Greater Clements NYC Reviews and Tickets

77%

(201 Ratings)

Positive

80%

Mixed

15%

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Absorbing, Intense, Thought-provoking, Great writing

About the Show

Playwright Sam Hunter ("The Whale," "Lewiston/Clarkston") returns to Lincoln Center for this new drama set in an Idaho mining colony.

From the show:

GREATER CLEMENTS, takes place in the fictional town of Greater Clements, Idaho, a mining community where properties are being purchased by wealthy out-of-state people, forcing out lifelong residents — largely blue-collar workers — who are becoming disenfranchised and disenchanted. But all of that is in the subtext; it isn’t hammered on the head. The story is told through Maggie, played by the marvelous Judith Ivey. Maggie is on the verge of shutting down her family’s Mine Tour and Museum business. Her troubled adult son, has moved back home, recovering but unmoored. As the play opens, Maggie awaits a visit from an old friend. He brings a tempting offer to start a new life with him beyond this desolate town’s limits. Through the author’s quirky humor, keen observation and deep sensitivity to these idiosyncratic characters, we see just how hard it might be to leave the past behind.

Show-Score Member Reviews (201)

Profound, So foreign yet so relatable, Great great acting, Great writing, Traumatizing

See it if The falling apart of a small town/family; smart writing makes you empathize with these strangers; 2hr50min passed in a wink;

Don't see it if Horrible scenic design & seating: 2 side areas are behind the stage, 4 pillars are blocking sight. 2 intermission with long toilet queue Read more

Incredibly realistic, One of the best performances of all time, One of the best plays of all time

See it if You enjoy perfect and realistic family dramas that will keep you captivated for three hours

Don't see it if You are looking for something light. I can’t imagine anyone seeing this play and not being emotionally moved to tears Read more

Intense, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You want be sucked into several character's life story and don't care if there is a happy ending.

Don't see it if You do not wish to see so much angst and unhappiness in the lives of others.

Great staging, Yet another brilliant new play from a young and prolific playwright, Great acting, Intense, Masterful

See it if You want to see an amazing new play from a master young genius playwright who knows all the crevices of the human condition intimately well.

Don't see it if You don't wish to descend into the mine shafts of your buried emotions. Read more

Stellar play, Relevant, Great staging, Spectacular acting, Absorbing

See it if you like an outstanding play about current issues (race, class, mental illness) played by stellar actors (esp. Judith Ivey, Edmund Donovan).

Don't see it if you are not patient enough for a 2 hour 50 mins play (including 2 intermissions). But they flew by quickly as play & characters developed. Read more

Resonant, Thought-provoking, Great writing, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if See it for Edmund Donovan (Joe), he is incredible. Other actors fantastic too.Very well written play, riveting. Interesting & surprising set

Don't see it if Show is long (although it didn't feel that way). Two intermissions worked because each section was fairly short. Bad sightlines... Read more

Brilliant, profound, subtle, great cast, beautiful writing

See it if You want to see one of the great stage and film actresses of our time, enjoy subtle character studies, particularly about small-town people.

Don't see it if If you need fireworks and excitement or lack the patience /maturity for a three act play (which goes by fast). Read more

Masterful, Great writing, Great staging, Great acting, Clever

See it if you want to enjoy an intense play that touches your emotions. The play has wonderful twists and turns in the plot.

Don't see it if you enjoy light themed plays or are into musicals.

Critic Reviews (20)

"‘Greater Clements,’ the Tragedy of a Town that Closed: Samuel D. Hunter’s creaky play about the downsizing of the American West features terrific performances by Judith Ivey and Edmund Donovan."
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5 Stars. "Chekhovian in spirit but utterly modern in its concerns, Greater Clements is suffused with Hunter's signature combination of gentleness and despair...The play is nearly three hours long. It's not boring for a moment, though, because it is so rich with nuance and quiet dread."
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"'Greater Clements,' a Small-Town Drama Where the Town’s Disappearing"
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"Samuel D. Hunter’s new play, now at Lincoln Center with stage legend Judith Ivey, dives deep – literally."
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"Judith Ivey and Edmund Donovan play a single mother and her troubled son in a dying Idaho mining town in MacArthur Fellowship recipient Samuel D. Hunter's elegiac drama."
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"‘Greater Clements’ is the best new play of the year"
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"An American Town Dissolves and a Family Struggles to Remain Solid in 'Greater Clements': Judith Ivey and Edmund Donovan star in Samuel D. Hunter's latest drama."
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"Judith Ivey and Edmund Donovan Extraordinary in Samuel D. Hunter's 'GREATER CLEMENTS'"
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Trailer

Creative team

Lincoln Center Theater