Crumbs From the Table of Joy NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsMember Reviews (23)
See it if you want to see the play that introduced Lynn Nottage to the New York Theatre scene. You enjoy watching an excellent acting ensemble.
Don't see it if you don't like small, intimate productions. This play has one set and no flashy pyrotechnics.
See it if Teenage girl from the South in Brooklyn grows up too fast facing racism and sexism but learns to want more out of life from her radical aunt
Don't see it if Downer, Jim Crow, cults/ religious purity, alcoholism, Black-White racial tensions, coming of age aren't your thing. 2 hours; 1 intermission Read more
See it if Family drama told from teen’s perspective and acted beautifully makes you really feel for each character. Thoughtful early Nottage play
Don't see it if While making historical points it’s a multidimensional story about a black family with throwaway one dimensional mentions of a Jewish family
See it if Beautiful, poetic writing and resonant themes. Wonderful, vivid characters. Not much better out there.
Don't see it if looking for mindless fluff that passes for theater nowadays.
See it if you're interested in problems encountered by a Black family in 1950 moving to NY from Florida. Topics include racial problems, sexual topics
Don't see it if you're expecting a fancy set and lots of action. You don't enjoy stories involving minor racial clashes Read more
See it if you want to see a wonderfully written play involving black families that will resonate with everyone, a play where every word has its place.
Don't see it if you want to see a light play, a comedy, or a musical. Read more
See it if you are a Nottage fan. This was not predictable. Told through the eyes of a teen who lost her mother. Great ensemble of actors.
Don't see it if you are looking for big staging, if you don't like a complex story of a Black family.
See it if You are a fan of the author and want to see where she began. Enjoy excellent and often surprising acting.
Don't see it if You are seeking flashy entertainment Read more
Critic Reviews (11)
“In Colette Robert’s quiet, mostly sure-handed production for Keen Company, ‘Crumbs From the Table of Joy’ is a pleasure for several reasons: rarity, for one, this being the play’s first New York revival since its premiere in 1995.”
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“An underappreciated gem from an incredibly talented dramatist, ‘Crumbs From the Table of Joy’ is the kind of play that Keen Company does best. The company makes a meal out of Crumbs with this outstanding revival, giving it a much-deserved second look in New York.”
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“Keen Company is presenting a solid revival of Crumbs that will be of interest to Nottage fans, scholars, and completists but is less likely to captivate the general theatregoer. If nothing else, it shows how the playwright's restless intelligence inevitably draws her to some of the more fascinating episodes of Black American history.”
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“If you are familiar with the playwright's wicked sense of humor you'll recognize the style even in this early work...So even if ‘Crumbs From the Table of Joy’ is less than top-drawer Nottage, it is pretty much must-see for admirers of the playwright. Keen Company, director Colette Robert, and the excellent cast have done themselves proud with this production, which is dramatic, funny, and highly entertaining.”
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“If you’re familiar with Nottage’s works, you’re sure to notice a few details in ‘Crumbs’ that surface in other plays. But ‘Crumbs’ has a voice all its own. It also has one of the most jaw-dropping Act 1 endings you’ll ever see.”
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"Every single actor turns in a performance which could not conceivably be improved upon. If you weren’t fortunate enough to be on hand for the play’s debut, don’t miss this opportunity to catch up."
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While this first New York revival of "Crumbs from the Table of Joy" does not reach the heights of Nottage’s later Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, "Ruined" and "Sweat," it proves to be a very charming and competent look at growing up Black in Brooklyn during the McCarthy Era. Under the direction of Colette Robert, the fine cast holds our interest with this domestic comedy drama. Always engrossing, the play demonstrates Nottage’s ability to write about race, social change and economic deprivation in an engaging manner. Nottage proves to have been a very accomplished playwright from the outset of her career.
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“This struggling family may have to scrounge for their crumbs of joy, but Nottage makes sure the audience leaves the theater fully nourished.”
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