Continuity
Closed 1h 40m
Continuity
76%
76%
(59 Ratings)
Positive
86%
Mixed
14%
Negative
0%
Members say
Funny, Relevant, Entertaining, Clever, Great acting

About the Show

MTC's world premiere by Bess Wohl ("Small Mouth Sounds") asks “How do we keep going when hope can seem as fictional as a Hollywood ending?” and also, “What’s for lunch?”

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Critic Reviews (14)

The New York Times
May 21st, 2019

“’Continuity’ never convincingly weds its airy approach to its heavy subject...The approach is almost whimsical, as if Wohl were setting a trap whose bait is comedy...The themes of the play never cohere except in the title...The comedy wilts and the drama, with no stageable crisis, fizzles...You’re left with little to do but admire Wohl’s clever connections and end-time puns...Only near the end of its 100 minutes does ‘Continuity’ find a way to weave its main strands together.”
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New York Theatre Guide
May 28th, 2019

"It's a funny, sad essay on climate change. The metaphor of a chaotic film set...is a brilliant stand in for the Earth's rapid decline and our inability to affect meaningful change on Earth...This dark comedy provides many laughs, especially if you have ever been on a film set...All of the actors are wonderful...I learned a lot and I am inspired to learn more, hopefully I will take action."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
May 21st, 2019

“Wohl’s smart, funny, and deeply sad new eco-drama...Wohl’s dialogue is sharp and sprightly, confident and fluid through both the casual banter and the leaps into big emotions and ideas...Wohl nimbly avoids speechifying...People stay people—messy and maddening and well-intentioned—rather than becoming mouthpieces. Director Rachel Chavkin leans into the humor just enough, keeping the action swift and the escalating comedy of errors on Maria’s set buoyant and amusing.”
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The Hollywood Reporter
May 21st, 2019

"Mixing tired satirical japes with dire warnings about climate change, 'Continuity,' would have benefited from being truer to its title...The playwright doesn't stray too far from stereotype with most of these characters...None of it makes much of an impact...Wohl rarely rises above the level of cliché with this disappointing effort...Chavkin fails to enliven the tired material, and the actors mainly seem as adrift as the characters they're portraying."
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Theatermania
May 21st, 2019

“This world premiere is only intermittently engaging, and never fully realizes the grand philosophical statement that its more heavy-handed lines of dialogue seem to be making...Wohl appears to be in such a rush to get her points across that she creates a soapbox instead of a drama. Despite the efforts of the all-around excellent cast to make these characters come off as human beings, ‘Continuity’ aims at worthy targets but barely grazes any.”
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Talkin' Broadway
May 21st, 2019

“Full of provocative and philosophical ideas, it is as funny as it is smart...Chavkin's direction perfectly modulates the silliness of the film production, the underlying sadness and disappointment of the characters, and the urgency of the central issue about global warming...The performers work superbly as an ensemble...A few of the scenes go on a bit too long, and some of the character revelations could use further exploration...Still...this is a play that continues to resonate."
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New York Stage Review
May 21st, 2019

“A light comedy that concludes with a dark message...An amusing look at the egocentricities and expensive follies of moviemaking. The playwright has a serious issue to communicate, however...Modest in scale and moderately entertaining as an easygoing showbiz comedy, ‘Continuity’ manages to become thoughtful in its disconsolate conclusion. The production has been neatly staged by Rachel Chavkin...Under Chavkin’s guidance, the actors provide effective performances."
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CurtainUp
May 22nd, 2019

“The play unfolds over six takes of the same scene...Film shoots are slow but under the helm of Chavkin the play clocks in at a brisk 100 minutes, and with mounting tension. Chavkin, hones on the emotions as well as the bickering artists' humor...While the play has choppy segments and little new information about the problem of climate control or movie making, ‘Continuity’ is entertaining, serious and with laugh-out-loud moments.”
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