Lovesong (Imperfect)

See it if You have the patience to sit through a long first act knowing that the payoff will be there in act two

Don't see it if You’re not interested in plays that don’t take place in the real world that we live in.

Also When I look at a playbill and see that the playwright and the director are the same person I always get concerned that there are not enough cooks in the kitchen. I believe that is the case here. I feel like this playwright loves this play and didn’t want to budge on anything so he decided to direct it himself.
The second act is incredibly crafted and while I do believe you need the first act to set this up, the first act definitely needs a lot of editing.
I hope if this play moves somewhere new the playwright is smart enough to bring someone else on board.... Read more Read less

See it if you know the performers.

Don't see it if You care about production values. Ugly costumes. These three felt like they were in different plays, different styles.

See it if Great acting

Don't see it if ........

See it if the idea of an absurdist satire of love & politics sounds appealing.

Don't see it if you like your political satire pointed: The absurdist & fantastic elements blunt the satire here.

Also I found lots to like about the script for “Lovesong (Imperfect)” a satire of love & politics that feels like a contemporary heir to the tradition of the European absurd of the 1950s & early 1960s. But maybe it’s trying to do too much: It feels at times like it wants to be a political satire, but of what? War? Colonialism? Consumerism? The targets seemed so easy. And is a tale about a cracked love triangle (many details of which are sharp & humorous) an effective way to makes political points? After a while the piece feels muddled; the points it’s trying to make (whether about love or politics), blunted. I liked it best when I could forget about the politics & savor its silliness. But the recurrent sloganeering doesn’t make that easy to do for any length of time.... Read more Read less

See it if appreciate absurdity of life on stage, Jose Rivera's viewpoint, wonderful acting, mix of music/visuals/dance, find humor in the everyday

Don't see it if absurdity is not your cup of tea, find no humor in life or on stage

See it if you seek ambitious new plays that show off all the writer’s flourishes & self-indulgence. Interesting magical futuristic alternate reality.

Don't see it if I can’t judge if this is a good play or not. It felt like watching a rehearsal. Long suffering couple prolongs suffering. Not a likable pair

Also This might improve a lot over the run. It's beautifully produced as far as set, costumes, music/sound, and lighting go. But when I saw it, it just wasn’t ready. Lines that would read with a rolling rhythm were delivered with a teleprompter cadence. But even with the dialogue smoothed out, each scene is so, so long. Did not leave me wanting more.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy farce, parody, and satire - this is some of the best. From the type of humor embraced by Monty Python and Benny Hill.

Don't see it if you can't laugh in a theater or need "permission" to make sure your laughter isn't inappropriate.

Also I saw the 1st Preview and there were some kinks that I expect will be worked out. Slow scene changes need to be speeded up.

Farce isn't the type of humor that I seek out, but if you enjoy it, this is some of the best.

As in many New York comedies produced in 1919 and now 1920, the audience is afraid that their laughter is inappropriate without knowing exactly where the humor is going. Please relax and enjoy what you are seeing. A narcissistic woman surrounded by emotionally inept men is funny and it is ok to laugh.

There is also a less than subtle political message used as the basis of the humor. If you love ethnocentrism and xenophobia, you might be offended.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in small dramatic productions exploring emotions of friendship, sexual or romantic love, jeaolousy, grieving, drug use

Don't see it if you prefer action drama, musicals, innovative ideas about relationships, solutions to autocratic government rather than wining about it

Also I thought I heard lines that might have been funny if the timing and body language were improved. The acting was “over” and not believable. I had heard that the playwrite is talented and some lines were poetic and novel but this two hour show bored me.... Read more Read less

See it if You're up for spot-on actors; sharp funny writing with no discernible there there however. Writing engaging & funny at times, smooth staging

Don't see it if You dislike experimental theatre, magical realism, farce, or need a traditional narrative framework—you won’t have the patience or payoff.

Also This potentially delightful and quirky show just calls and beckons to be liked. Its visuals are minimal and charming—from the suspended tree on which grow lights instead of leaves, to the yellow stacks of biohazard barrels on stage left, to the patchwork silken fabric that signifies a house even as it's hitched across like a mainsail, it all works effectively. As does Helen Yee’s lovely violin and sound effects, which set the aural tone and help create the fantastical if dystopian world the characters inhabit.

The actors are the thing here though, all fine but Sara Koviak especially mesmerizing and a pleasure to watch, her lithe body forming graceful lines and sharp accents that match the crisp cadence of her lines. Andolfi is fine with his newly-installed Puerto Rican heart, and Kennedy’s doctor a charming slow to boil menace.

The writing is sharp and often funny but, especially in Act I, leads nowhere. Good stuff here, but hard to recommend; if you go, go con Dios y paciencia.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy quirky little shows that will bring a smile to your face

Don't see it if You like serious matter

See it if you like magic realism, you like to see life's exigencies portrayed with a comic touch, you like plays that make you think,

Don't see it if you expect ordinary theater, you dislike the absurd and the magical and the whimsical

Also My companion and I discussed the message behind the madness for hours. We think the playwright (Jose Rivera) is original and gifted.... Read more Read less

See it if More intelligent than meaningful. Had the feel of a modern take on a Greek Myth without a moral. Occasionally amusing.

Don't see it if Well, it's frenetic but slow -- you figure it out. You may wish it were only one act instead of two.

See it if You want to see the woman/idealistic vs man/realistic swordplay on love in a three person play.

Don't see it if You expect nice sets and unique insights into love.

Also The doctor character was the cliche “German” accent doctor. Not sure if the play was written as a comedy or not??... Read more Read less

See it if You like magical realism. Some really nice touches even if not completely realized

Don't see it if You want perfect storytelling the journey isn’t totally earned but some delightful images

See it if You enjoy intimate theater about love

Don't see it if You want a big flashy musical

See it if You would enjoy an epically long dark comedy based on a relationship tested through eternal time.

Don't see it if You want to see something that moves quicker or has less coarse language and much unnecessary dialogue.

Also This play was ridiculously long for the philosophical based theme of whether two people are meant to be together regardless of the circumstances. I actually thought the play was over when we went into intermission and considered leaving but wouldn’t be able to give a fair review otherwise. The play could easily have been half the length with the same theme being repeated to the point of nauseam. Also it was a bit ridiculous in this era that the female character had been sexually assaulted by one of the other characters and this was treated rather as a joke in this dystopian world. In addition the female lead looked as though she could have been the aunt or mother of her male counterpart which was odd as they were supposed to be the same age in this story.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see something unusual and absurd; don't mind a work in progress

Don't see it if you need everything to be clear, fast-paced, and aren't really into something whimsical and wordy

See it if You are friends of the actors

Don't see it if You don’t have to

See it if you feel $35 is a small price to pay to see what's on the mind of a respected and loved prize-winning playwright.

Don't see it if you don't think some good writing, some entertaining and thought-provoking ideas, and some laughs are enough to make up for a slack story.

See it if You are a fan of Jose Rivera and beautiful poetic theatre.

Don't see it if You aren't a fan of Jose Rivera or poetic theatre.

See it if You enjoy fantasy!

Don't see it if You are against live theater.

See it if You want to see great theater!

Don't see it if You don't want to see great theater!

See it if You enjoy seeing quirky characters onstage

Don't see it if You aren't able to laugh at quirky characters onstage