Grounded NYC Reviews and Tickets

81%

(27 Reviews)

Positive

96%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Absorbing, Intense, Relevant, Ambitious

About the Show

Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway returns to The Public in this one-woman show about an ace fighter pilot whose unexpected pregnancy ends her career in the sky.

Told in the form of a monologue, "Grounded" tells the story of a pregnant pilot re-assigned to operate military drones from a windowless trailer outside Las Vegas. She hunts terrorists by day and returns to her family each night. As the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the desert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away. Directed by two-time Tony Award winner Julie Taymor.

Member Reviews (27)

Absorbing, Great acting, Great staging, Great writing, Intense

See it if Anne Hathaway is a powerhouse is this one woman play. Stunningly staged by Julie Taymor. Riveting!

Don't see it if no reason not to see it.

Riveting, Absorbing, Great acting, Intense, Profound

See it if You like masterful performances

Don't see it if You don't like one woman shows.

Talky, Wobbly accent, Well staged, Draggy in parts, Overrated

See it if you love Anne Hathaway. The script isn't stellar (not particularly insightful). I've seen much better solo shows. Still, not unpleasant.

Don't see it if you're expecting a tour de force from Taymor and Hathaway. I liked it fine. AH's accent came-and-went; it wasn't necessary, so why try? Read more

Absorbing, Slow, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Great acting

See it if You're a big fan of Anne Hathaway and like war plays -- not one or the other.

Don't see it if You dislike one-person plays and need more action than dialogue.

Absorbing, Great acting, Intelligent, Profound, Relevant

See it if Anne Hathaway does a great job of conveying the frustrations of a drone bomber. She was riveting.

Don't see it if The descriptions of the havoc her bombs wreak may be disturbing to some.

Absorbing, Intense, Thought-provoking, Riveting

See it if You like intense, introspective, drama. You are against armed conflict, how it affects armed service personnel to engage in mass destruction

Don't see it if You are a firm hawk, you think questioning peace is unpatriotic.

Absorbing, Ambitious, Great staging, Intense

See it if you want to see a show about the Iraq war, you like one-person shows, you like stories about strong women.

Don't see it if you think the premise is too much for you, you like shows with multiple actors.

Absorbing, Great acting, Great staging, Intense, Masterful

See it if an original play with a deep, intense story line. Anne Hathaway's intense performance drags you in to the story as it unfolds.

Don't see it if are looking for a light hearted comedy

Critic Reviews (21)

"Mr. Brant’s play draws a nuanced and haunting portrait of a woman serving in the United States Armed Forces...Some baggy or repetitive passages notwithstanding, Mr. Brant’s writing largely remains taut, terse and concentrated on exposing the fissures that open in the heroine’s confidence and sense of honor...'Grounded' has a grimly fresh topicality."
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"Taymor’s busy, illustrative direction—which surrounds the actress with showy projections and sound effects—adds to the trouble; her staging of the play’s new ending hovers at the edge of kitsch. It’s good to see Hathaway spreading her wings, but the end result doesn’t take flight."
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"Why doesn't this impressive production pack more of an emotional wallop? The technical wizardry and star power expose the limitations of the play...Brant's ending seems melodramatic. And perhaps all the directorial pyrotechnics, while making this production unusually dynamic for a solo show, contribute to a certain detachment from the experience being portrayed."
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"The Public Theater’s intimate Anspacher space proves the ideal staging area for Taymor’s arsenal of pyrotechnics...The tricky part for both actor and director is the Pilot’s gradual enlightenment about what it actually means to fly a drone."
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"What Mr. Brant has done is to find the poetry in the rhythms of everyday speech. The strength of Ms. Hathaway’s performance lies in the gauged intensity with which she responds to the poetic aspect of 'Grounded.' But 'Grounded' is smothered in a thick sauce of overelaborate visual and sound effects."
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"Its divisive subject is as current as the front page of today’s New York Times...It’s unassailably dramatic, kinetic and provocative...Writer, director and character merge in a single, indelible unity of vision I won’t soon forget."
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"A real gem...The play trains audiences’ eyes on a slice of life unfamiliar to most people. That makes the show worthwhile; the crisp, smart script makes it even better."
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"The play doesn’t provide any easy answers. What it does do is present a highly compelling portrait of a bright woman who comes to the realization that she has become an executioner. 'Grounded' is an expertly crafted work that adds a unique dimension to a very controversial and timely issue."
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