Informed Consent NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (14)
See it if you're interested in truly interesting story-telling about identity, from race to cultural heritage to hereditary illness.
Don't see it if you don't want to think about the issue of identity.
See it if You like shows about issues. You like dramatic plays that make you think about things. You appreciate good casting. You like the director.
Don't see it if You'd rather see a joyful comedy instead of a more serious drama with tension, betrayal, and fighting. You need to like all the characters.
See it if You would enjoy a true story about the clash between scientific research/ambition and respect for native american cultural heritage.
Don't see it if You wouldn't consider cultural beliefs and ancestral heritage to be a valid reason to limit science.
See it if Tells a true story, has a definite point of view. Moving performances.
Don't see it if You don't like issue plays.
See it if a writer's clever connections between scientific, social, & personal issues presented with clarity and theatricality excites you.
Don't see it if story theatre conventions seem childish and information you could read in an essay is less important to you than live-wire bonds btw actors.
See it if you like science, sociological ideas, strong female leads, multi-cultural casts, family drama
Don't see it if you are looking for pure escapism
See it if you don't mind scientific based plays.
Don't see it if you don't like preachy plays.
See it if you are intrigued by the tension between benefit of scientific discovery and personal knowledge and comfort of unchallenged faith/fantasy
Don't see it if mixed race couples and children, concept humans as a single race, or scientific prediction of desease/traits upset you or can't sit 90 min.
Critic Reviews (24)
"A thoughtful and engrossing play...The director and excellent cast smoothly handle the play’s complex structure...'Informed Consent' has some speechy moments. But it raises provocative questions about the potential conflicts between scientific discovery and religious beliefs."
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"Deborah Zoe Laufer’s thoughtful and theatrical play is all the better for her main character’s thorny and complicated nature...While it moves smoothly, it is at times jarringly jokey. And having adult actors play kids who speak in a wittle baby voice is never a good idea. The same goes for a script that invokes the phrase 'Once upon a time' so much...In the end, the storybook phrase underscores that real life — mysterious and challenging — doesn’t come with happily ever afters."
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"There’s a big battle in 'Informed Consent' and it’s an oldie but goodie: science vs. beliefs. Nothing new under the sun here, but Deborah Zoe Laufer’s play trots along at a steady pace, carefully presenting the pros and cons of both sides with welcome flashes of humor."
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"The science is quite fascinating and the conflicts exceedingly relevant; but as written and directed, the production over-reaches, with too many threads that seem to tie themselves in dramatic knots. The non-traditional cast is saddled with multiple roles requiring herculean stretches – not always successful...Lots to think about here, but in combining fact with fiction Ms. Laufer has bitten off more than she can chew."
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"Deborah Zoe Laufer's probing and thoughtful 'Informed Consent' explores what happens when trust is violated...Liesl Tommy deftly directs this balancing act, marshalling the five-person cast to strikingly detailed performances for a play in which roles and locations seem to shift with the wind...Laufer pays respect to the technical without getting too bogged down in it. She knows her audience and how to challenge them to reexamine their preciously held beliefs."
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"Under Liesl Tommy's direction, the story is told with light humor and without dense scientific terminology that might alienate the less-scientific among us. A solidly-written play that is sure to provoke discussion."
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"There's nothing more painful than seeing a playwright tackle tough, thorny issues without the skill to bring their complexities to dramatic life. That's that sad case with 'Informed Consent...' Laufer isn't too particular about how she keeps the pot boiling, resulting in all sorts of implausibilities."
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"Jillian and Arella's battle of wills, and the terrifying places it leads both of them, is a fascinating subject, and it's well handled by everyone while Laufer keeps her focus tight...But Laufer has so much to say that this energizing core does not get the consistent airing it should. It gets off track easily,..Only if it were honed to an excess-free state would this captivate you without making more of an appeal to your heart than your head; Laufer just seems more interested in the latter."
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