Angel & Echoes NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
These two timely one acts tell stories of women devastated by war who find ways to triumph on their own terms. Part of 59E59's annual Brits Off Broadway festival.
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See it if You like terrific acting. You are interested in women's lives and experiences. You like short plays.
Don't see it if You don't like watching bad things happen to people.
See it if intense solo shows about strong women in areas ravaged by war (both in Syria), actors telling their moving stories directly to the audience
Don't see it if don't like bare sets, graphic descriptions of violence; want something light and happy; don't like solo shows* Read more
See it if This will leave you in a darker place but it's worth it to see the world through these women's eyes and feel their hearts from their souls
Don't see it if If you want a light night. It will take you to the depths of places you may not want to go
See it if you like gripping, thoughtful well-crafted intimate no-frills productions that tackle current topics with universal themes and kickass women
Don't see it if u want splendid sets (there r only black walls), you don't like war stories or feminist strength in funny/riveting 1 & 2 person productions
See it if You want to see excellent acting and get drawn into some pretty compelling stories.
Don't see it if I can’t image why anyone wouldn’t want to see this show. Read more
See it if Powerful stories out of the playwright's Arabian Nightmares trilogy showcasing the heroism of 3 women living in disparate places and time
Don't see it if Not lighthearted subject matter; gruesome accounts of violent deaths in war zone; bare stage, heavily leaning on light design/direction
See it if You want to be immersed in a world about which we know too little and ought to know more.
Don't see it if You need a belly laugh. Read more
See it if Individually each play is interesting. Together it becomes repetitious. All are strong actresses..
Don't see it if Angel: Rehana is a sniper who successfully kills ISIS for over a year. This is barely examined. I wanted to know how she survived so long & Read more
Critic Reviews (19)
"'Echoes' is an unforgettable theatrical experience...Avital Lvova's solo performance as Angel is stunning. She plays the challenging role with remarkable energy and passion...'Angel' & 'Echoes' are two plays that are well paired to portray the devastating effects of war and tyranny. This meaningful production will open up essential conversations. Metropolitan area audiences should plan to make it part of their spring theater schedule."
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"The Brits Off Broadway season at 59E59 gets off to a gripping start with 'Angel & Echoes'...The stories in 'Angel & Echoes' are deeply necessary, providing us with powerful and revealing glimpses into the intractable religious and sexual prejudices behind the forces that have transformed these once-pristine landscapes into charnel houses. More than most plays in New York right now, 'Angel & Echoes' demands to be seen."
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“Presented together on the same bill, ‘Angel & Echoes’ is part of the Brits Off Broadway Festival at 59E59 Theaters (where ‘Echoes’ originally played last year). As written by Naylor, enacted with ferocity and vitality by Avital Lvova, and directed with dispatch by Michael Cabot, ‘Angel’ proves the far more effective (second) half of the evening. That may be because it's told with an in-your-face immediacy and gumption that elude ‘Echoes,’ which juxtaposes the lives of two different women.”
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"Both 'Angel' and 'Echoes' are rich, captivating stories about themes in urgent need of attention. Naylor makes it easy to fall in love with Rehana, which makes her expected end a punch in the gut. This is true with Tillie and Samira in 'Echoes' as well. The simplicity of the production is perfect, as the complex characters come to life on stage without distraction. In both plays, the heroines’ voices are distinct, relatable, and unmistakably feminine."
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"Well presented and wrenchingly played...Rape, torture, savagery which Rehana both sees and experiences provide the substance for one of the most brilliant and harrowing performances this reviewer has ever witnessed. Avital Lvova is magnificent. In fact, this production has exhausted my vocabulary of superlatives. Excellent direction is provided by Emma Butler for 'Echoes,' while Michael Cabot’s altogether outstanding as the director of 'Angel.'"
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"The tales of their adventures become almost surreal, cartoonishly over-the-top to the point where they feel more like Quentin Tarantino characters than flesh-and-blood women...Lvova brings a brightness and a strength that add emotional urgency to the piece...Smyth and Manteghi both give strong performances...Naylor’s writing has a lush, almost glossy texture that ultimately ends up coming far too close to fetishizing the heroines’ different acts of martyrdom."
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"The importance of Mr. Naylor’s work is not in his complicated details but in the underbelly of the connection to 'the community of humanity'...Under the direction of Emma Butler and Michael Cabot, the three actors tell these stories with passion and considerable energy...The actors speak so rapidly, some of the important narrative is lost. Their stories, however, remain important and connect on deep levels to the current political struggles in the Middle East—and elsewhere."
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"'Angel' and 'Echoes'…find a common ground in dramatizing the effect of the jihadist patriarchy on women…'Angel & Echoes' may not know as much about ISIS as President Trump (who does?) but it knows how to make vital theatre out of nothing more than a space, a well-written story about a provocative subject, and persuasive acting."
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