I Of the Storm NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (37)
See it if You want to see an extraordinary example of an actor delivering an incredible monologue. He doesn’t miss a beat but parts do drag a bit.
Don't see it if You can’t handle watching some truly mad or manic behavior for 90 minutes. It serves the piece but it does work your nerves.
See it if Homeless virtuoso poet delivers philosophy, soliloquy, tragedy as he connects, recollects, introspects with an amazing torrent of words.
Don't see it if Lengthy, frenetic one-man show without switching of characters. The "be present" theme gets repetitive.
See it if Want to watch a near bravura perf, a meditation/rant on life, or are willing to consider the "What if me?" scenario.
Don't see it if Don't like intense, solo show needing some internal editing, want light/fluffy, can't sit for 90 mins on uncomfortable seat. Read more
See it if U like one actor show with great intensity that is heavy going.
Don't see it if If you're looking for an evening of fun.
See it if the most terrible thing you can imagine is having it all before losing it all—this makes one qualified to talk about universal suffering
Don't see it if you dislike spoken word; you don’t think all tragedies would be solved if only everyone would just stop and smell the roses Read more
See it if Well written, spoken word solo performance. Revealing both personal and social issues. Richard Hoehler does an excellent job!
Don't see it if Do not go if you expect a fully developed show or do not like solo performances.
See it if You want to see a philosophical play that helps you think about your like and how best to live.
Don't see it if If you need a plot and don’t want to think.
See it if you like densely packed, sometimes intense one-man shows. A lot is presented. Some I got and some I missed. Interesting, in any event.
Don't see it if you don't like one-man shows with philosophical themes.
Critic Reviews (12)
“This notion of homelessness as a kind of Zen retreat house would be offensive under any circumstances, but in a city where on seemingly every block there is someone suffering from addiction or mental illness, filthy and alone, it verges on the obscene...Hoehler gives the text more authenticity than it deserves. He handles it expertly, …He clearly deserves much better roles than this…‘I of the Storm’ is a thoroughly professional piece of work -- as professional as it is mendacious.”
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“A remarkable one-man show has returned to NYC for a limited run, but there is nothing limited about it–not its reach, not its timeliness, not the depth to which it touches us…An 80-minute tour de force…sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always riveting and poignant…Out of fragments–movie lines, everyday insults, common phrases, TV sitcom songs, lists of lists, memorable dates, media events–emerges something whole striving to be transcendent.”
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"Hoehler is the perfect match for RJ Bartholomew’s expansive spoken word text. He mines the depths of this extended 'urban poem' and delivers the richness of the text with absolute perfection...Director Janice L. Goldberg keeps the performance as visually interesting as it is emotionally and spiritually significant..'I of the Storm' is a well-structured performance piece with a powerful dramatic arc...This stunning performance piece should be on every serious theatre-goers must see list."
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"Playwright R.K. Bartholomew’s tirade lurches from intriguing to irritating to boring with only passages about the protagonist’s lovely, unexpected relationship to buoy it. Were it perhaps an hour, half revelation, half friendship, it might have held our attention...Hoehler’s focus is consummate, his timing a thing of theatrical beauty...A primer in acting. Bravo...Director Janice L. Goldberg uses the all but empty stage with outstanding imagination and sweep. Pacing is pitch perfect."
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"Well-intentioned, timely, and occasionally shrewd and lyrical. But, ultimately, the story never transcends the clichés and generalizations that make it seem more like a New Age self-help speech than a complex examination of a character’s inner life...As with the script’s themes, Hoehler’s acting style is broad...What we are left with when Hoehler’s tramp has left the stage, is really just a collection of slogans that, however well presented, never take us beneath the surface."
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“The show at first comes across as a simple caution to ‘stop and smell the roses.’ But it spirals down into something very real as the serious hypocrisies of our culture are brought to light; the truth of which will leave a frog in your throat. ‘I of the Storm’ is a jewel of a one-man show, a social commentary that strikes a note on every social controversy. This is a delightful tale of a man’s journey to embracing what truly matters that will gently nudge you toward a powerful message."
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"There is no denying that Hoehler is a talented man...It doesn’t quite all hold together in the end...A little editing would be wise. 75 minutes into the performance the presentation reached a saturation point, and the performer was in effect clapped-off by an appreciative but restless audience...Whether you are a crusader for social justice or a fan of fresh solo work, 'I of the Storm' makes for an absorbing evening."
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"Hoehler performs a tour-de-force show that takes you by storm and never lets you go...He spins these poetic rhythmic and rhyming crescendos of text that take you on a trip to somewhere new each time...He spews content at you that is so full of knowledge and introspection that you must submit to his raucous ways...You must see this piece to know what a simple man and a few thousand words can do to change your life."
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