How to Defend Yourself NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (76)
See it if Great story, well written and acted. Lots of reveals.
Don't see it if the writing never wraps up the plot. The 5 min coda is a disservice to the play. Read more
See it if Strong performances from cast. Story is engaging for most of the play.
Don't see it if The show kind of fell apart in the last 15min. There's a solo dance number as well as a montage of short scenes that feel out of place.
See it if laugh out loud; visually arresting scenes; captures college as sexual jungle, conflict consent vs. women's libidos; strong ensemble
Don't see it if 2nd half is a mess as play devolves into series of sketches; central rape story poorly explained & ending is incongruously sappy Read more
See it if you enjoy physicality and movement in a play; self defense is of particular importance to you
Don't see it if expecting a cohesive play; there are touching & important moments, then you wonder where things have gone wrong & can't follow the story. Read more
See it if like relevant topics told unconventionally. a true ensemble production.
Don't see it if want a major story more than an idea.
See it if ur a woman who’s not abjured the company of men; considered defending self instead of relying on apathetic justice system/social progress
Don't see it if sick of straight women. Obvsly you care (u have wife/daughters/mom/are a woman!) but dwelling on issues has stopped paying social dividends Read more
See it if You’re up for a beautifully cast, fast, funny, relevant and searingly honest evening of theatre. A must-see, especially if one has kids.
Don't see it if No reason not to; the cast and Padilla's ear are remarkable, all catching the tone, depth and complicated layers of college-age reality. Read more
See it if you're interested in a funny and insightful play that captures Gen Z mentality and confusion about sexual relationship, consent and assault.
Don't see it if you expect a deeper handling of the complexities of consent that don't fall into cliche territory. Ending is controversial, but I loved it. Read more
Critic Reviews (10)
“For as much as the play aims to engage the audience in a fly-on-the-wall view of a group of people...it still neglects to provide the necessary context to make the pre-existing relationships and the character arcs feel real.”
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"4/5 Stars! While the play has hackneyed moments, many of the interactions feel real and raw, vibrating with authenticity and considerable humor. Padilla doesn't peddle a simplified #MeToo, #AllMen message. 'How to Defend Yourself' is a tumultuous and surprisingly entertaining investigation of how all of us are warped by rape culture."
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“Liliana Padilla’s ‘How to Defend Yourself’ is a hilarious and unsettling play about exercises...everyone approaches the exercises in ‘How to Defend Yourself’ with different levels of seriousness, keeping their actual intentions to themselves or not even understanding their own intentions, which makes for rich material.”
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“Liliana Padilla's ‘How to Defend Yourself’ has its moments of strength...The scene is meticulously choreographed, but it doesn't feel like a polished performance. They're tapping into something bigger.”
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“ ‘How to Defend Yourself,’ directed beautifully in its New York premiere by Tony winner Rachel Chavkin, is surprisingly hilarious considering its dark subject matter.”
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Padilla's focus is extremely narrow -- if their characters have any outside interests, we don't hear about them and, aside from an ill-timed girl-on-girl kiss, they are totally heterosexual -- and yet it feels blisteringly honest, a frank portrayal nevertheless informed by a certain tenderness. Especially remarkable is the playwright's ability to foreground the comedy of calamitous social interactions without ever losing sight of the crime that has stained everyone's lives. It's an exquisite balancing act and they rarely, if ever, put a foot wrong.
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“ ‘How to Defend Yourself’ is messy and sometimes feels less like a drama than a polemic, but people are going to be talking about it, and maybe that talk will wise some of them up.”
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“If you’ve already guessed this is an exercise in 21st century women’s empowerment, you’re on the right track.”
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