Judgment Day NYC Reviews and Tickets

79%
(96 Ratings)
Positive
88%
Mixed
12%
Negative
0%
Members say
Great staging, Ambitious, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Great acting

About the Show

Director Richard Jones returns to the Armory with this rarely-performed 1937 moral drama in a new adaptation by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award-winning playwright Christopher Shinn.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (96)

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139 Reviews | 26 Followers
100
Great acting, Great staging, Thought-provoking, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if You want to experience a not to be missed production in the great drill hall at the Armory. You need to see at least one production there

Don't see it if You like light hearted plays and fluffy musicals. Read more

51 Reviews | 5 Followers
97
Great writing, Great acting, Entertaining, Clever, Absorbing

See it if Great dialogue. Shows group think of small Village Europe. Very absorbing. Thought provoking

Don't see it if A lot of set choreography.

161 Reviews | 54 Followers
91
Great staging, Epic, Edgy, Clever, Absorbing

See it if Outstanding production written by Ödön Von Horváth in 1937 as Nazism & Fascism were rising in Europe, the play is a morality tale about

Don't see it if If you have sensitive hearing issues some of the sound design may be a problem..Very loud train sounds- relevant to the story. Read more

170 Reviews | 162 Followers
91
Intense, Riveting, Profound, Intelligent, Great staging

See it if Big, brilliant production of a fascinating 1937 play, a scathing indictment of regular people in Germany just before WWII. An hour & a half.

Don't see it if You don't like the massive venue and the challenging sight lines. The audio was good, but w/ pronounced amplification which was necessary.

414 Reviews | 70 Followers
90
Thought-provoking, Relevant, Intelligent, Great staging, Absorbing

See it if dark, large scale production on group behavior with lack of individual responsibility; haunting lighting, sounds & forest scenery on sides

Don't see it if don't want very large scale scenery - 2 gigantic blocks that are moved/turned to create different scenes; don't want morality play

251 Reviews | 116 Followers
90
Pertinent to human condition, Gossip mongers one & all, Superb lighting & sound engineering, Astronomically large stage & sets, The weight of the truth

See it if you ever believed someone you later learned had lied, or disparaged one who, you learned, spoke truly. Like grand sets, costumes & reality.

Don't see it if you want an intimate look at characters or dislike heavy use of mics. This was better with a headset than without. Read more

519 Reviews | 256 Followers
90
Absorbing, Great acting, Great staging, Thought-provoking

See it if A well-lit,well-acted play, on gigantic stage w strong hints to massive architecture of Italy & Germany 30s &40s. Story: social critique*

Don't see it if Given the length of the stage, try to grab seats in the middle. Read more

77 Reviews | 20 Followers
90
Intense, Masterful, Great writing, Great acting, Epic

See it if You like epic Brechtian theater, great staging , sweeping sets, fantastic acting and a fast moving story line. Set in the 1930’s, small town

Don't see it if If you like schmaltzy musicals. This is one of the top shows of the year and must be seen by any serious theater fan. The Armory is epic!

Critic Reviews (12)

The New York Times
December 11th, 2019

"An Allegory of Blame, Goes Big: At the Park Avenue Armory, Odon von Horvath’s 1937 drama gets a rare and physically overwhelming staging."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
December 14th, 2019

"At the Armory, 'Judgment Day' Shows Its Cast No Mercy"
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The Observer
December 12th, 2019

"A small play in an oversize production that dilutes any ripple effect the fable might have in 2019. One could imagine it being just as effective at Classic Stage Company or the BAM Harvey."
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Theatermania
December 11th, 2019

"A Life Derails in Judgment Day: Christopher Shinn adapts Ödön von Horváth's rarely performed 1937 drama for Park Avenue Armory."
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BroadwayWorld
December 25th, 2019

"A Chilling Revival of Ödön von Horváth's 1937 Social Commentary 'JUDGMENT DAY'"
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Lighting & Sound America
December 12th, 2019

"If the setting of 'Judgment Day' feels slightly unusual, its tone is strikingly similar to the work of such vintage directors as Fritz Lang, Robert Siodmak, and Billy Wilder, all of them Germans who fled the Nazi regime to become masters of the Hollywood film noir."
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New York Stage Review
December 11th, 2019

4/5 Stars. "When ostensible autocratic leaders appear to be emerging in growing numbers today, it seems as if von Horváth's work has a potent relevance to a swelling contemporary plight."
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New York Stage Review
December 11th, 2019

5/5 Stars. "Approached with imagination, skill and a clear sense of purpose, director Richard Jones' production is riveting, thought-provoking and ravishing."
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