Gently Down the Stream
Closed 1h 40m
Gently Down the Stream
80

Gently Down the Stream NYC Reviews and Tickets

80%
(217 Ratings)
Positive
88%
Mixed
10%
Negative
2%
Members say
Great acting, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Entertaining

About the Show

The Public Theater presents Tony winner Harvey Fierstein in this world premiere drama about Beau, an expat pianist living in London who meets Rufus, a young lawyer, at the dawn of the Internet dating revolution.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (217)

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305 Reviews | 98 Followers
92
Great acting, Great writing, Intelligent, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if You want to be challenged , entertained , and educated at the same time by the impeccable Harvey Fierstein

Don't see it if You want to avoid thinking about LGBT issues

428 Reviews | 53 Followers
92
Absorbing, Great acting, Relevant

See it if Harvey Fierstein. Truth.

Don't see it if Prudish and insensitive to the personal lives of others.

66 Reviews | 37 Followers
92
Absorbing, Ambitious, Great acting, Great writing

See it if You like good solid writing. I cried. The set was great, too.

Don't see it if You are homophobic

192 Reviews | 24 Followers
92
Absorbing, Intelligent, Riveting, Entertaining

See it if you want to see a moving, well-acted play that deals with relationships and gay history; you're a fan of Harvey Fierstein.

Don't see it if you don't like Harvey Fierstein.

86 Reviews | 10 Followers
90
Clever, Great staging, Great writing, Intelligent, Relevant

See it if You are interested in gay relationships and history You liked Papa Woof, Daddy Hot and similar shows you like Fierstein

Don't see it if You dislike seeing things about gay relationships, you dislike shows with monologues of people reminiscing

78 Reviews | 76 Followers
90
Thought-provoking, Relevant, Resonant, Great writing, Great acting

See it if you're a member of the LGBTQ community and want to understand more about your generation and the generation that came before.

Don't see it if you don't care about LGBTQ history or if you can't stand plays with lots of exposition. Allow yourself to be open to another perspective.

61 Reviews | 26 Followers
90
Thought-provoking, Relevant, Intelligent

See it if You enjoy good story telling.

Don't see it if I can't think of a reason Read more

68 Reviews | 12 Followers
90
Enchanting, Great acting, Great writing, Romantic, Relevant

See it if you're a fan of Tennessee Williams as it's written in that style. It pays homage to a legacy of LGBT history which deserves to be remembered

Don't see it if you expect groundbreaking new work. Nothing too overly exciting happens- its simple plot & standard format doesn't push any new boundaries.

Critic Reviews (29)

Lighting & Sound America
April 11th, 2017

“Intimate and, in its own way, epic…It has been far, far too long since Harvey Fierstein has taken the stage, and 'Gently Down the Stream' is a powerful reminder of what we've been missing…The role of Beau fits him so well that one suspects Sherman wrote it with Fierstein in mind...Sean Mathias directs the proceedings with the steadiest of hands, making sure that Sherman's wit is felt, but always probing more deeply, highlighting the almost unbelievable progress the gay community has made.”
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Talkin' Broadway
April 5th, 2017

“Touching without ever becoming maudlin, which is no small feat. Sherman is less smooth at integrating the history into his tale that drives so much of what occurs…A series of spotlit monologues that, though well constructed, bellow ‘context’ rather than whisper it. There is eventually a payoff, but it comes late, and is confusingly handled…Sherman needs much less force to drive home his points than he uses. Fierstein and Ebert are wonderful, though.”
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CurtainUp
April 5th, 2017

“As firmly yet sensitively directed by Sean Mathias, this works quite well — whether viewed as story within a history lesson, or a history lesson within a love story. Naturally, it's a plus to have Harvey Fierstein on board…A bit schmaltzy he may be, and so is the story, but it's also sweet and touching…Gabriel Ebert's contribution to the play's most affecting moments is not to be discounted.”
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Front Row Center
April 11th, 2017

“There is something about watching Harvey Fierstein that makes you sit up and take notice…There are some remarkable monologues about the past that Fierstein infuses with grace, dignity, and truth…It is these monologues that give the play a backbone...The past, told by a griot who was there, is a living, breathing entity that fills us like fresh oxygen…The three men become a loyal triumvirate that is a bit saccharine, as if the playwright wanted to be certain we got the lesson.”
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Front Mezz Junkies
April 5th, 2017

“A sentimental and moving personal tale…It’s a beautiful written piece that wears its heart on its sleeve…Fierstein does an impeccable job reeling us in, and keeping us attached. It’s not a perfectly crafted story, as it feels like Sherman is trying too hard to check off all the boxes in the history of gay advancements...The ending feels forced, or at least too convenient, but it gives Fierstein and Sherman a beautiful opportunity to wrap things up emotionally and historically.”
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Exeunt Magazine
April 6th, 2017

"Beau is embodied in a sensitive and nuanced performance by Harvey Fierstein...This is a character crafted with attention to the smallest detail, drawn with a deft hand and a personal touch...It is a testament to the strength of the writing and the rich performances that the relationship between these characters feels lived-in and true. Ebert and Fierstein have a natural chemistry...There is a great use of mirrored staging, highlighting the refractions of time and shifting power."
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New York Theater
April 19th, 2017

"Much of 'Gently' is taken up with...rather awkwardly inserted monologues about old lovers meeting tragic ends and sad moments in gay history...Add in the references to AIDS and the crystal meth epidemic among gay men, and the play starts to feel like a forced crash course in gay life...It’s been just 14 years since MA became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage...We may have to wait for our dramatists to fashion from this new reality searing dramas with sophisticated insights."
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C
April 5th, 2017

“Neither a typical nor overly believable romance…The crux of the play is a lesson in the many decades of gay history, delivered primarily in the form of periodic monologues delivered with stunning power by Fierstein…You can’t help but be riveted by his recollections...Sherman doesn’t quite know when to get off the stage…He adds on one more, all-too-cutesy scene that wraps everything up in a brightly colored bow.”
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