Echoes NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (10)
See it if Dramatic writing and outstanding acting is a must for you to enjoy a play. Small venue that enhances the momentsđź‘Ť
Don't see it if Serious dialogue about women's empowerment is not your thing.
See it if you want to spent a taut 50 minutes being introduced to two incredible young actresses and an ambitious, socially conscious playwright.
Don't see it if you are triggered by rape or violence against women (mostly narrated). You are an MRA. You don't like long monologues.
See it if brings you quickly to empathize with the two characters, one of whom you might think you're pre-disposed to dislike! But tragedy awaits...
Don't see it if you don't want your mind opened and your heart broken.
See it if the same prejudice two centuries apart, two idealistic women from two different religions - well told, well acted parallel stories.
Don't see it if you don't like material that makes you angry or hopeless that things aren't as different as we'd like
See it if You want to see excellent acting in a very intense play. If you like short plays (it's only about 50 minutes).
Don't see it if You don't want to see two actors play about 10 different parts. You don't want to see something serious.
See it if a show that is pure, simply staged and thought provoking.
Don't see it if you want to be challenged
See it if You want to be totally absorbed and leave with real food for thought
Don't see it if Can't concentrate for an hour- it's quite intense and is just 2 actors with minimal props/scenery
See it if you like thoughtful plays, great acting, shows that try to help audiences understand what's going on in the Middle East.
Don't see it if you're looking for something light & fluffy. It's funny, but not lighthearted.
Critic Reviews (21)
"See this emotive two-hander that will take your breath away. Wonderfully staged and superbly acted, it is a haunting, poignant show...Houlbrooke and Braganca are extraordinary in their roles...They master their characters with complete authenticity. You will be spellbound by their performances...Don't miss 'Echoes'. It is an important piece of theater, wonderfully crafted and brilliantly executed."
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"The writing and the portrayals are so thoroughly compelling that we are pulled immediately into Tillie and Samira's worlds...Despite its brevity (under an hour), and using only the alternating stories offered up by two very talented performers, 'Echoes', co-directed by the playwright and Emma Butler, packs a wallop as it serves as a sad reminder that history repeats itself, with only subtle variations, generation after generation."
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"Both actresses very skillfully perform as those central characters as well as their husbands and an assortment of people they encounter...This work is not groundbreaking but it does very effectively depict the two women and their plights with shrewdly imparted historical and cultural details...The direction by Emma Butler and Naylor crisply presents the action and emotions...It’s a grand and moving small-scale theatrical showcase for its duo of marvelous performers."
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"It’s a captivating compare-and-contrast of religious fervor...The downside to this call-and-response approach, though, is that while we certainly feel the shock and awe of the girls’ suffering, we might have found even greater compassion if they had presented their tales one at a time...Both actors turn in strong performances...Co-directors Naylor and Buttler make sure that their actors are static only when the words call for it, generating a vibrant pas de deux."
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“The actresses are utterly riveting in their portrayals...Both Houlbrooke and Braganca have strong voices, like two different instruments alternating in a hauntingly similar melody...This is obviously no comedy, but Naylor has used his comic gifts to create two very funny and observant characters. There is a surprising amount of laughs in the play...It is presented in minimalist style...With writing so fine and acting so powerful, nothing else is needed.”
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"Houlbrooke and Braganca give committed, intelligent performances, ably changing their voices and attitudes to characterize the various people they reference. I wish I could have been more enthusiastic about the play itself, but it’s only fair to note that, as we left the theatre, my companion disagreed with me about it, and was echoed by another theatregoer who’d heard us talking. Echoes encourages conversation, and, for that reason alone, you may find it worth a visit."
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"The actresses carry the hour-long production, which is spare of sets and other dramatic spectacle…Nothing distracts from the measured and intense performances. We are captivated by the women’s stark journeys and empathize as we watch both women move toward the abyss…On a global level Naylor’s themes roundly resonate."
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"Earnest and well-acted…Despite being full of incident, the play never quite gels as theatre, and the politics are heavy-handed. Both husbands are one-dimensional creations; both women's situations come across as Women's Oppression 101 rather than the lived experiences of real individuals. Not to say that the stories aren't convincing, but they're not presented theatrically. The situations are effectively awful, but as lectures not a play."
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