Anatomy of a Suicide

See it if you're fascinated w stories of depression/despair/dysfunction/death. 3 generatns of destructn, shown overlapping (action/dialogue). Dizzying

Don't see it if you want hope; mental illness shown as intractable, inheritable. Clever staging, but info gets lost. Lots of smoking. Some robotic delivery.

See it if Stories told at the same time. Suicide-depression and some good acting in it. Interesting story for the most part.

Don't see it if Gets slow at certain points. If you get confused easily. Must pay close attention to this one. Depressing at times.

See it if 3 simultaneous stories emphasize how precariously the generations intertwine. Poignant contrast of life giving vs. taking. Terrific staging.

Don't see it if You won't enjoy an intense experimental format that you might find confusing. You don't want a sad/depressing subject.

See it if u want to see Off-Bway's arguably best director work her magic on a difficult text about a difficult subject. [Blain-Cruz is the star here.]

Don't see it if ur triggered by stark discussions/depictions of depression & suicide; u hope for a play that's revelatory, affecting or rewarding.

Also This is the story of three generations of female suffering, addiction, depression & abandonment and the search for an end to the cycle. The topic is important and handled deftly and thoughtfully. But the storytelling is just a mess. In particular, the third generation story is convoluted, half-baked and utterly unconvincing.

Also... there's plenty to avoid here, but don't be turned off solely by the notion that three stories play out simultaneously and characters speak over each other. It's a mildly annoying gimmick, but it doesn't actually make the play hard to follow. Blain-Cruz's direction makes it work. (I do wonder, though, how this actually reads on paper?!)... Read more Read less

See it if Blain-Cruz's staging is the star here; a family history of women's mental illness is either highly persuasive or highly pretentious You pick

Don't see it if Birch's fraught script has a unique structure that can pack a powerful punch; have patience Male hierarchy as possible cause is questionable

See it if you're interested enough in the subject of depression, suicide & substance dependency in women to be OK with sitting through a flawed play,

Don't see it if graphic depiction of depression, suicide & substance dependency might be too upsetting for you.

Also I wish I liked this play more. I found the first 15 minutes totally compelling for its hot-button subject—a failed suicide—& the clear-eyed, simple, almost archetypal depiction of the action’s aftermath & how it marks both the would-be suicide & her spouse. Then two more stories kick in, running onstage at the same time as the 1st one continues, & we are asked to assimilate all 3 at once, snatches from the lives of 3 generations of women beset with depression, suicide & substance dependency. These are terribly important issues to deal with, & the playwright offers flashes of insight into how the role of women as expected mother & nurturer within the family unit can exacerbate an individual woman’s precarious mental condition. But with 3 stories going on at once, every character gets short shrift (at least after that focused opening), & some remain total mysteries (or begin to feel like clichés) even after a considerable amount of stage time.... Read more Read less

See it if interested in ambitious structure, 3 great female roles, ability to figure out time frames & relationships, cross-generation motherhood tale

Don't see it if don't enjoy stories about suicide & frayed mother-daughter relationships, easily confused by simultaneous time frames & actors in many roles

See it if You want to broaden your idea of theatrical structure. Simultaneous scenes reflecting or echoing with subtle meaning. Impressive work!

Don't see it if If suicide is a triggering issue. Likewise related family issues. Three generations of women overwhelmed by well intended advice & instinct

See it if A doctor parses a triptych of femme plays woven into one to illumine the levels of depressive thought over 3 generations.Experimental/dense.

Don't see it if Overlapping scenes are staggering and technical, yet taxing for the audience. Similar in technique/structure/theme to Altman or "The Hours."

See it if You want a deliberately fractured story about depression & suicide. You're OK w/doing some mental work while watching 3 storylines unfold.

Don't see it if You're triggered by suicide and/or depression. You prefer more traditional storytelling. You want light entertainment & a strong resolution.

Also Don't be put off by the 3 scenes at once. While it does take a little getting used to at first, you will be cued as to which scene is the most important to hear at a time. It's not an easy play, though if you're willing to do a little mental work, it's rewarding.... Read more Read less

See it if Its three generations of women with suicide-depression thoughts. taking place all at once.

Don't see it if Not a light subject matter. Its a little confusing at first watching, for it all takes place at once.

See it if you want to see a play with a challenging format.

Don't see it if you can think of something else to do for 100 minutes.

Also If the goal of this show is to make me want to commit suicide, it nearly succeeded. Three stories happen simultaneously. Characters in all three stories speak over each other. You have no idea where to look or who to pay attention to. I sat house right, so I was physically disconnected from the story happening stage right on the opposite side of the theatre. I couldn’t possibly care about those characters because I didn’t know what was happening over there. Then again, I didn’t care about any of the characters because I couldn’t follow what was going on. Another character is dead inside the whole show, and her lover tells her she loves her. Why would she love her?? What reason do I have to believe anyone could love this character? We’re given none. Another character says how his “lips shaped a word.” No one in the history of the world has ever said that naturally. That’s masturbatory writing. If there was a point or moral to this story, I have no idea what it is. Bad bad bad bad bad... Read more Read less

See it if Pain of Mom, Daughter and Granddaughter through their lives and the people in them. Large cast and sleek set. Relationships, kids, work.

Don't see it if You'd be shocked at the big event center stage at very end of show. Watching the hurt of these 3 women in different time periods is too much

Also No characters speak at exact same time so it's very easy to follow. Just remember the 3 women are Mom, Daughter and Granddaughter in different time periods.... Read more Read less

See it if poignant look at generational mental illness/suicide within one family & its effects on self & loved ones; excellent direction & portrayals

Don't see it if not prepared to pay close attention to what is going on-takes concentration to get used to a constant 3 ring family circus but well worth it

See it if Inherited suicidal tendencies explored in 3 scenes acted at once, sometimes talking over each other. Deliberately confusing but hypnotic.

Don't see it if you don't want experimental theater techniques. The dialogue, the acting --the whole effect is rewarding, if you let it sweep over you.

See it if this is an unrelenting, harrowing play. Not for the squeamish or faint of heart. But the acting is wonderful. Set lovely.

Don't see it if graphic description of ect later soundlessly enacted. I refused to watch the suicide depicted on stage so I dont know how graphic it was.

Also I found the child irritating rather than precocious.

I found John's hangdog love oppressive and one note. But probably valid. His reveal to his daughter of her mother's death feels like a misstep by our playwright.

The three generations are variously engaging. Carla Gugina never really wins us over, she is too hell bent on it being over.

Her daughter wins us over as we watch her grow from child to adult simultaneously watching her inevitable slide. As an adult she is flawed and broken yet bright and pretty and winsome--she has a window of hope. We engage in her love, we again meet her loving, accepting father.

The desire to slowly reveal the granddtr identity means we miss seeing any of her childhood. I wish we had more of a view of her relationship with her father. What we see doesn't feel consistent with the loving man we met. I wanted more of him. Its unclear whether she ever knew her grandfather.
Again that is lost in a need to obscure what is an obvious connection.... Read more Read less

See it if like nontraditional, structure with stories of 3 generations of women shown simultaneously; topics of depression and suicide

Don't see it if difficult subject; sometimes dialogue overlapping (might miss some) and sometimes ending words of the 3 women are in sync*

Also * so can be confusing at least in beginning until you get into the rhythm. Also, some of the actors play more than one secondary role so that can also be confusing.... Read more Read less

See it if you would enjoy some good performances and a relevant drama, but told through three scenes staged & speaking simultaneously.

Don't see it if you would find this gimmick detracting to the story and at odds with being able to connect with the characters’ struggles in a deeper way.

Also I found that the decision to have all three characters stories’ play out side-by-side simultaneously made fully investing in each character pretty much impossible, harming what could have otherwise been a very effective work.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a play that is uniquely staged to reflect three generational stories presented simultaneously on the topic of suicide.

Don't see it if you want an upbeat story or have trouble following the complexities of three simultaneous stories.

See it if you want to see an interesting take on generational depression embracing nature over nurture

Don't see it if suicide is triggering for you or if you don't want to have to do hard work just to see everything happening on stage

Also Alice Birch's writing and Lileana Blain-Cruz's direction, although brilliant, make this an incredibly difficult, ambitious play to follow despite the substantial assists provided by the Set and Lighting.

We had third row side seats which made the 3 simultaneous plays incredibly difficult to follow. I suggest sitting rear center might be the best place to take in as much as possible of this show. I know I missed a lot.

The play's apparent complete embrace of genetically induced depression, and what Bonnie does about it, comes far to close to embracing a eugenic solution for conditions we wish to avoid.... Read more Read less

See it if have the ability understand 3 plays presented simultaneously on a stage about mental illness/suicide & fine acting.

Don't see it if you dislike 3 plays simultaneously presented that are confusing & results in lacking empathy for the characters due to it's absurd structure

See it if Sick mamas make sick babies & grand kids. How the patriarchal society narrowly loves women but doesn't address their mental health issues.

Don't see it if Suicide, drug abuse, or women's mental health issues are triggering. 3 simultaneous plot lines can get hard to watch more than one.

Also Diversity: story about 3 women (1 is Black lesbian) and mental health issues / society not listening to them. Among the remaining 7 in the cast, also an Asian female lesbian character and a Black man.
1 hour 45 minutes, no intermission.
Ticket from online lottery via TodayTix app for $25. Front row corner seat.... Read more Read less

See it if well written overlapping stories and time frames, yet the same theme. made one focus and stay invested.

Don't see it if want entertainment. can confuse some audience members. think the style can polarize some audience members either hate it or love it

See it if and only if you enjoy being trapped in a theater for an hour and 45 minutes and the only way out is closing your eyes to sleep away the time

Don't see it if you were expecting something interesting and coherent, but instead were confined to a theater seat when you really wanted to see a movie.

Also From the moment it weirdly began, I hated it. I tried to follow the weirdly assembles show but soon lost interest and closed my eyes and went to sleep. I awoke to the last 15 minutes of the show and was happy when it ended. Theater should NEVER be a torture!... Read more Read less

See it if Powerful drama about family depression and suicide. Playwright effectively tells the stories of a mother,daughter, and granddaughter

Don't see it if You do not want to see a serious play about difficult themes.

Also onstage, together,but in different time periods. On occasion, the scenes overlap,and the same words are uttered by the women.The supporting actors are very effective in playing several roles. The three leads, Gugino,Arias, and Beans, give outstanding performances. They are mesmerizing to watch. This play does an exceptional job in dealing with very important mental health issues.... Read more Read less