Cost of Living NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (216)
See it if You like solid, hard hitting, dialogue, unusual looks at love and connections.
Don't see it if You are squeamish, can see or discuss physical pain, distortion, or failings
See it if The show addresses stereotypes, race and privilege. Very interesting and relevant
Don't see it if You don't like plays
See it if observant, wry, & tender drama of power, class, bodies. Packs a punch with plainspoken lyricism, excellent performances.
Don't see it if naturalism isn't your jam.
See it if you like shows that brings up lots of sociological issues relating to people connecting with each other and how /why we relate.
Don't see it if you like light, fluffy superficial plays
See it if you are interested in seeing a different type of story on the stage and different types of actors offering their all to tell a story.
Don't see it if people with disabilities, male nudity (even if brief), or issues a race and class make you uncomfortable.
See it if You want something new and refreshing with real character.
Don't see it if You prefer no nudity in your show.
See it if You enjoy edgy theater with unexpected twists about 'the human condition'
Don't see it if You only like light fun theater Read more
See it if You want to see a thought provoking show... amazing acting
Don't see it if You only want to see fluffy pieces
Critic Reviews (34)
"As the stories blend and meld, Martyna Majok’s point is succinctly evident. Needs may be extremely different, but we are all bonded by a commonality–the need for and to love. The play can be inconsistent and confusing at times, but the humanity is never lost...Jo Bonney directs this powerful cast with great sensitivity on Wilson Chin’s turntable stage."
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“‘Cost of Living’ is perfection. It sent me over the moon. It reawakens my belief in the poetry of theater and highlights its purpose as the critical eye on our human existence. Seamless. Impossible to pick apart. The production is a jeweled symbiosis of playwright Martyna Majok’s unique script, Jo Bonney’s spot-on direction, Wilson Chin’s tone setting design, and four actors so real that you forget you are watching a fictional stage play.”
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"Despite the heaviness in the lives and situations of each character, Majok infuses her brilliant new play with strong wit, as everyone relies on humor to get them through the day...A quiet but heart-wrenching examination of the different types of privilege that make up each individual life...Majok’s play is in good hands with Jo Bonney as director, and a marvelous cast that brought to life the play’s tenderness and tension."
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"Majok’s quietly burning play teases out the meanings and contexts of privilege and does so by means of stories that give center stage to disabilities...Bonney’s direction, whether emphasizing John’s little gestures of impatience or Ani’s thick shell, always underscores that these four are not on equal footing...Taken at the level of appearances, the cost of living might not seem the same for everyone but 'Cost of Living' posits that what matters is only how the price gets paid."
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"An eye-opening play featuring a quartet of extraordinary performances...But what’s most wonderful about the production, superbly directed by Jo Bonney, are a series of unforgettable scenes between the couples that thrust us into an intimacy that is rare in the theater...A final scene attempts to merge the two parallel stories...The scene doesn’t quite work...Other scenes in the play are told out of chronological order and add at least momentary confusion."
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“Eventually, though, its well-meaning intentions run into obstacles that seriously handicap the goodwill it's so carefully generated…The ending is disappointingly awkward. Dramatic surprises are always welcome but they shouldn't seem forced or arbitrary…Majok's vivid dialogue, thoroughly seeded with profanities, flows naturally from the first-rate ensemble…Most memorable is the redheaded Sullivan, with her nasal, high-pitched, Jersey accent shooting a profane stream of verbal bullets.”
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"Playwright Majok patently understands the psychological complications inherent in these relationships, as does director Jo Bonney...Majok doesn’t quite complete the writing task she sets for herself. While the Eddie-Ani and John-Jess scenes are clearly related, they register as disconnected...She indicates that she has more to say about her characters than 'Cost of Living' ultimately delivers...Still, it’s a pleasure to see the 'Cost of Living' cast in their assignments."
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"Sullivan and Mozgala both are riveting, especially Sullivan who is so sharp witted with acidic comic timing and a face that shows everything...The play is haunting, if a little disjointed. Taking a mere 100 minutes, you feel as if you have missed something...Bonney’s staging is fierce and blatant just like the writing. She brings out the best in this terrific well-rounded cast."
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