Mangled Beams NYC Reviews and Tickets

72%

(38 Reviews)

Positive

71%

Mixed

21%

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Great acting, Thought-provoking, Ambitious, Relevant

About the Show

This new drama looks at the plight of Native American iron workers who removed debris at Ground Zero after 9/11. Rather than one man's quest for meaning, 'Mangled Beams' is a play about a People.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, four men wait to be assigned work at the union hall miles from their home and families. Then the unimaginable happens. Unable to turn their backs on the tragedy, they go to work on the search and rescue effort at Ground Zero. While untangling the beams their Native American fathers and grandfathers once helped to put in place, they reclaim their identity and find personal redemption.

Member Reviews (38)

Absorbing, Relevant, Resonant, Thought-provoking, Ambitious

See it if You want to see a smart play that’s entertaining while tackling some very real very serious topics without ever feeling bogged down by them.

Don't see it if You can’t watch with some imagination and an open mind. For a small stage the recreation of 9/11 destruction and beams was impressive.

Banal, Cliched, Disappointing, Indulgent, Insipid

See it if if you like bad writing coupled with bad acting/ 2 good actors in it, good lighting.

Don't see it if if you enjoy a really badly written play that is not grounded with any continuity.

Critic Reviews (4)

"There's a quietly stunning sequence...No words are spoken for several minutes...Then the characters open their mouths, and the sublime mundanity devolves into melodrama...The difficulty is that her characters are less like people than parts in a theatrical machine...Big plaudits, then, to the performers who find personality amid the plot devices...There's a story worth telling at the core of this play about identity and conflicted patriotism. Too bad it's been mangled."
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"Informative, noble, and affective drama...Its didactic streak and overloaded exposition...prevent it from totally succeeding...Repetitiveness, tangents, and packing in too much information hinder the play's flow...Callahan's focused staging injects as much momentum as possible to the stilted script and guides the cast to expressive performances...Though earnest, passionate, and involving...doesn't quite cohere into a fully realized theatrical work."
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"Jamieson's script seems to dwell on Brad, giving us lots of information about his back story. But I was particularly interested in the characters of Becky and Dave, and their interactions and history. Yet all the actors have presence and give engaging performances...'Mangled Beams' is well structured and the characters are clearly defined, though I couldn’t help but wish it moved faster at the beginning."
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"Scrupulously fair to all its characters, Jamieson’s script skillfully weaves its multiple narratives and themes of cultural and personal dilemmas into a cohesive statement. There is even a healthy dose of humor to counterbalance the seriousness of the subject matter. As with any large cast play, though, keeping a consistent pace and tone proves challenging...The heart of 'Mangled Beams' shines through regardless, but the show feels like it’s under construction."
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