Dry Powder
77

Dry Powder NYC Reviews and Tickets

77%
(127 Ratings)
Positive
82%
Mixed
14%
Negative
4%
Members say
Great acting, Intelligent, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Funny

About the Show

The Public Theater presents the world premiere of a new comedic drama about the people shaping, and skewing, the American economy, starring John Krasinski, Hank Azaria, and Claire Danes.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (127)

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714 Reviews | 253 Followers
83
Absorbing, Entertaining, Great acting, Confusing, Intelligent

See it if You're really interested in seeing yet another Wall-Street-is-bad play.

Don't see it if You didn't like The Big Short or similar films/plays.

207 Reviews | 34 Followers
82
Absorbing, Great acting, Edgy, Intelligent, Thought-provoking

See it if you don't mind keeping your brain engaged in your theatre going. It's a very smart script with a large financial world vocab. Accessible tho

Don't see it if you don't like lightning paced dialogue that involve concepts from the financial world. I was very pleasantly surprised. Great cast too.

216 Reviews | 223 Followers
82
Absorbing, Great acting, Intelligent, Intense, Ambitious

See it if You would enjoy a well-constructed, superbly-acted play about morals versus corporate greed in the purchase of a company.

Don't see it if You want a light, fluffy fare, or have no understanding of finance, as much of the jargon will be foreign.

761 Reviews | 165 Followers
82
Absorbing, Clever, Thought-provoking, Funny, Intelligent

See it if you like intelligent theatre dealing with current issues, enjoy comedies with meat, are a fan of Clare Danes & John Krasinski

Don't see it if a complicated idea like leveraged buyouts makes you squirm, don't like business/economic stories, or aren't a fan of the financial industry

52 Reviews | 17 Followers
81
Funny, Intelligent, Relevant

See it if you enjoy some complexity in your characters, and you want your theater to make you think.

Don't see it if you don't want to watch a play about finance or deal with difficult characters.

67 Reviews | 43 Followers
81
Absorbing, Original, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Great staging

See it if you like passionate characters who will defend their values in a high stakes work environment. Also, a minimalist set in an intimate space.

Don't see it if you don't like fast, technical dialogue. Though I will say even though I don't know financial jargon, I didn't feel I missed any plot points

202 Reviews | 53 Followers
80
Absorbing, Ambitious, Intelligent, Original, Relevant

See it if If you like straight plays with snappy, thought provoking dialogue, are interested in finance, like the actors.

Don't see it if If you have no interest in a play about the world of finance. The play uses financial terminology and was not always easy to comprehend.

153 Reviews | 66 Followers
80
Absorbing, Clever, Ambitious, Great acting, Intelligent

See it if you love a great compelling story line

Don't see it if high speed smart dialogue is not your thing

Critic Reviews (30)

The Wrap
March 22nd, 2016

"Why do plays about high finance always seem to be set in a 1990s disco?...I had to wonder if the playwright has ever visited a contemporary Manhattan office...Swinton and Blanchett have given nuance to this kind of ball-busting gorgon. Danes does not...Azaria and Krasinski are far more relaxed on stage, to the point that a peculiar subtext emerges. Are Burgess and Kail saying that men wear power naturally, while a woman has to huff, puff, and flail to get her way?"
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The Huffington Post
March 22nd, 2016

"'Dry Powder' is altogether crackling, allowing us to cut through the jargon and delve into an engrossing power-play…The cast is top grade...Azaria is massively good here as the master of his universe; brilliant, powerful and rapacious…Danes matches him…Amping up the electricity of Burgess’s script is director Thomas Kail…The play—and the performers—crackle throughout, although they might want to do some trimming…'Dry Powder' absolutely sizzles."
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B
April 23rd, 2016

"The production values set a high standard for the play to match. It almost succeeds. Burgess has written snappy dialog for vivid characters…For most viewers there will be few surprises and little new information about high finance. The play also becomes somewhat cartoonish and repetitive at times. Nevertheless, with its outstanding cast and stylish production, it is often tremendously entertaining."
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Newsday
March 22nd, 2016

"The 95-minute drama is just a minor addition to the capitalist-as-shark literature — less giddy with style than 'Glengarry Glen Ross' and 'Serious Money,' less probing than 'The Big Short' and 'Billions'...The Public Theater has devoted impressive acting and directing resources to this taut but talky and ultimately unremarkable work."
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NorthJersey.com
March 23rd, 2016

"It's well-acted and not uninteresting in its detailing of high-finance deals, but you keep wondering: Why are you telling me this again?...The play's impact can be measured by its climax. Everything has been leading up to the Big Decision: Whose plan will Rick choose? When the answer comes, it's worth a shrug. Nothing has been established that makes the outcome matter."
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The Huffington Post
April 3rd, 2016

"'Dry Powder' finds humor in the intensely competitive elements of American capitalism...Burgess has written an interesting play. It’s mostly surface, since her characters are, for the most part, fundamentally shallow, whatever personal delusions they possess. It does, however, reinforce our fears of Wall Street’s easy betrayals. Her good fortune is to have such an expert cast deliver a well-honed message."
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Financial Times (UK)
March 24th, 2016

"Business-themed drama frequently revolves around a clash between munificent optimism and greedy pessimism...Burgess thus trades depth of characterisation for intense realism. Under Thomas Kail’s low-key direction, the bargain is largely successful...And while the deluge of figures and acronyms can be overwhelming, this too seems to be in the service of authenticity...'Dry Powder' reveals such sub-Jobsian bombast to be just as hollow as its Wall Street equivalent."
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WNBC
March 22nd, 2016

"You get plenty of bang for your buck with Sarah Burgess’ 'Dry Powder,' and that’s just when it comes to the leads...Watching Danes and Kransinki lob insults at one another for 95 minutes is nearly entertainment enough… 'Dry Powder' evokes films like 'Wall Street,' posing questions about whether we’re all just looking out for our own self-interest. The performances are good, and the simple cube-based set works nicely."
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