In the Green

See it if you like experimental musicals. Glorious, all-female voices. Storytelling is confusing, but raises women issues then & now. Untradl staging.

Don't see it if you want a fully coherent story. Read program note before. Innovative approach to biography. Dark material, but some light songs. Stick w/it

See it if Sublime collage of medieval and modern musical elements sung by 3 Hilde's and 2 Jutta's w/band. Feminist story is more fiction than bio.

Don't see it if You won't enjoy a strange, mystical musical experience. The story had its high points but left me deflated. Terrible ending.

See it if u want to see a visually effective, vocally stunning, but ultimately tedious, bio-musical of Christian mystic/composer Hildegarde of Binge.

Don't see it if you aren't interested in Medieval liturgical-inspired music; you hope for a fully coherent retelling of Hilde's uniquely cloistered life.

Also The "Note from Grace McLean" in the program is essential reading in order to understand the story.

Also... This is a serious, somber, austere, 12th Century period piece. Why in the world was Volmar a campy, comical character who spoke in modern vernacular?!... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in innovative musical theater or questions of belief, obedience to a code or how best to live in a fallen world.

Don't see it if you prefer your musicals to conform to the tradition: this one trespasses in its music, book & staging.

Also A few decades ago, many of us who follow early music fell under the spell of the work of the rediscovered medieval nun Hildegard of Bingen. But I wasn’t prepared to be so charmed & jolted by “In the Green.” Author-composer Grace McLean’s sharp, innovative score draws on many new music, pop & classical models but wisely avoids pastiche Hildegard, though at points it achieves ample calm of its own. Lee Sunday Evans’ sure staging is just as fresh & various. Its simple elegance is matched by the lovely, spare, sculptural set & puppetry. The story, a spiritual journey, is not reducible to simple plot sequence, yet I never felt at a loss for what was going on. Hildegard is split into 3 female singing actors; her mentor Jutta into 2. Writer & director exploit the range of kaleidoscopic sonic & theatrical effects that this permits them. This Hildegard is no saint. Her choices are held up for examination. This only enhances the tensile strength of the play, 1 of the season’s delights.... Read more Read less

See it if opera like theatricals with intricate layered music intrigues you. The remarkable life of the woman on whom it is based is worth knowing.

Don't see it if you have a low threshold for unfamiliar situations.

See it if Lady sesh. Powerfully-sung 12th century feminist tract of spiritual individuation. Girl cave-bound with mentor seeking perfected growth.

Don't see it if Feminist self-affirmations with glottal stops.Required belief that women are free to be & a real love of theatre.Mentor and charge in parts.

Also Title = metaphor for freshness, vitality, fertility & physical/spiritual health.... Read more Read less

See it if The early year when she is locked away, and very little after her release. Great music, and large part chanting.

Don't see it if Not your typical musical theater. Not happy story.

Also The music and singing (chanting) was beautiful. The ending to me was What? that it.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy avant-garde, innovative music theater with non-linear storytelling & unique music sung beautifully.

Don't see it if You’re interested in learning about the show’s subject - the book is seriously lacking. I phased out for 40 minutes & didn’t miss anything.

See it if you want to learn about the very interesting story of Hildegard von Bingen. Setting very unusual as is the style of singing and presentation

Don't see it if you want a complete story of Hildegard.This story concentrates mainly on her life in a cell. Singing and story telling style not traditional

Also If you like an unusual presentation of a story with a very talented cast then see this show. However after reading Hildegard's fascinating biography, I was very disappointed in the ending. After spending most of the show telling of her life in the cell with Jutta, the play then spends very little time on the rest of her very long life and accomplishments. The ending really does not do her justice. I thought there would be more but no, that was the end.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy beautiful music, instrumentation, singing and harmonies; stories about historical, religious figures.

Don't see it if Would have liked more info about Hildegard's later years - the person & the mystic; if the play tried to speak to me I didn't hear it.

See it if you have 90 minutes of your life that you are willing to give up. Or you have a sado-masochistic streak.

Don't see it if you expect coherence in musical theatre. You want a strong book—this is not the play to see.

Also Music is somewhat interesting but gets very repetitive. The last 10 minutes or so go on and on and on and on and on...Serious cutting needed!!! Not one of LCT 3's better choices.... Read more Read less

See it if You need a good nap, dark atmospheric lighting and a score that is primarily chanting.

Don't see it if You don’t want a depressing experience.

See it if you want to be preached to.It might appeal to a 20 something audience.I was bored & royally annoyed for all 90 minutes.Singing is great.

Don't see it if can avoid it.Painful. It drags on for 90 minutes.Very symbolic.Very hit the audience over the head sort of a show.Dreadful

See it if you want to be astonished by the pathological self-denial required of a woman to gain an illusion of control in a punitive medieval world.

Don't see it if prefer an account of a saint's works to a reconstruction of her contemplations; if uninterested in how women’s sin/absolution rationalized.

Also Not sure why so many reviews make it seem like this is alien music when it’s really just minor keys. Most of the music is gorgeous. (The simulated echoes are less gorgeous but a smart acoustic detail that works w/ the environment of the play.) The vocalists are killer.

All of the tech elements are spellbinding. Hildegard's & Jutta’s austerity is animated with lighting that carves shadows & shafts out of space. The set’s cold geometry is burnished with secret edges & glinting metals. And the moments of puppetry are surprisingly poignant (and just ingenious considering how they solve for child actors).

I have only good things to say about the show. Everything is beautifully done. Several people have called this experimental, but I thought it was very clear and nothing felt random to me. Cohesive, imaginative vision from Grace McLean and Sunday Lee Evans makes Hildegard's cloistered existence varied & vivid.... Read more Read less

See it if an analytic look into a Pre-Renaissance Woman and feminism is of interest. Beautiful voices

Don't see it if a linear simple musical dramatic piece is your preference

See it if you: want to hear some electrifying, chant-like, and ghostly singing and harmonies on stage this season; seek risk-taking, provocative work.

Don't see it if not a fan of feministic, spiritual, and/or female-centric themes; and/or you aren’t open-minded about creative, quirky production decisions.

Also In the Green is rooted in the Medieval story of Hildegard von Bingen and her anchoress mentor Jutta; but this setting and characters are mere vessels of a story about feminine experience and how, for women, even bodies betray. The five women comprising the show each play multiple roles, with three “Hildegards” and two “Juttas” (to represent past-selves and broken-pieces of selfhood). The singing! Their voices are ethereal, as demonic as they are angelic. With some use of puppetry to avoid using child-actors and Salvador Dalí-esque props representing Eye/Sight, Hands/Work, and Mouth/Voice, the show does take some easing into. But as you allow yourself to enter the hearts of these injured yet resilient women who force themselves to be strong as if weakness is a sin, you’ll quickly see and feel Grace McLean’s vision. What lies do we tell ourselves as a form of protection, and why should we? Are women only safe and self-possessed if locked away? Is the real prison the body or the mind?... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an odd play with fabulous singing. Child/woman is locked up by the church for 30 years had hallucinations then made a saint.

Don't see it if you want an interesting plot to go with the great singing.

See it if hear beautiful singing to try and tell this story. Non-linear and direction is very quirky. Something one does not see often, refreshing.

Don't see it if Need a simple story line. Is disjointed and may confuse some. Music is beautiful though not memorable.

See it if Very unique and original musical by multi talented, terrific performer Grace McLean.The cast all sing beautifully and the musicians excel

Don't see it if A musical about a 12th century woman who becomes a saint, and her relationship with a mentor is not your everyday fare.

See it if Incredible singing and very talented performers bring to life an 11th century mystic, in a complex and weird real story.

Don't see it if you dislike puppetry and plain sets.

Also This is a play where you will benefit by reading about the subject long before you get to the theater to see the show. Maybe you should even take a course on the subject because the complex and subtle lyrics and references are mostly lost to regular theatergoers.
Absolutely stunning costumes.
All the performances are stellar and the playwright and lead is astonishingly talented.
very strange story which is told in a complex way. Oddly felt like a graduate school production (in content) executed by​ a very talented professional staff elevating the material.
Oddly no women of color represented on stage, yet much of the music references African American music and sound patterns.... Read more Read less

See it if Brilliant story telling ... performance art.

Don't see it if Sold out

See it if you are really into Catholicism either as a religion or a scholar.

Don't see it if you don't have background knowledge of Hildegard or want something cohesive.

Also For an 80 minute show, I feel like I saw 2 distinct pieces. I was personally more interested in the first part about a damaged person finding herself. The second part was about who Hildegard became after she got out of her cell. That was rushed and didn't fit with the beginning.... Read more Read less

See it if Performance driven excellence almost overcomes obtuse dramatic structure

Don't see it if Often head scratchingly weird and unclear one will need to enjoy the musicianship to get through the piece

See it if you want to see lots of ideas and innovation onstage in service of a relatively straightforward though conceptual narrative

Don't see it if you prefer straightforward book musicals using traditional scoring and singing techniques

See it if you want to see excellent singing and acting and if you don't care too much about an interesting plot

Don't see it if you want to see an interesting fast paced plot with a standard musical theater type music.