How to Transcend a Happy Marriage NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (199)
See it if you like fresh ideas explored on stage, in this case polyamory, group sex & friendship between couples, appreciate Marisa Tomei's talent
Don't see it if Post modern sexual behavior and graphic talk disturbs you, you are not a fan of magical realism or allegories, you need plots wrapped up
See it if You are a Sarah Ruhr fan, you love Marisa Tomei, you want to see a new play that makes you think.
Don't see it if Issues of polygamy make you uncomfortable, you don't want to see nudity on stage.
See it if You love to see good acting.
Don't see it if You don't like to see plays that are over the top. Read more
See it if You are a big Marisa Tomei fan and you like a talented group ensemble. Also if you like quirky stories.
Don't see it if you don't like characters who speak directly to the audience, if sexual acts or situations make you uncomfortable, if you hate confusion. Read more
See it if you enjoy Sarah Ruhl's take on modern relationships, Marisa Tomei and Lena Hall amongst two in the cast that shines
Don't see it if you have Puritanical values, they will be shaken
See it if Big Marisa Tomei fan she shines in this
Don't see it if A bit wordy script with too much addressing the audience
See it if You're interested in hearing a topical, relevant discussion on modern love and sexuality.
Don't see it if Frank discussions of sex, bisexuality, polyamory and topics of that ilk make you cringe, even if they're humorous.
See it if you enjoy refreshing, fast-paced meditations on the nature of love in its many forms; interesting staging and some great performances
Don't see it if you have issues with animal death (the play opens with a "carcass" on stage; there are many discussion of it), or are offended by nudity/sex Read more
Critic Reviews (35)
"Many may be turned off by its discursive and confessional tone or its unsettling sexual propositions. But for those willing to take the ride, the play is a provocative and poetic meditation on being caught between reasonably happy domesticity and untapped, unacknowledged desires. Hall is a perfect casting choice for Pip, full of sex appeal, fearlessness and mystery, while Tomei emphasizes the vulnerability shared by her peers."
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"Ruhl approaches the subject with her usual wit and intelligence, subtly questioning our societal assumptions around love and commitment...Director Taichman impressively grounds Ruhl's prodigious intellect in an ever-present dramatic tension...Unfortunately, the archetypal nature of our central triad somewhat masks the truth that polyamorous groupings are made of all types...Still, a combination of thoughtful performances and smart direction ensures that we never feel bored or alienated."
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“Conversing over drinks and hors d'oeuvres, their talk is crisp and entertaining…While Hall is appropriately the production's attention-grabber, Tomei's performance comfortably builds as George questions her life's directions, leading ‘How to Transcend a Happy Marriage’ to a charming phantasmagorical finish that points out the conflict between our animal nature and the societal norms we create to control it.”
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"The play, after initially charting a funny, if familiar, dramatic course, collapses in a heap of half-expressed ideas and unraveled plot strands...For much of the first act, 'How to Transcend' is very funny, in a conventional, old-school sex comedy kind of way...Completely implodes after intermission...As the action continues to flag, it seems clear that Ruhl has little or no idea where to take her beleaguered married couples...The cast, led by a delightful Marisa Tomei...is faultless."
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“Slick and well paced enough to spackle over some of the pockmarks in Ruhl's unsteady dialogue…Taichman also guides her actors to play up their necessarily volatile characteristics without roundly dipping into caricature…Unfortunately, Ruhl does not match their group discipline in the second act…This is really tired territory for her…Against the odds, Ruhl regains some of her momentum in the final scene, and brings things to a thoughtful, even moving, finish.”
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"Ruhl's current play, directed by Rebecca Taichman, invites us on a journey taking wildly roaming paths—erotic, humorous, mystical and sanctimonious. There's what you see and then there is what is really going on...The cast is praiseworthy. However, the basic probing of love and sexuality in 'How to Transcend a Happy Marriage' has already been explored years ago—just without Sarah Ruhl's jigsaw puzzle of metaphors and mysticism."
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"While 'How to Transcend a Happy Marriage' emerges as one of the most thought-provoking plays of the year, as well as one of Ruhl's best, the built-in irony of the title takes on a special meaning when we learn, in the end, that it really is about transcendence, through 'harmony.'"
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"What’s it all about? Ultimately, in playwright Sarah Ruhl’s world, it’s all about food, love and how we carry it forward for future generations...Tomei shines in her effervescent unrestricted performance as George. Lena Hall couldn’t be a better choice as the polyamorous Pip. The cast, en total, is brilliant. Sarah Ruhl, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, is full of surprises as she casts her imaginative net.”
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