missing here. Most of the cast members find a single note and strike it, repeatedly...Even in this somewhat rickety staging, the play's homey, yet insightful, humor comes through at times."
Read more
"Shorter than his dramas but still feels long at two hours and 40 minutes with an intermission but it is absorbing nonetheless. That’s due to its novel perspective...The youthful Peter Atkinson is outstanding as Richard and is the production’s centerpiece...Director Peter Dobbins’ solid yet sensitive staging settles in after the slack opening sequence...This tender production demonstrates the enduring beauty of 'Ah, Wilderness!'"
Read more
"One of the big problems is that things never go that sideways...Any problems that crop up somehow conveniently go away. The result is a sort of uneasy disquiet for the audience...Unfortunately direction and acting don't help these matters. Peter Dobbins' direction is ponderous, and keeping the script almost untouched does the production no favors. And most of the actors can't pick up the slack on their own."
Read more
“While ‘Ah, Wilderness!’ is definitely a comedy, don't go in expecting broad jokes about sex and politics. The humor here is more subdued...Dobbins stays true to O'Neill, giving a straight-forward rendition to honor his legacy. The one thing that stands out is the commitment of lead actor Peter Calvin Atkinson...Even if the subject matter does not entice, 'Ah, Wilderness!' is still worth seeing for the committed acting of Atkinson.”
Read more
“O’Neill’s coming-of-age play is sadly so outdated, because very few people remember the world, when it was that innocent...Dobbins direction is slow paced and he does not bring out the best in his cast which is inconsistent, with women faring better than the men. As the lead Atkinson has the looks, but not the acting chops...This is a period piece where the time seems long gone and innocents a thing of the past. ‘Ah, Wilderness!’ made me weep for that realization.”
Read more
“The piece is as stageworthy as ever, and it works fine in a smaller house...What’s striking about this production is the generation gap...The younger actors are more impressive than the grown-ups...Dobbins keeps the pacing suitably leisurely and lets the piece speak for itself...The older generation really might work on sharpening their characterizations, and there are probably better productions of ‘Ah, Wilderness!’ out there, but it’s a pleasure to have this one around.”
Read more
“The casts’ delivery of the outdated dialogue, idiosyncratic slang, and old-fashioned values, forced laughter and feigned intoxication is generally stilted and unnatural. Combined with O’Neill’s offensive ethnic and gender-based stereotypes, the period piece, at present, is more cringe-worthy than humorous...Despite the renown of its author, the current production...begs the question, ‘Why?’ This is one O’Neill play that would have been better left in the vaults.”
Read more