All The Fine Boys

See it if This is more like 2 separate plays mashed together of very different qualities. One riveting, one baffling. Still the good outweighs the bad

Don't see it if subject matter of desperate 14 y-o girls in need of attention with tragic consequences. Heavy but done believably and successfully.

Also Breslin & Tippett's story is riveting, edge of your seat. Believable and really well written and acted. Heavy material done really well.
Fuhrman & Wolff's story is annoying, pointless. Hard to imagine it came from the same author. The material is so lackluster an that one can't even tell if it is not well acted or it's just poor writing. I vote for the latter. In the last scene comes back as a different character as if shell shocked and no explanation for the change is given or implied.... Read more Read less

See it if You like well performed dramas about uncomfortable subject matter. Breslin & Tippett are excellent & their scenes are scaringly believable.

Don't see it if A bit uneven. The secondary couple's story is not as interesting or engaging, found myself waiting for Breslin/Tippett to return.

See it if you hate Theater! This way you will hate it more!

Don't see it if you like good acting, good theater or a good story.

See it if My partner liked the idea of the problems of the young. Scored an 80

Don't see it if I was disturbed by the topic . The actors were too old for the 14 year olds. My score a 60

See it if you want to see a fascinating and dark exploration of the intersection between ambition and coming of age.

Don't see it if you're going for Abigail Breslin. This production probably would've been better served by a different actress. (Rest of the cast is great.)

See it if you'd like to see Abigail Breslin grown up, stories of high school aged young women trying to define themselves, funny yet tragic situatiion

Don't see it if teenage girls behaving badly & trying to discover their sexuality don't interest you, predictable tragic endings disturb you,

See it if 4 spot-on channeling of '80s adolescent girl talk and obsessions, solid performances

Don't see it if two adolescent girls experiment sexually with older men, one pays a steep price, the other gains confidence/insight; and the point is???

Also Play begins with two adolescent girls in the 1980s watching teen slasher movies provided by parent. Then life imitates art in the case of one of the girls. Is playwright trying to make an (ironic) comment on how these movies reflected the precarious existence of teen girls, moving uncertainly into adulthood, experimenting with sex? If so, it is well-hidden by the script.... Read more Read less

See it if You really enjoy Lifetime movies-of-the-week about teenage girls and statutory rape.

Don't see it if It's important to you that there's some kind of value statement within a work about a heavy topic.

See it if You want to see these actors in a new play. Good performances in a small theater. Keeps your interest throughout.

Don't see it if The lives of two 14 year old girls are not of interest to you. Starts out light but turns much darker.

See it if you'd enjoy a show about the perils of being a teenage girl in the throes of sexual awakening.

Don't see it if Teenage banter and silliness annoy you; you want a heavier and more important drama.

See it if you like small shows about teenagers acting in ways that would freak out their parents.

Don't see it if you're looking for believable characters or an original message, or you're sensitive to sexual violence.

See it if you're a fan of the actresses and want to see them perform in a small, intimate theater, you like coming of age stories with dark twists

Don't see it if you don't like underdeveloped plays with some interesting ideas but poor character development and clumsy staging

See it if You want to see talented actors in an intimate setting. A great script, but adults playing kids made this a bit hard to watch, but not awful

Don't see it if You don't like frank discussions about sex by 14yr old girls. Breslin can't pull off 14yrs old, and comes off as annoying instead of young.

See it if you like messed up dramas. If you do there is no way you will not like this play. The acting was top of the line. The actors being old di

Don't see it if nt matter. if you are looking for a happy ending and need that type of play you won't like this. The costumes were great, it felt like 80'

See it if you like coming of age stories and young female sexuality exploration (or exploitation).

Don't see it if you are looking for a lighter story (it does start light & funny) or are uncomfortable with explicit or innapropriate sexual scenes.

See it if Interested in teenage girls in the 80's and their hopes & dreams, realistic or otherwise.

Don't see it if 2 actresses not believable as 14 year olds, tho both can act. 2 men better cast. Unconvincing as drama. Staging could have been better.

See it if you'd appreciate an involving drama about the risks taken as we come of age. The performances are commendable, Tippett & Breslin especially.

Don't see it if you'd be frustrated by a play in which all the main characters are not equally developed. It does leave a slight sense of dissatisfaction.

See it if willing to put aside inchoate and imperfect writing, jarring scene shifts, and uneven writing to see great young actors amplify the script.

Don't see it if looking for anything profound, or if pedophilia, sexuality, and bildungsroman (in the 1980s, no less) aren't appealing. Rough edges here.

Also All the Fine Boys offers strong acting by the young cast. Abigail Breslin and Isabelle Fuhrman deliver natural, clipping teen-talk that helps us ignore that they look much older than the middle-schoolers they're playing. Joe Tippett's scenes with Breslin are the (darkened) heart of the play. While Alex Wolff and Fuhrman have decent scenes, their storyline pales in comparison. With extra elements--the 1980s setting, negligent parents, junk-food-sessions, and horror movies--added to the coming-of-age narrative, playwright/director Erica Schmidt may simply be trying to do too much. Somewhere in here is a story about how early sexual encounters (and near-ones) affect female identity, but the finale is so quickly wrapped-up that we aren't allowed to dwell on how the aforementioned elements may also complicate the events. There's also more potential for shock factor (there is one sex scene), as well as humor. The men's roles feel passive, but could be more, as the actors have more to give.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy torturing yourself.

Don't see it if you enjoy good theater.

Also The story in the play starts off in one direction and in the end ends in the opposite direction - this is NOT the example of a good good play writing or a winning play. I found myself CRINGING almost every minute of this 100 minute intermission-less play. The CREEP factor if this play easily rates off the scale of 0 to 100 - that being over 100 as CREEPY! All I kept thinking was why did Abigail Breslin choose to be in this play. She was the most miscast actor in this four character play. This was an evening in the theater that I would love to soon forget, but I just can't scrub away the bad taste it left in mouth (from more than a month). ago)... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see Abigail Breslin

Don't see it if You expect a good play

Also Writing is clichéd with anachronistic "like" sprinkled heavily in script. Characters are cardboard quirky.... Read more Read less

See it if enjoy intense & dark drama performed by a talented cast in a small, intimate setting.

Don't see it if want perfection, I look at this piece as a work in progress and yes the story could use work, so skip it if that will bother you.

See it if There is absolutely no other way for you to spend 90 torturous minutes.

Don't see it if You care about playwriting, acting, design, directing, logic....get the picture?

Also Likely the worst professional piece of...er...theatre I have ever seen. Don't even know where to start. There is not a true nor redeemable minute in this production. RUN, don't walk, AWAY. I love the New Group, but this is simply AWFUL. You could not pay me to sit through this again. (BTW, South Carolinians have a drawl! At least a hint of one, please.)... Read more Read less

See it if you like intense drama or edgy subjects (think Blackbird) in intimate setting with small cast, which commendably portray complex characters.

Don't see it if you need to root for the characters, or need an intermission & large theatre, or uncomfortable with visceral material & exploitation themes.

See it if You wondered about Abigail Breslin's acting chops

Don't see it if if listening to teenagers' gossip is uninteresting - that was the tedious 1st act. Then onward to a predictably sad exploitive end.

See it if You like seeing actors from movies you've seen {the 2 actresses}, attractive man {"Joseph"}, "coming-of-age" tale, small theatre.

Don't see it if You're opposed to statutory rape. There's simulated sex and food. It's dated {80s}. Set and acting are "ok". Could be better. Predictable