Dr. Ride's American Beach House
Closed 1h 30m
Dr. Ride's American Beach House
70

Dr. Ride's American Beach House NYC Reviews and Tickets

70%
(58 Ratings)
Positive
58%
Mixed
33%
Negative
9%
Members say
Great acting, Slow, Quirky, Ambitious, Confusing

About the Show

Set in Missouri on the night before Dr. Sally Ride's historic launch into space, Ars Nova's world premiere explores sexual politics, power, and repression between three friends in 1983.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (58)

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180 Reviews | 33 Followers
100
Enchanting, Delightful, Clever, Absorbing

See it if You adore insight into a time period

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

774 Reviews | 246 Followers
90
Moving, Thought-provoking, Resonant, Profound, Exquisite

See it if Repressed lesbian best friends hang out and plumb their identities. Made me feel the ongoing struggle of finding myself. Inspiring.

Don't see it if You don’t like character development plays where the action is inside the mind. A wind blows away the fog of confusion and lets in hope. Read more

1166 Reviews | 464 Followers
88
Exquisite, Great acting, Great writing, Absorbing, Riveting

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. Read more

567 Reviews | 150 Followers
87
Quirky, Intelligent, Great writing, Great staging, Great acting

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.

443 Reviews | 146 Followers
87
Inconspicuous, Entertaining, Thought-provoking, Clever, Great acting

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. Read more

197 Reviews | 74 Followers
86
Lyrical, Great acting, Enchanting, Delightful, Clever

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 Read more

372 Reviews | 84 Followers
85
Quirky, Great acting, Great writing, Great staging, Clever

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 Read more

AEO
111 Reviews | 13 Followers
80
Edgy, Great writing, Ambitious, Great acting, Funny

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.

Critic Reviews (12)

The New York Times
November 5th, 2019

CRITIC’S PICK "Getting Intimate at ‘Dr. Ride’s American Beach House’: In a witty new play by Liza Birkenmeier, restless friends find themselves challenged by the first American woman in space."
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Time Out New York
November 8th, 2019

4/5 Stars "The route of Birkenmeier’s plot is tightly mapped in retrospect, but full of worthy little detours into character...'Dr. Ride' takes its sweet time to rev up, but it goes the distance when the engine kicks in. It’s a specific and evocative depiction of identity and power at a crossroads."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
November 6th, 2019

"After 80 luscious minutes of conversation, the company somehow has material for a whole nother play, a ten-minute scorcher between Sally Ride (Sieh) and an old friend Molly (Markey)...The play itself just keeps soaring up and up and up."
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Theatermania
November 6th, 2019

"Dr. Ride's American Beach House and the Secret Lives of Lesbians in the 1980s: Sally Ride's historic space journey inspires four women on a St. Louis rooftop."
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Lighting & Sound America
November 5th, 2019

"A conversation piece for four women who take to a St. Louis rooftop…its air of laziness extends to the playwright, Liza Birkenmeier, who -- despite her knack for distinctive dialogue and a certain offhand, off-the-wall wit -- can't be bothered to come up with anything like drama."
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New York Stage Review
November 5th, 2019

4/5 Stars: "A sensitive work by an up-and-coming playwright. Ars Nova, a company that discovers and nurtures new artists, adds Birkenmeier's name to the roster of young dramatists whose future plays can be pleasantly anticipated."
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TheaterScene.net
November 7th, 2019

"Has all the elements of a fascinating drama but as presented by Ars Nova at Greenwich House it is all about subtext and undercurrents which may go right over the heads of many audience members. Little happens but there is much tedious talk which is a cover-up for what goes unsaid."
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CurtainUp
November 5th, 2019

"Liza Berkenmeier's historically inspired play offers a meditation on queer desire and repression."
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