Don't You F**king Say a Word NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (16)
See it if you like your plays to move quickly, with smart and snappy dialogue and dynamic movement; you're interested in the state of the modern man.
Don't see it if the emotional struggles of straight middle-class men seem self-indulgent to you, or you hate the idea that men find self-worth via sports.
See it if A light gender satire that feels like an extended sitcom. Pokes fun at competition both within and between the genders. Left me smiling.
Don't see it if It's a bit contrived. Still it makes me wonder about these little power struggles we have with our friends and family.
See it if you enjoy shows about relationships; tennis as a vehicle for one's personality traits; excellent direction and non-linear plot development
Don't see it if you don't care to see yet another show about family/relationship conflicts; you only enjoy linear plots and traditionally developed plays.
See it if You'd enjoy a show focused on a tennis rivalry and two couples arguing. The actors were all excellent.
Don't see it if You expect big production values. This set is spare but is used very well and really does look like a tennis court.
See it if You want to see a clever satire on both male sports frenzy and male-female relationships.
Don't see it if You need an elaborate set and costumes to feel engaged in a play. You want to leave the theatre with a plot worth serious debate.
See it if You want something different, clever storytelling, strong cast of 4, engaging, fast paced
Don't see it if You don't want to hear the F word, don't like non-linear plots, simple set (tennis court) or story about relationships, conflict,competition
See it if You like small theatre and interesting stage design. "Okay" with profanity, and have knowledge about tennis... It was high-octane at times
Don't see it if If profanity and tennis don't interest you; the references will go over your head... Good-acting, however...
See it if you like exploring characters that might inhabit the real world. It's funny and diverting.
Don't see it if you are looking for major character growth, or if predictability bothers you.
Critic Reviews (18)
"Tautly directed by Lee Sunday Evans, and featuring an excellent cast, the play examines in minute detail the relationship between Brian and Russ...It’s quite flattering to Brian and Russ — and rather unlikely — that Leslie and Kate, who have lives of their own, would be so fascinated by these events...The play suggests that the tennis court is where the true self is revealed, but Mr. Bragen doesn’t go deep enough to accomplish that, or to make us feel invested in the question."
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"One of the consolations of a national tragedy, we’re also told, is that great art will come out of it. Perhaps it will. But while we wait, we needn’t settle for wearyingly so-so art like Andy Bragen’s 'Don’t You F**king Say a Word'...Full of such pop-psych noodling, but barely sketches the characters’ actual relationships. In the end, it’s so generic and familiar that the warning of its truculent title seems descriptive. The play has nothing to say."
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"An all-star cast as far as off-Broadway is concerned, and they all deliver plausibly human performances, which is fortunate considering that Bragen traffics in occasionally stiff prose and musty 'Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus'-style clichés. It has the potential to get very old, very fast, but it remarkably never does. Some of the credit surely goes to director Evans and her slick staging, which keeps our heads in the game without getting bogged down in the tennis minutiae."
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"This clever play by Andy Bragen features meticulous direction by Lee Sunday Evans and has a fantastic cast of four. It is a very entertaining yet thought-provoking piece about a tennis rivalry and how seriously players approach the game…'Don't You F**cking Say a Word' is an intriguing comedy about the games people play…The cast deliver the well-crafted, fast-paced dialogue seamlessly."
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"The best thing about Bragen's new play is that it lets us spend some time with Jennifer Lim and Jeanine Serralles...This isn't much material for a play, but the two ladies help keep one's attention focused...When the big incident finally happens...it hardly seems to justify the lengthy buildup. Somewhere along the line, you start to notice that the play's format isn't hilarious enough for full-on satire...Still, under the solid direction of Evans, Lim and Serralles keep things watchable."
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"Though the play attempts to dissect the relationship between two men in an interesting way, Bragen's writing ultimately lacks depth and doesn't end up saying very much after all. Acting choices, pacing and thematics are all appropriate thanks to Lee Sunday Evans' seamless direction, but it's the script itself which is the production's biggest hurdle."
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“Playwright Andy Bragen delivers a dexterous and controlled piece of writing…As the nuance of the match comes into view, so does the richness and emotional complexity of the relationships…These frivolous idiosyncrasies of the amateur athlete are elevated by the play, and in particular by Lee Sunday Evans’ elegant stagecraft as she renders the astonishing speed and agility of tennis in rich, arresting theatrical detail."
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"The scenes flash forward and back (which can be wearying) as the rage builds and tempers flare...The problem is that this scenario becomes all too repetitive and after a while goes nowhere...The stage is simply designed with a line down the center, replicating a tennis court, where Brian and Russ frequently pose, in still motion, executing a serve or backhand. Directed by Lee Sunday Evans, the competent ensemble gives pause to relationships of all kinds! Watch the balls fly!"
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