Dr. Ride's American Beach House

See it if You like shows that mesmerize. This somehow balances beautifully on that line of being about everything and nothing simultaneously.

Don't see it if You’re looking for fast paced or lots of action. This is one of those shows that creeps up into your head and kind of blooms like a flower.

Also Delicious!

See it if Birkenmeire's elliptical, idiosyncratic psuedo-feminist tale of two women inching towards a new self-awareness is driven by a superb quartet

Don't see it if Difficulty in gaining a footing on an elusive (if any) plot takes effort & often dead ends Despite its many appeals, its a shaggy dog story

See it if you like new works - this one well-acted with good a capella singing of 80's songs on a nicely designed set, used well under good direction.

Don't see it if you want a play that goes somewhere - this is a slice of life among four individuals set in a time that maybe unfamiliar to many-it's chatty

See it if women's relationships interest you. The play reflects on friends, neighbors, mothers, daughters, lovers, etc.as seen from a rooftop

Don't see it if slice of life is not your thing. The major event of the play has little to do with the characters we get to know during most of the play

See it if Two childhood friends believe that they have the luxury of time to accept or refute the context of their relationship. Beautiful. Great set.

Don't see it if Intentional poignancy & regret thicken the summer air on the eve of Dr. Ride's fateful mission,marking the time for decision is often brief.

See it if A trove of ideas & commentary that blend into the dialogue w/ chameleon subtlety so that the show’s almost indistinguishable from life.

Don't see it if the only writers/artists/people worth notice are ones making conspicuous, declarative, look-at-me gestures trumpeting their cleverness.

Also This show almost entirely avoids cliches. Many have said this plot goes nowhere; some distill it to a snapshot of lesbians in the 80s. I think the script’s 1000% clearer when considered from the point of view of women who have no desire for children (possibly extra visible in the queer community at the time?). Of 6 adult women portrayed, only 1 is a mom—odds so long in fiction they could be the basis of a new sort of Bechdel test. The dialogue hinges on what’s unspoken—including not just queer sexuality, but also an awareness of how the perspectives of women who reject the role of motherhood are distinct from those of women who accept it (as well as from men whose aspirations weren't historically limited in the same way).

That’s not to say the show denigrates mothers & the capacity to nurture. Harriet and Sally eventually reveal how necessary women’s support & caring really are. Against the backdrop of one woman’s achievement, the show foregrounds the efforts of many others unsung.... Read more Read less

See it if you like complex friendship plays where very little happens dramatically but much is revealed slowly through narrative and character

Don't see it if you don't want to think about who and what a person is, where and how life's decisions affect your future and don't want a feminist bent

Also A very challenging and clever way of showing the three-dimensionality of a human's life. Absolutely top-notch acting, and clever and witty writing, and a weirdly super-specific quirky and truly weird plot. Not for everyone, but I'm really glad I saw it.... Read more Read less

See it if The most natural dialog since Delillo’s White Noise; gorgeous piece of writing and acting exploring repressed ‘80s lesbianism seeking escape

Don't see it if You need high action and can’t sit back and steep in the play’s gorgeous writing and acting as two women try to understand their feelings

Also It’s good to know going in what the play is about. The elephant in the room is, of course, the women’s’ repressed sexuality, which is then actually embodied in the room by a new friend — someone who is clearly out and ready to talk about it - if anyone is ready to listen.... Read more Read less

See it if You adore insight into a time period

Don't see it if You aren’t interested in women’s lives.

See it if you are desperate to go to the theater and this would be your last choice.

Don't see it if a well-acted, actually scripted play, is what you prefer.

Also Bought tks as the reviews were all good. Really, did I see another show than the critics did? It felt like the actors were making up their lines as they went. If actually scripted why were they always talking over each other and searching for words? What really did this have to do with Sally Ride? What did this have to do with anyone or anything? If we could have walked out without disturbing the rest of the audience we would have done so. Very little applause and lots of negate comments on the way out.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in female/female relationships examined in a somewhat superficial way. The play doesn't give much back story.

Don't see it if You want a clear story and you want to know who these characters are. The play doesn't give much context for these people. A bit confusing.

See it if You enjoy a play that takes its time, if you like 80s period, looking for something lighthearted and enjoyable

Don't see it if Get bored easily, if you’re expecting an arc or much to happen, if you are expecting it to be relevant to space and Sally Ride

Also I really couldn’t tell you what this show is about. The last 10 minutes is the best of the play and I could have done with just seeing that. I was way more interested in Sally Ride (who they talked about) then these characters who pretty much just tell pointless stories the whole time. It seemed like it was trying really hard to be significant but it just wasn’t, it just seemed random and inconsequential.... Read more Read less

See it if you love slice of life dialogue that goes nowhere for a long time, you want a feminist lesbian experience that kinda sorta doesn't budge

Don't see it if a great set is not enough for you; the early 80s and well written characters don't thrill; you want something to happen

Also there is some brilliant writing in this play but dramaturgically it just never managed to come up with much of anything for me. There are some theatrical moments and some great monologues but it meanders and was painstakingly slow until about page 70.... Read more Read less

See it if want to eavesdrop on aimless conversation among unconvincingly drawn characters. The lesbian undercurrent is the entirety of the plot. Zzz..

Don't see it if expect any degree of realism. I'm sure there's an interesting play about Sally Ride being a lesbian. This dull and plodding affair is not it

Also The un-raked auditorium makes for dreadful sight lines at the Barrow Street theater. All of the action happens on one side of the stage and thanks to the large head of the gentleman in front, I was unable to see most of it. And I'm relatively tall!... Read more Read less

See it if From tiny acorns mighty oaks will grow. Stunning acting and a story draws you in.

Don't see it if Fluid sexuality is assumed so be prepared for casual but truthful transitions.

See it if you're interested in a quirky new play w/ ideas about women exploring their roles and sexuality in the 80s. Well acted, though a little long

Don't see it if you need a clear narrative arc. The play feels a little 'loose' and unfinished.

See it if You enjoy a thoughtful script about the human experience, peppered with humor and sentiment.

Don't see it if You need explicitly curated drama.

See it if you like plays that explore LGBTQ identity themes.

Don't see it if you have no interest in LGBTQ identity themes.

Also I confess I went into this play with high expectations. I loved the feminist premise of setting the play on the eve of Dr. Sally Ride's 1983 first flight into outer space, and juxtaposing it with the ordinary lives of 4 working class women in St. Louis, Missouri. Each of these characters in turn hints at feeling out of place and unhappy in their present lives. Ms. Liza Birkenmeier through her text appoints us, the audience, as time travelers who looking back diagnose identity issues into each of these characters. Or so I gathered. My disappointment lay in her not exploring in more detail, what she repeatedly hints at teasingly and tantalizingly. Like a hungry dog uncharacteristically leaving a lot of meat on the bone and walking away to search for more food to eat. It felt confusing. After sitting through half the play with chit-chat to illustrate the two central characters' banal and unsatisfying lives, We're spun 180 degrees in a totally different direction. Gotcha!-she seems to say!... Read more Read less

See it if Plays that raise lots of issues through personal stories about women

Don't see it if If you don't like having to do some thinking

See it if you want a thoughtful examination of women and societal traps.

Don't see it if you want lots of action, or want every loose end tied up.

Also The play starts slowly, and at first I wondered if it was going anywhere, but I found myself thinking about it long after it was over. It's a delicate piece that takes its time to examine each character's shattered dreams. Kudos to the four actresses, who never let a moment feel forced. And to the set designer -- I was captivated by her realistic rooftop!... Read more Read less

See it if you like plays about lesbian love affairs and the difficulty in maintaining them.

Don't see it if you want a good drama. The play is static and monotonous during its first hour. The last half hour,however, has some lovely moments from a

Also talented cast. If the information revealed at the end had been the core of the play, it would have been a very moving experience.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy believably drawn relationship between main two female characters, some really funny moments, good acting

Don't see it if This feels like a show Circle Rep would have done in the early 80s. Dated and old-fashioned, and somewhat boring and formless.

Also The writer has real ability, but she didn't have the craft (in my opinion) to pull this one off. Also, the random appearance of ancillary characters only deflated the tension between the main two women.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy plays that bubble under the surface and a top rate cast of downtown stars.

Don't see it if plays in continuous time bore you. If you aren't willing to listen for what is unspoken.

See it if my review at Theaterlife.com intrigued you.

Don't see it if my review at Theaterlife.com turned you off.

Also An excerpt from my review:

Birkenmeier’s play has several effective moments but, loosely structured as it is, the stakes rarely seem particularly high. The most affecting moments, in fact, don’t happen in the play but are speeches describing things that happened in the recent past. And the final scene—describing it would be a spoiler—is unsatisfactory because it seems more a gimmick than an organic outgrowth of what it follows.

Dr. Ride’s American Dream House shows promise but needs more powerful rocket boosters if it’s ever going to achieve lift-off.... Read more Read less

See it if you're down for quiet, pensive, understated and heartfelt.

Don't see it if you're looking for something with action and an arc.