He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box

See it if you want to experience how a system of racial segregation wounded people & communities in the southern US, & better understand its legacy.

Don't see it if you do not like a theater in which the logic operates not by sequential plot but by image & association.

Also I experienced this play as a series of sharp jolts. Onstage it’s a string of vivid dramatic images that economically encapsulate how deranging the inhuman system of racial segregation could be for both the segregated & the segregationist. Whole communities were poisoned, whole families destroyed. The life of every individual who had to exist within its impossible demands was in some way stunted. Playwright Kennedy draws easily on many branches of dominant culture from 1941–popular film, art song, stage plays–to help express the impossible longings of her characters, a young white man & a young “colored” woman who plan to marry. Against a backdrop of the day's wrenching world events–the march of the Nazi army across Europe–she shows how segregation helped shape fascism, & how deeply illogical it was for the US to uphold one system while fighting the other. Mostly I’ll remember the play’s final minutes, the unfolding of as complex & shattering a dramatic image as I’ve seen in a theater.... Read more Read less

See it if you wouldn’t be bothered by a jigsaw puzzle w/ missing pieces; will overlook frustrating stylistic devices to remember an important history

Don't see it if you don’t need a series of disconnected declamatory monologues to convince you of the sin of Jim Crow segregation

Also There are really fine, sensitive moments in this play (a heart-stopping stage kiss, an eloquent upturned collar, an expectant ascent up the staircase), but I felt let down where it mattered most. I had a hard time holding my concentration when I realized close attention would not be rewarded with any clarity or cohesion around the details. Knowing about the autobiographical origin of the play helps. Read all of the program notes and the NYT article displayed in the lobby of the theater.

Epistolary format favors writerly-sounding musings/speeches over conversational dialog. It’s delivered in that stilted Transatlantic accent you know from old 40’s movies (but spiked with a faux Southern twang). The declamation style made it almost impossible for me to place the characters as potentially real people and frustrated my enjoyment of the show. The actors shine when they move, but less when they talk.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy different theatrical experiences and a nuanced look at an awkward period of US history regarding interracial relationships.

Don't see it if you prefer clear plots and more dialogue between characters. These characters barely interact directly.

See it if interested in the legacy of Jim Crow laws, relationships under them, plays that are a series of monologues; great acting and clever staging

Don't see it if you don't like brevity, don't care about character development, don't like poetic words

Also Was disappointed because the topic was interesting & her words are wonderful. But there are many confusing parts and in a 45 minute play that is very, very frustrating.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to think about problems with blacks integrating in the past.

Don't see it if You expect to see a great play.

See it if you don't mind seeing a beautifully staged, beautifully acted IDEA for a play, with no clear resolution and frustratingly murky story line.

Don't see it if you are less than thrilled at spending twice as much time getting to and from the theater as the length of the play itself.

Also And at least 1/4 of the already brief running time is by Noel Coward!

See it if You want to be challenged by a short but deeply thought-provoking play that is elliptical, strange, perplexing, and fascinating.

Don't see it if You want a straightforward narrative or want bang for your buck. You’re easily frustrated by semi-opaque narratives.

Also This is a fascinating experience. That said, I can’t tell how much reading the poem inserted in the Playbill before the show was more helpful or harmful to my understanding of what was happening—if it would have been better to go in blind and then read the poem after to see how deeply personal the play is for the playwright. I also questioned some of the production choices—it felt as though there was effort to jazz up the material with projections and a lot of lighting cues and heavy sound design where I wondered if it would have been better to pare down and let the words, mysterious as they were, speak for themselves. All of that said, I can’t stop thinking about it, and isn’t that worthy of celebration in and of itself?... Read more Read less

See it if for short, sweet poetic theater, wonderfully acted . Confusing plot..more story is untold then revealed.

Don't see it if You want a linear easy to understand play.

See it if gorgeous and poetic and romantic and disturbing

Don't see it if abstract and difficult to follow at times

See it if you're willing to listen hard. Adrienne Kennedy's plays require an alert ear or you'll get lost amidst her mix of personal and historical.

Don't see it if you can't handle two fragmented, interconnecting monologues about our national history of racism as it plays out in one biracial family.

See it if you like ambitious dramas even when they don't succeed & you enjoy plays that make you think even when your thinking doesn't provide answers

Don't see it if you struggle with non-linear plays or if you want to understand what you watched by the time you leave the theater (or even weeks later...)

See it if you're interested in Adrienne Kennedy and a thoughtful take on racism and crushed aspirations.

Don't see it if you'd avoid an experimental play with fractured chronology.

Also I sat on the side and could not always hear what the actors were saying on the thrust stage or at the upper level of the set. If I'd sat facing the front of the stage, I think I'd have had better luck.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy a well written one act. Beautifully staged and lit. Leaves you wanting more. Haunting and evocative. Kennedy does not disapoint

Don't see it if you are not a fan of short plays, stories with abstract elements. Kennedy has a great script, but the actors must be connected to the work

Also The male lead wasn't emotionally connected to the material. The chemistry between the two wasn't evident. These elements detracted from Kennedy's script and the depth of the material.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to explain what happened to me. Acting was great, that puppet was amazingly evocative.

Don't see it if I was seriously unclear what was going on.

See it if to see the work of a master playwright, to see young actors take your breath away, to be challenged to explore your own heart

Don't see it if your views on race, romance and risk in life are limited to your own experience. viewing this play requires your imagination as well

See it if You are a fan of Kennedy's work, you liked to be pushed intellectually by theater

Don't see it if You need a linear plot, you don't like to exit the theater still confused

See it if you're up for a challenging play with great acting that can be easy to get lost in, very dream-like and hard to follow at times

Don't see it if you want to be able to follow the plot relatively easily. It's hard to piece things together during the show and easy to get lost

See it if U WANT 2 C 1940 BLACK LIFE IN USA/LIKE PLAYS PACKED WITH LITERARY REFERENCE, SYMBOLISM &SOME SONG/BRILLIANT DIRECTION/R THEATER COGNOSCENTI

Don't see it if DONT LIKE: EXPOSITION WITH SOME SONG / DON’T WANT TO C A BRILLIANT OLDER WOMAN’S MIND STILL EXPERIMENTING / DONT LIKE AVANT GARDE THEATER

See it if you are interested in the plays of Adrienne Kennedy and like stark, contemporary staging.

Don't see it if you prefer traditional staging and the cadence of conversation.

Also Very short, gripping two-character play about how racism destroys a love story. The staging and the deliberately stilted way the actors spoke reminded me of works by Robert Wilson at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge in the 1980s. Haunting. A winner.... Read more Read less

See it if You can become absorbed in non-linear theater, love amazing sets and really good acting. Want to see a play by a great American writer.

Don't see it if You need a strong narrative (it's there, but you have to observe it), don't like political theater or plays about race in America.

See it if you enjoy new works and/or are particularly fond of Adrienne Kennedy

Don't see it if you are expecting a linear story.

See it if you'd like to take a nap for 50 mins

Don't see it if you'd prefer a show that engages the audience through character development and not a series of cluttered monologues.

See it if You are interested in plays depicting race issues, characters who are trying to discover themselves and families hiding their dirty laundry.

Don't see it if You only like plays that are linear and can be taken at face value. You want to be entertained by music, dancing and laughter.

See it if you like the weird hyper-poetic tennessee williams plays, you are already excited to see this, you are under 30 and can get cheap tickets

Don't see it if you need to know wtf is going on or have a reason to care about a love affair besides the playwright told you so

Also really great set and cool staging to be sure, and those actors were definitely doing their best with a script that relied way more on themes and poetics than it did on storytelling.... Read more Read less

See it if You already "speak" Adrienne Kennedy. I don;t...and I have questions.

Don't see it if My experience left me confused, but brought back my first exposure to James Joyce. My Hope... This intro will be equally rewarding