Joey Variations: A Play With Dance (FringeNYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Part of FringeNYC: Joey: A gifted contemporary dancer whose secret fuels his addiction. Rita: The transgendered therapist whose counsel may save his life. Svetlana: The artistic director who employs him despite better judgment. Three diverse lives brush against darkness to find the light.
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See it if want to experience a tale enhanced by movement with excellent performances from Matthew Hardy, Bianca Leigh & Julie Hays
Don't see it if don't care for dance, transexuals or a Russian dialect
See it if you're interested in lives of dancers, solid performance by a transgender artist, want to see a good but not remarkable play.
Don't see it if you expect something special - the performances and the script here are just fine but I doubt it'll be something I remember in a year...
See it if You're a fan of intelligent writing and beautiful movement.
Don't see it if You're looking for easy entertainment - it's not that.
See it if you love dance and great acting
Don't see it if you don't love dance or LGBTQ+ issues
See it if you like original structure, three-dimensional humanity, stories that tell of triumph over adversity, inspirational stories of empathy
Don't see it if you're a robot and have no understanding of how well-told tales are told effectively and simply.
See it if You are interested in dance and trans storylines. The trans character is compelling in ways I wasn't prepared for.
Don't see it if Expecting to be amazed by choreography.
See it if You love dance or any of the arts. You are sensitive to issues of gender and sexuality.
Don't see it if You're homophobic.
See it if You are interested in seeing a well-portrayed trans character and enjoy contemporary dance.
Don't see it if You are avoiding triggers involving LGBTQ violence.
Critic Reviews (3)
"Playwright-director Spano shows us the effects of hate crime in a world where hardness is everyone’s game, and no one is winning...Moves from soliloquy to dance solo to one-on-one scenes, through which we come to know two women committed to Joey’s success: his dance mentor and his transgender therapist (the mesmerizing Bianca Leigh). 'Joey' leans too heavily on monologue, and the transitions can be clunky and self-conscious. But the play aims right to your heart, and does its work."
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“For the most part, Spano’s play is graceful in its simplicity: expressive but succinct, riffing without being trite, political without devolving into didacticism. This is a playwright with deep empathy for his characters...Of course, ‘Joey’ is necessarily hampered by some tired tropes around addiction, psychology, and the cutthroat world of ballet...Yet in certain breathtaking moments ‘Joey’ truly soars.”
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"A poignant and uplifting three-hander…All three actors deliver sensitive and sympathetic performances...Expressive segments of dance are interspersed between the monologues and dialogues, physically and artistically evincing the decline and recovery of Joey’s zest for his art, and for life…'Joey' is personal and moving, a heartfelt tribute to caregivers and survivors, and a beautiful paean to the need for facing reality and appreciating today, despite the hardships of yesterday."
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