Dementia Americana (FringeNYC)
Closed 1h 30m
Dementia Americana (FringeNYC)
86

Dementia Americana (FringeNYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets

86%
(51 Ratings)
Positive
90%
Mixed
8%
Negative
2%
Members say
Great acting, Relevant, Clever, Absorbing, Ambitious

About the Show

A FringeNYC Encore: Sex! Murder! Insanity! John Philip Sousa! Enjoy all this and more in this darkly comic play about the scandal surrounding Evelyn Nesbit, Harry K Thaw, and the murder of famed architect Stanford White.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (51)

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116 Reviews | 18 Followers
94
Clever, Absorbing, Relevant

See it if you like NY history, architecture, scandal, and crazy rich people

Don't see it if you are angered by the super wealthy and their ability to be above the law

393 Reviews | 101 Followers
90
Quirky, Great acting, writing & staging, Delightful, Clever, Original

See it if you're ready for a cure for all the bad theatre you might've been seeing lately; delightful performances & timely script tightly presented.

Don't see it if you're easily confused by imaginative narrative or staging, have no interest in history or current events or in innovative theatre. Read more

155 Reviews | 46 Followers
87
Ambitious, Great acting, Great staging, Great writing, Relevant

See it if you like very well acted NYC historical FICTION with relevance to today.

Don't see it if you don't like having a real person who was NOT around during the events acting as narrator. Easy to question event details.

360 Reviews | 76 Followers
86
Absorbing, Intelligent, Profound, Thought-provoking, Intense

See it if you want to know about the REAL Crime of the Century (not OJ!). Accurate and powerful, it's about the Monica Lewinsky of the Gilded Age.

Don't see it if you don't want to know about one of the most fascinating, accomplished, brilliant and intelligent men of the last century, Stanford White.

60 Reviews | 10 Followers
82
Absorbing, Clever, Intelligent, Original, Resonant

See it if You enjoy literate, soaring scripts. And a production with immensely skillful, clever direction - plus D'amato's knockout Thaw.

Don't see it if You need to see a seasoned, finished production - this is the Fringe, right? Be happy you got to see them when...

442 Reviews | 127 Followers
79
Entertaining, Intelligent, Original, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if you are interested in an historical event about which few are aware; are interested in the miscarriages of justice.

Don't see it if history doesn't interest you at all.

370 Reviews | 80 Followers
73
Ambitious, Disappointing, Indulgent, Overrated

See it if you'll enjoy seeing a young enthusiastic company in a play about a sensational event in US history--the murder of architect Stanford White.

Don't see it if you dislike inserting a REAL person who had nothing to do with a historical event into it or preachy plays that have to TELL you the moral. Read more

710 Reviews | 252 Followers
73
Ambitious, Intelligent, Original, Relevant, Intense

See it if You enjoy historical dramas about significant events in American history that remain relevant.

Don't see it if You're not interested in stories of mental illness or murder -- whether factual or fictitious.

Critic Reviews (7)

Theatre is Easy
September 20th, 2016

"Despite heavy-handedness and a certain lack of finesse, 'Dementia Americana' is well received in a contemporary moment of billionaire politicians and celebrity culture. If only it trusted its audience to come to this conclusion themselves...Though the acting is uneven, everyone clearly is giving their all...A work in progress, rather than a completely polished piece. The show—to its benefit—has made some changes since its initial run...However, there is still work to be done."
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Theatermania
August 24th, 2016
For a previous production

"Zany and thoroughly engaging…While it gets a little long near the end, director Paul Mancini keeps the energy high and the performances focused straight through the unsettling Brechtian final moments. Aquiler and D'Amato's script effectively delivers the historical facts while making them dramatic...History may have forgotten this minor cultural moment, but in Aquiler and D'Amato's hands, the story is especially timely."
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CurtainUp
August 20th, 2016
For a previous production

"'Dementia Americana' has many, many scenes that move along, never showing more than needed or wasting time belaboring. A key scene features a very clever instance of reverse-staging. D'Amato, who plays Harry Thaw, absolutely slays with his fearless and energetic acting. The versatile cast truly impresses in shifting roles...This show's a keeper. If you go, do try to sit down front."
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Theatre is Easy
August 22nd, 2016
For a previous production

"’Dementia Americana’ features strong performances by Buckley and Marlo but suffers somewhat from a lack of focus. It swings back and forth from being a wild ride through the fractured psyche of a spoiled playboy to being a sober drama about a poor but beautiful young woman cruelly used by rich men. There’s obviously a connection between those two themes, but the playwrights haven’t found a tone that encompasses both of them."
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Theatre Reviews Limited
August 20th, 2016
For a previous production

"The cast does what it can with the enactment of the story realizing it is more informative rather than action packed and broken up into short vignettes. There is a problem with hearing some actors especially when directing dialogue upstage or into the wings...Director Mancini moves the story along but could pick up the pace during some stagnant scenes that seem to drag. This production is more interesting than exciting and a look at a strange, bizarre character and a notorious murder."
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DC Metro Theater Arts
August 22nd, 2016
For a previous production

“Turn-of-the-century costumes, Bentwood chairs, and recorded period music evoke the era, and dramatic lighting by JT Diaz accentuates the plot points. With its intelligent and well-researched script, fine acting and direction (including some entertaining segments of silent-film-style miming), and effective design, ‘Dementia Americana’ succeeds in conveying both a fascinating event from our past and a socio-political statement that remains relevant in the present.”
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The Highlighter
August 17th, 2016
For a previous production

"'Dementia Americana' may not exist in the sense of what it was meant to, but is a frighteningly apt term for what the American climate looks like today. Between the ingeniously clever stage setup, flawless scene transitions, and utterly incredible acting, the production becomes a fantastical event. It’s a comical, farcical commentary, and succeeds in every aspect. Those who could be labeled as suffering from 'dementia Americana,' and those who couldn’t, would do well to watch it."
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