Blue Ridge NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (143)
See it if you enjoy heartfelt dramas about mental illness. You like seeing real people onstage.
Don't see it if you want just entertainment. This is realism at its finest.
See it if you believe Marin Ireland is walking in the footsteps of Meryl Streep. You like tight ensemble acting & intelligent, emotional scripts.
Don't see it if rapid-fire, overlapping & charged dialogue, 12-step process, single set dramedy at the ever reliable Atlantic is just not enough for you? Read more
See it if Great actors depicting heartwrenching characters dealing with trauma, purpose, and the ties that bind
Don't see it if You want a happy play (although there are plenty of laughs), a traditional narrative, or want to avoid themes of abuse (in many forms). Read more
See it if you like well-written, well-acted play about people going through rehab, but laced with humor as well as interpersonal conflict
Don't see it if you are out off by language or behavior or if you want a neat, fully upbeat conclusion
See it if u wanna see a play that's not city-centric, liberal-centric or the people you may expect to see/hear on stage in whole-hearted performances
Don't see it if u're not into intense dramas centering female stories, dealing with violence, white privilege, + sexism or you don't like when ppl talk fast
See it if witty thoughtful dramas.
Don't see it if recovery issues are triggers for you.
See it if an interesting play about interesting characters makes you want to venture out to experience live theater.
Don't see it if riveting performances by theater veterans just doesn't interest you into journeying to a theater. Read more
See it if Clever writing, interesting and unexpected plot, great acting, uncomfortable subject but surprising twists.
Don't see it if The subject matter is complicated--if you have issues with addiction and trust, this may be hard on you.
Critic Reviews (28)
"Ms. Ireland pours such mesmerizing energy and inventiveness into Alison’s wrecking-ball antics that you almost forget that this charming, dangerous woman doesn’t quite track as a credibly motivated character. And as the show’s tone veers from anxious comedy into psychodrama, with each of the characters erupting into set-rattling implosion, it becomes increasingly hard to suspend disbelief...None of the cast members oversell the attendant conflicts and confrontations."
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"A devastating examination of how even smart, strong women can be deformed by a society that raises them to please...Director Magar ably steers the show through various modes, from biting dark humor to emotional outbursts and quiet confessions. Although the script and the accents sometimes wander, Rosebrock beautifully fleshes out all the characters...Thanks to Ireland’s expertly modulated performance, you never turn on her; you just wish she’d find a way to start healing."
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“Rosebrock’s muscular, roiling new play...luminously acted...under the swift, sure hand of Magar...In its early stages, Rosebrock’s play nimbly balances on a knife edge between weird, excitingly uncomfortable comedy and deep, hideous pain...’Blue Ridge’ deals courageously in hard, sad human truths, the kind of metastasized stuff that might take a lifetime to heal. Rosebrock’s unsentimental insight and the ensemble’s raw fearlessness make it sting, and Ireland makes it stick."
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"Under the diffuse staging of Magar, the actors attempt to make the most of their poorly defined characters. Their herculean efforts mainly go for naught, although Beltran brings a swaggering charm and Ireland is superb as the clearly damaged Alison. The actress delivers a riveting, emotionally intense turn that seems to expose her character from the inside out...But there's only so much even this talented, protean performer can do to alleviate the general torpor afflicting this lifeless drama."
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"Rosebrock intimately captures the fragile ecosystem of this group home...Rosebrock and director Taibi Magar also show how, even in this obsessively confessional place, the truth can easily be obscured...It all feels chillingly true to life...Rosebrock strings us along with fully formed characters, all given relatable and sensitive performances by this excellent cast."
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“‘Blue Ridge' is at its best when focused on Alison and her issues...Despite a fine ensemble, the other characters aren't as interesting. Neither is the plot concerning Alison putting herself in the middle of a situation she perceives as a woman being taken advantage of by a man in power...‘Blue Ridge’s’ well-written central character, and the actor who is brilliantly portraying her, deserve a richer drama.”
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“Although the group's meetings often seem more like coffee klatches than therapy...Rosebrock's characters are an engaging lot...Magar's direction neatly exposes each of the undercurrents flowing underneath the group's apparent harmony...Ireland is one of the few unmissable leading ladies in NY, and her efforts go a long way toward making Alison into a fascinating, troubling creature. But ‘Blue Ridge’ often rambles...In this case, the action is dogged by too many nagging questions.”
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"Economically directed with the steady hand of Taibi Magar and performed by a superb cast led by the incandescent Marin Ireland...It's easy to recommend 'Blue Ridge' because the performances, particularly Ireland's, are so strong. And it's easy to imagine more forgiving audiences overlooking the lapses in common sense Rosebrock either neglects to recognize or chooses to ignore in her writing...In 'Blue Ridge' the theatricality is unearned. "
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