American Moor (Red Bull Theater)
Closed 1h 25m
American Moor (Red Bull Theater)
82

American Moor (Red Bull Theater) NYC Reviews and Tickets

82%
(142 Ratings)
Positive
89%
Mixed
11%
Negative
0%
Members say
Great acting, Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Relevant, Intelligent

About the Show

This drama takes audiences into the audition room as an African-American actor responds to the demands of a white director presuming to better understand Shakespeare’s iconic black character, Othello.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (142)

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135 Reviews | 18 Followers
100
Intelligent, Great writing, Great acting, Thought-provoking, Absorbing

See it if You’re interested in seeing the world from a different POV

Don't see it if You’re not interested in seeing things from a different point of view

754 Reviews | 127 Followers
94
Dramatic, Intelligent, Edgy, Absorbing, Ambitious

See it if you enjoy expanding your perception of material that you believed you knew. This is a study of acting, being Black in American and Othello.

Don't see it if you don't know & are not interested in knowing Othello. You are looking for a light entertainment. You don't like a challenge.

147 Reviews | 16 Followers
91
Thought-provoking, Great writing, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You enjoy excellent acting and thought provoking theatre

Don't see it if You dislike one man shows

393 Reviews | 101 Followers
90
Eternally timely and relevant, Intense; at times riveting, Intense, commanding performance, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if Up for a supremely talented actor using all his skill, craft, body & voice in his intense rumination of being black—& an actor in America.

Don't see it if Not into poetry, Shakespeare, racial issues, politics or the itinerant emotional life of an actor, particularly a classical one. Read more

311 Reviews | 45 Followers
89
Intense, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Great acting

See it if Cobb, a terrific actor, tackling perceptions of race through the medium of auditioning to play the role of Othello. appeals to you. WOW!

Don't see it if you don't care for Shakespeare or the experience of being a Black man portraying Othello.

287 Reviews | 32 Followers
88
Absorbing, Intelligent, Thought-provoking, Relevant

See it if you like examinations of dramatic works/characters or want to get some idea of the audition process

Don't see it if you don't like (quasi)solo shows or have no knowledge of Shakespeare's work

304 Reviews | 38 Followers
87
Masterful, Intelligent, Great writing, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You want to see a sensitive, insightful exploration of the roll of a black man in America in juxtaposition to Othello, the play.

Don't see it if You do not like language and prefer lighthearted action

58 Reviews | 9 Followers
87
Banal, Must see, Relevant, Refreshing, Absorbing

See it if you like an intensive monologue reflecting the reality of theatres from a black actor's experience

Don't see it if you like shows with music and a lot of actors

Critic Reviews (14)

The New York Times
September 8th, 2019

"In ‘American Moor,’ an Insider’s Guide to ‘Othello’: A new play argues that no one knows more about Shakespeare’s great tragedy than a man “born black in America.”
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Time Out New York
September 10th, 2019

4/5 Stars "Cobb is as compelling a dramatist as he is a thespian; the play is disquieting, perceptive and often bitingly funny. Having spent more than 30 years trying to appease others, Cobb demands that the members of his audience, especially the white ones, see him and meet him where he stands."
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AM New York
September 8th, 2019

3/4 Stars "Keith Hamilton Cobb delivers a compelling turn in this deeply felt meditation on Shakespeare and racism."
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Theatermania
September 10th, 2019

"Seeing Othello Through a Black Actor's Eyes in American Moor: Keith Hamilton Cobb's play about theater and race in America has its New York premiere at the Cherry Lane Theatre."
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BroadwayWorld
September 15th, 2019

"Keith Hamilton Cobb's Breathtaking Exploration Of American Theatre's Intrinsic Racism, 'AMERICAN MOOR': A black actor, a white director, and a character named Othello"
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Lighting & Sound America
September 9th, 2019

"Cobb's text and performance, especially as guided by the director, Kim Weild, expands the argument in a way that implicates us all…as this remarkably rich and rewarding evening hurtles toward its wrenching conclusion, Cobb makes us see the absurdity -- and the resultant sheer waste -- of our failure, after so many years, to hear what must be heard."
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New York Stage Review
September 8th, 2019

3/5 Stars "Keith Hamilton Cobb Turns an Othello Audition Red Hot: The playwright/actor questions how effective any understanding between the races can be"
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TheaterScene.net
September 16th, 2019

“Cobb is titanic in this piece bringing his resonant voice and impressive physical presence to bear on the most famous classic role for a Black actor in the canon as well as his thoughts about race and the theater.”
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