Fire in Dreamland

See it if Jones' captivating performance goes a long way to ease the tedium of this messy, enervating drama w/ Beltran a cipher & Gjokaj a gifted user

Don't see it if Groff's roller coaster of a script Is all dips & turns but no thrills Too many forced metaphors & unexplored themes leave one exhausted

See it if you're interested in Coney Island history & the creative process in making movies, honest look at how someone can be scammed and rise again

Don't see it if Coney Island, making movies and misbegotten love affairs don't interest you, don't like stories that hint at denouement out of sequence

See it if you have patience to figure out what's going on. Lots of symbolism and portentous speeches that went over my head.

Don't see it if you need a clear narrative.

See it if you appreciate great acting and like stories about vulnerability, deception, or creativity. Pace is good and only 90 minutes.

Don't see it if you don't like shows that require your imagination. I could see why some found it confusing since characters describe movie you don't see.

See it if Your a/c is broken

Don't see it if You’ve got anything else to do

See it if you're cool w/90min of dreaming vs reality; letting go of inhibition vs honoring responsibility. Show grows on you w/palpable performances.

Don't see it if a handsome con-artist slithering his way around & thru everyone's heart & wallet will easily piss you off. Great acting; NOT to be missed.

Also As soon as you settle in, you're immersed & gone.

Just as "Jaap" (Enver Gjokaj) cons "Kate" (RN Jones), we're taken in as well. Enver's performance is excellent: a seamless believable con-man. Everyone's conned, including us. If you're not, you're lifeless.

Rebecca is seasoned, well-trained, always ON in previous shows. Here, her character's insecurities & self-doubt scream-out for something new, & "Jaap" easily entraps her into his moving-making project w/his charm, passion & bravura. Her monologue towards the end of Act 2 is mesmerizing.

Kyle Beltran ("Lance") plays a brooding, already-conned film-school student w/meek yet high intensity. Early on he sits behind the action, clapping his director's slate alongside flashing lights during minute scene-changes & flashbacks. Later, when he enters, everything from his voice, his uncomfortable-in-his-own-skin movements, his palpable anger, all burst out perfectly.

Highly recommended. I'm considering another go & sitting @ another angle.... Read more Read less

See it if you like non-traditional format, simply wonderful acting and people trying to find their place in the word, their passion & relationships.

Don't see it if you have to struggle to understand the themes, some slow and tedious parts and dislike characters who labor with what they want out of life.

See it if Fire, destruction of Coney Island, watery devastation of Hurricane Sandy. How do we react, recover from total wipe out? How do we recover

Don't see it if You want a fluffy show, clear story, straight timeline.

Also Wonderful performances. Vivid, harrowing descriptions. Historic details of firey destruction - did you know Coney Island burned down?... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in some of the history of Coney Island. However, this play was confusing and incoherent.

Don't see it if You don’t enjoy watching an abusive relationship. Hard to believe someone with 2 masters degrees would be taken in with such ease.

Also This play was too predictable and cliched for me to appreciate it.

See it if You remember Sandy. You like Brooklyn and the beach. You don't get why these guys are so "compelling."

Don't see it if It does run a little long, but I liked it overall.

See it if you are jonesing for a fix of Naomi Jones on stage, but know that she doesn’t sing a note in this production.

Don't see it if you are expecting to ride the rollercoaster pictured on the cover of the playbill, because this carnival ride gets stuck on the tracks.

Also Rinne Groff’s 90 minute play about the 1911 fire which burned down the Coney Island Amusement Park sounds like an interesting subject matter for a play, however this production is all smoke and mirrors and no obvious sparks or flames leaving, thus leaving the bare framed wooden stage just a sad barren structure I stared at for 89 minutes of this 90 minute play. Despite the vivid story actress Naomi Jones weaves this thin air story which never blossoms, not even with the interactions of her fellow actors Enver Gjokaj and Chris Waters, whose characters are unlikeable or simply boring. Playing $75.00 to see a play about the burning down of the 1911 Coney Island Amusement park and then never seeing one flame at any point in the play is disappointing to say the least.... Read more Read less

See it if You're up for a compelling meditation on stories & storytelling; witnessing & being part of the stagecraft that makes it possible.

Don't see it if Unless you're looking for a perfect play, no reason not to. It's always a pleasure to see fine actors working well in layered performances.

Also Stories—hearing them, telling them, retelling them—are pretty intrinsic to our species. So here's a story about telling stories wherein a character embodied by the terrific Rebecca Naomi Jones tells us a story—and in so doing conjures up the oldest and most direct form of theatre. It's ancient, primal and a rare thing to see these days, but Rinne Groff's script, with its effortless, spontaneous dialogue pulls it off neatly, in no small part because of the engaged, present and convincing cast. Jones, Enver Gjokaj & Kyle Beltran work seamlessly, naturally, Marissa Wolf's direction sharp & invisible. A pity, then, that the slim present-day plot resting on the making of an indie film about the 1903 fire that destroyed the Poor Man's Riviera & its circus animals has to carry so much weight. Its emotional plot points are predictable a mile away, and the play never quite gels, but Jones' powerful performance just about pulls it through, and if you listen well, you might well be transported.... Read more Read less

See it if Challenging meditation on art, relationships between artists, time, history and the power of imagination

Don't see it if It’s episodic and jumpy so if you like straight narratives you may not appreciate the mosaic feel of this play

Also This is set after Sandy and focuses on a film about a 1911 fire in Cony Island and focuses on tragedy and redemption and finding a purpose... Read more Read less

See it if You want to be mildly entertained, like small theater, support The Public, aren’t looking for a lot of action, or don’t mind simple endings.

Don't see it if You hate “wordy” shows, want something new and exceptional, need big stars, or big action. I was entertained, but have already forgotten why

See it if you are a Rebecca Naomi Jones fan. She does all she can with the material. It's well acted, just confusing.

Don't see it if you don't do well with having things explained to you. The timeline is confusing and non traditional. It's not a very captivating story.

See it if the show has interesting ideas, interesting staging, excellent acting. It attempts, with partial success, to blend history and today.

Don't see it if The play is ambitious but doesn't really cohere. It tries but can't make the connection between past and present.

See it if you want to see a drama with good acting.

Don't see it if if you want to see a play that is well written and gives one food for thought.

Also There was a lot of screaming in this play. I didn't like the long monologues.. I found it hard to follow.... Read more Read less

See it if First 70% an intimate two character play. Clever set. Big bag of wind unleashed by/on the Public.

Don't see it if Characters nebulous. Woman seduced by manipulative and bossy Dutchman into ruining her life. She thinks he's Orson Welles! Last man buffoon.

Also Artistic director loves writer, so here we are. We must buy a woman with two Masters degrees blindly hypnotized by a stranger she met on the beach in wake of Sandy. Intended as a meet cute, but way creepy. Play requires massive suspension of disbelief. Plot is quite beyond preposterous. Jones is fantastic. Gjokaj has a great accent and executes his aims. Beltran's insufferable voice is a chore to listen to. RNJ final monologue a tour de force. Actors love the play to flash their wares, but how can the audience tolerate this rapidly piling mess? Sit center section. Sides are useless as actors never play to them. Beltran's clapboard snapping to switch in and out of scenes is unbearable, pretentious claptrap. Expect to be jarred about fifty times thanks to absurdly hip direction. Bring a clicker to count and relieve boredom. Never go Dutch. Jaap is a trap for saps.... Read more Read less

See it if you like great chemistry among the actors, Coney Island history, interesting plot, imaginative sets and genuine humor in a drama.

Don't see it if you are looking for a big brassy fun night out show or you can't sit still for that long.

See it if You enjoy following a story within a story within a story. There really are 2 or 3 different plays happening here. All interesting.

Don't see it if You expect much insight or historical perspective on the 1911 Dreamland Fire. It’s there, but very thin.

Also Rebecca Naomi Jones carries the ball here and is stunning to watch and listen to, beginning to end.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see an interesting take on a self discovery story. The show has very interesting storytelling methods with metaphors & flashback

Don't see it if You are easily bored, this show takes a while to pick up. The run time is only 90 min but it felt longer.

Also Rebecca Naomi Jones again amazes me with her skills! The story taking place in Coney Island was very interesting to me as I live 10 min from CI. The rebuilding after the fire in 1911 and comparison to super storm sandy was a great way to show this woman’s growth as a person and her rebuilding her life.... Read more Read less

See it if You know the actors and want to enjoy there work.

Don't see it if You expect storylines to lead to a definitive end.

See it if you love RNJ - shes a dream on stage and carried this show. Also shows a lot of classic NY scenes that were delightful.

Don't see it if you're looking for a big story. This is a small story that follows a very simple structure.

See it if you love witnessing superb acting and brilliant naturalistic dialog, amidst ingenious & dynamic stagecraft/directing in very intimate venue.

Don't see it if you need for the plot, at very essence, to be meaningful. This play is a lot of gorgeous sound&fury signifying... well... not much at all

See it if you are looking for a romantic drama with a touch of history.

Don't see it if you are looking for a history of the Coney Island fire.