Dutch Masters

See it if You want something to think about

Don't see it if you want something light and fluffy

See it if Great acting. A must see!

Don't see it if You don't like good theatre

See it if You want to see a really great play and really great writing

Don't see it if There is some kind of natural disaster but otherwise SEE IT!

See it if Those interested in compassion and empathy for others

Don't see it if If you are biased and not open minded

See it if You want to see a play that keeps you on the edge of your seat while breaking your heart, cracking you up, and making you check your bias.

Don't see it if I mean, just see it.

See it if you like taut, engrossing dramas that ask penetrating questions of its characters and audience

Don't see it if you’re not ready to challenge your assumptions about class, race, and representation

See it if You want to be moved, to laugh, to cry, to think. If you grew up in New York. If you are a human being.

Don't see it if There’s no reason not to see it.

See it if This play is amazing! Ian Duff is amazing! Next star!

Don't see it if You have to see it!

See it if You enjoy great acting with deeper underlying messages

Don't see it if Racial and social truths make you uncomfortable

See it if You like a show that goes from good natured humor to edge of your seat, tense psycho-social drama and back again all within 70 minutes.

Don't see it if If you’re looking for something light and fluffy. This EXCELLENT show will make you squirm as you see yourself in ways not always pleasant.

See it if Despite early 90's setting, a timeless, topical piece of 'urban theatre' Testosterone-fueled & moving like a frieght train it packs a punch

Don't see it if Horowitz's Steve a little too 'clueless' (even one so entitled) thus tipping balance (& interest) towards Duff's Eric Still a taut script

See it if you'd like to see a gripping, psychologically astute portrayal of the interaction between 2 young male New Yorkers, 1 black, 1 white.

Don't see it if a close look at America's enduring racial wound might make you queasy.

Also Playwright Greg Keller has an acute ear & a real flare for capturing savvy, witty, youthful urban speak. His play “Dutch Masters” puts that talent to use in a taut, meticulously wrought depiction of a suspenseful encounter on the subway (& afterwards) between a young black man & a young white man. A skillful twist of the plot that occurs midway redefines all that went before & charges all that is to come with intermittent affection & more than occasional menace by establishing a surprise, prior not-quite-relationship between the young men. The intimate theater at the Wild Project traps the audience in the same close space as the characters: we sweat almost as much as they do. Ian Duff & Jake Horowitz are the pitch perfect actors here. (When I saw Horowitz on stage 4 years ago in a production of “King Lear,” he was very much a boy. How good to see that he’s now a very promising actor.)... Read more Read less

See it if great writing, beautiful acting, intimate theater, nice set, great topic the N.Y. subway system as well partners 95 % and my 85%.

Don't see it if length of play perfect for today's audience but I prefer a longer production.

See it if You enjoy plays about big ideas. You like intense plays with a small cast.

Don't see it if You want a well-paced show. I found it both too long & too short. There's an extended intro to the main conflict, which ends shortly after.

Also There are 2 halves to the show. I preferred the 2nd part to the 1st, hence my high "low" score.... Read more Read less

See it if Great acting and story. Let you hang in your seat, for you never know what are going to happen.

Don't see it if Not a long show but a powerful show.

See it if Want 2 see well-drawn characters in a perfectly realized, taut script w crisp direction. Both actors are terrific. Surprising twists.

Don't see it if Don't want suspenseful scenario re urban race relations, white privilege, inequality, innate bias. 70 mins of absorbing drama here. Worthy

Also Saw this early April 2018 near the end of its run at the Wild Project.

See it if You like short plays that explore big ideas with a small cast in an intimate setting. Beautiful and heartbreaking, funny and smart.

Don't see it if You don't like two person shows where you emotionally roller-coaster and the tension never lets up. Occasionally uneven, but not often.

See it if 2 hander touching on race relations, 1992 NYC, guns, white privilege, commonalities, tension, plot twists, MTA as meeting place interest you

Don't see it if 2 hander touching on race relations, 1992 NYC, guns, white privilege, commonalities, tension, have no place in your universe, OOB is 2 far

See it if A chance encounter leads to discovery of unexpected commonalities, unknown connections, positive and negative emotions.

Don't see it if You don’t want to explore a different perspective on race and class privilege or go to a small venue off the beaten path.

See it if you like feeling what the characters feel, won't get really defensive, don’t think we’d be best served by a rosier picture on race relations

Don't see it if you have the luxury of not needing to think about race when you don’t want to; you don’t want to feel confronted

Also I’ll admit this made me squirm, but it’s worthwhile. Saw DM in its first weekend and was surprised that it’s flawless out the gate. Has a specific goal and accomplishes it perfectly. Duff is a master class in intimidation; Horowitz is supremely sympathetic; both hilarious. DM would have fallen apart without absolutely convincing performances.

When I think about it, this play can be a bit controversial—in that it has the potential to divide the audience exactly how it doesn’t want to be divided (by color) if everyone isn’t willing to take their lumps. Other plays at the intersection of race & class have softened the blow w/ metaphor (Pipeline), artfulness (Is God Is), stylization (anything Suzan-Lori Parks), or well-behaved evenhandedness (Sweat). Loved how creatively those plays handled the audience, but also enjoyed Dutch Masters' distinguishing feature—it just doesn’t play nice.

I’m dismayed that the run is so short. What a find!... Read more Read less

See it if smokin' race tension thriller written by a great white actor, directed by a great black actor. Performers are devastating, as is the dialog

Don't see it if gripping, but could be uncomfortable to some. Takes place in 1992 but couldn't be more contemporary. Plot twists are totally unexpected

See it if You want to see a performance that is intense, edgy, well written and performed. You want to laugh and think.

Don't see it if You are not comfortable seeing a play that touches on race and differences. You don't want to see two performers give a great performance.

Also The staging started off simple and creative and it only got better and was well done and very appropriate for this performance. This play had me thinking about where it was going from the beginning. These performers did a great job in bringing the writing to life. I enjoyed their conversation and how they interacted with each other. I liked how things came to light. Please go see this if you can, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised. Keep an open mind, sit back, relax and enjoy the show. You will laugh and feel what the performers are relating to the audience.... Read more Read less

See it if Smart, tense drama well acted. Intimate space suits this play well.

Don't see it if You are likely to feel guilty about your own preconceptions.

See it if you're looking for a powerful piece about what it's like to grow up on either "side of the tracks

Don't see it if you prefer a large cast and/or spectacle

See it if You like being kept on the edge of your seat as two fascinating characters clash and unravel a mystery about themselves.

Don't see it if You're scared away by timely subject matter touching on black rage and white privilege--even though it's NOT about being politically correct