BAROCOCO (2022) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsShow-Score Member Reviews (65)
See it if You’re up for an outstanding cast in a richly detailed, well researched visually gorgeous quiet moment in the Reign of Terror, well directed
Don't see it if You need narrative plot, know nothing of the French Revolution or are close-minded and/or impatient. Read more
See it if You enjoy an original performance of superb timing, physical skills and music abilities. It's a fun experience, not a literal theatre play.
Don't see it if You wish a show of a detailed plot, with traditional structure. Read more
See it if Hilarious, clever and funny. Inventive game with a dark undercurrent, excellently acted. A must see
Don't see it if want a conventional plot
See it if you enjoy quirky non-linear chamber plays. This was really a really funny comedy of manners - type performance by a masterful troupe.
Don't see it if you don't like plays without a story.
See it if … you enjoy an evening of lighthearted fun and amusing acting.
Don't see it if … if you’re not interested in 18th century comedies.
See it if What a delightful & creative one! Totally enjoyable 70 min. Like us trapped last 2 yrs. Keep an open heart n mind n you’ll have a good time.
Don't see it if If you are looking for a linear plot, or the same old same old other shows.
See it if If your a bit of a French Court Francophile. Perfect acting. Silly parlor games reacted with such grace and humor. The costumes stunning
Don't see it if If Slap Stick is not your thing BUT this was so beautifully crafted. I still enjoyed it Read more
See it if Enchantingly high-brow physical comedy of aristocrats in denial during French revolution. Mime and delicate movement are delightful to see
Don't see it if What a charming tableau for a cultivated audience. A musician plays harpsichord, cello and hurdy-gurdy to add to the baroque atmosphere
Critic Reviews (4)
"Like most devised theater, 'Barococo' is driven by the performances...With so much going for it, it is a pity that 'Barococo' doesn't really go anywhere, persisting for 70 minutes as a live diorama of the ancien régime. Theater doesn't always have to have a story, but this show seems to really want one...Then again, this hour of conspicuous consumption and confrontation (complete with a table flip) contains about as much substance as your average episode of 'Real Housewives.'"
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"A delightfully giddy hour of 18th century-styled frivolity speckled with just a twinge of satire...Filled with ennui and hindered with short attention spans, this collection of pampered pantaloons, dressed to the nines in period costumes, engages in childish games of hopscotch, hide-and-seek, riddles, charades, and the like...If all of this sounds light as a feather, it is. But the members of Happenstance Theater are so adept at what they do that they turn tomfoolery into an art form."
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Each of the actors’ performances are as unique as their costumes. Grastorf gets many laughs from her wide-eyed, innocently naivety (or just plain dimwittedness), and Mark Jaster’s puffy bravura and expressive face are delightfully campy. Mandell’s cantankerous bawdiness is perfectly chosen for her character, and Thomas plays the narcissistic Dauphine with laughable presumptuousness. Vernon’s pretentious, foppish roguery is spot on for his role, and Caleb Jaster as the simple musician interacts perfectly when called upon. Each actor’s facial expressions, gestures and gaits are very distinct and in line with their characters.
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"Directed with panache by the company’s co-Artistic Directors Mark Jaster and Sabrina Selma Mandell, the impeccably researched and performed pièce de resistance captures the late Baroque era of the Rococo...I can’t imagine that anyone who appreciates excellence in theater would not find this piece, theme, ensemble, and design highly entertaining, intelligent, masterful, and evocative."
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