Diaspora NYC Reviews and Tickets

64%
(49 Ratings)
Positive
53%
Mixed
29%
Negative
18%
Members say
Ambitious, Disappointing, Confusing, Thought-provoking, Great acting

About the Show

In this provocative new play, 73 AD meets 2017 as young Jewish tourists on a Birthright-style journey in Israel come face-to-face with their heritage.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (49)

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61 Reviews | 18 Followers
91
Clever, Entertaining, Ambitious, Delightful, Hilarious

See it if you like clever, funny and ambitious shows that blend the gravitas of the fall of Masada with the thoughts of modern Jewish youth.

Don't see it if if you do not like to see anything tied to how young Jews view a trip to Israel and how they think about things in general. Read more

56 Reviews | 32 Followers
80
Ambitious, Intelligent, Thought-provoking

See it if you wish to see complicated issues thrust into the inner worlds of young people, most of whom are unprepared for that experience.

Don't see it if you don’t wish to listen to young people talk about what really interests them, in phrasing that they actually use. Read more

60 Reviews | 9 Followers
78
Great acting, Absorbing, Clever, Raunchy, Funny

See it if You're interested in the exploration of Jewish-American identity. You like millennials.

Don't see it if If profanity and sexual dialogue upsets you. Dislike millennials.

302 Reviews | 87 Followers
75
Great acting, Relevant, Confusing, Raunchy, Clever

See it if you are, or can understand the language, lifestyle, and perspective of, a Millennial, in particular an American Jewish one, explore conflict

Don't see it if you cannot understand rapidly spoken Millennial-speak or are not interested in the philosophical/political conflict among USA college youth

1122 Reviews | 324 Followers
72
Thought-provoking, Great acting, Ambitious, Clever, Relevant

See it if you are interested in the relevance of religious issues today and like to see them juxtaposed with their origins.

Don't see it if you are easily confused by change of character, setting and time, even though an excellent job is done with the projections.

240 Reviews | 68 Followers
70
Ambitious, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Refreshing

See it if You're a young Jew who may not be all that into Jewishness, or want to relate to the Jews of this generation.

Don't see it if Questioning Judaism and Israeli politics offends you. A 1:45 show w/o intermission is too long for you to sit through. Read more

271 Reviews | 66 Followers
70
Great acting, Thought-provoking, Banal, Ambitious, Big ideas not fully formed

See it if You are interested in the problems of violence in Israel, Jewish identity, and religious conundrums.

Don't see it if Millenials, like, drive you crazy. You want linear explorations of complex issues. Frank talk about sex and some sexual activity offend you. Read more

172 Reviews | 24 Followers
65
Disappointing, Quirky, Relevant

See it if you enjoy jewish history; young people arguing

Don't see it if a bit long and scattered

Critic Reviews (6)

The New York Times
November 20th, 2017

"The teenagers he creates don’t have any definitive opinions...Shapiro slams them for their silliness and ignorance and raunch, the women particularly. Trouble is, Shapiro, at least as evidenced by this play, doesn’t have much of an opinion either...He hasn’t found a way to express his obvious confusion...The intersections of 2017 and 73 never resonate meaningfully. They are two stories that play simultaneously: one narrative is ugly and frivolous, the other is a catastrophe."
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Lighting & Sound America
November 30th, 2017

“But if Shapiro's ear for dialogue is lethally accurate in the contemporary scenes, he sometimes struggles with the historical aspect...It's easy to admire Diaspora's desire to strip away every layer of cant that has accrued to one of the world's most controversial and contested places, but Shapiro works so hard at it that he eliminates any possibility for drama...For all its ferocity, the play ends up being as dry as the desert that surrounds Masada.”
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Theatre is Easy
November 20th, 2017

"The 'Masada today' sections of the show resonate as true and familiar...I appreciate what 'Diaspora' is trying to do, but the drastic contrast between horny young adults and the somber subjects of war, treachery, and death might need some reworking. And some characters and storylines deserve more focus...Also contributing to the confusion is an abrupt ending...If Shapiro would only bring us into his world further, it would be more rewarding for all."
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Theater Pizzazz
November 26th, 2017

"Nathanial Sam Shapiro’s splendid 'Diaspora' is so packed with feelings, history and ideas that it’s easier to laud than to describe...Director Saheem Ali deserves great credit for his sensitivity to the 8 actors in search of 22 characters in two time zones...Nathaniel Sam Shapiro is a playwright with a future. Three days after seeing the play, I’m unable to stop thinking about it...His scenes are intriguing. His dialogue is bold and funny."
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TheaterScene.com
November 14th, 2017

"Though the characters portrayed in 'Diaspora' are largely archetypes, they raise many significant issues for the audience to contemplate...The playwright Mr. Shapiro and director Saheem Ali take an interesting approach to the telling of 'Diaspora' by including the audience as a character...Their use of humor helps make their points resonate, particularly with the younger members of the audience...The eight actors, several of whom play multiple roles, form an engaging ensemble."
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Tablet Magazine
November 20th, 2017

"The play tries to engage in both nuances of American Jewish culture and the history and politics of Israel, but what it does instead is give brief mentions to a series of surface arguments...Full of unlikable characters each representing a different half-baked perspective, the show is offensive to everyone and no one...I have yet to see an onstage reflection of the nuanced, thoughtful, complex approaches to Jewish identity."
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