Mankind

See it if you want to see the latest provocation from an important US playwright.

Don't see it if you hate when a high-concept play's high concept takes over & drives the vehicle off the road.

Also "Mankind" is an important statement from an important American playwright, but it was not a pleasure to experience. Over its long 2 hours it manages to push several hot buttons -- abortion, feminism, government control, oppressive religion, climate change -- sometimes all at once. It can get a little hard to hear anything. Booming music between scenes & a turntable that whirs far too often contribute to the racket. And yet the opening scene between the central couple brilliantly, caustically, says lots about human relationships. We’re lucky to hear a long snatch of it played (ingeniously) 3 more times over the course of the play. Whenever the script returns to the couple’s intimate give-&-take that makes the 1st scene crackle, the play again has a chance to breathe. Too much of the rest seems programmatic, overwritten & overproduced. An irony: I had a ticket to see a performance last month that was cancelled when the turntable broke. How I wish it had stayed broken!... Read more Read less

See it if You like satire, speculative plays about the future, feminist leaning productions with all-male casts, brisk staging

Don't see it if You're not a fan of feminist messages, men behaving badly, religious & cultural satire, dystopian fantasy or unexplained situations

See it if if you like expensive staging larger than life with a thought-provoking what-if premise.

Don't see it if offended by same-sex farcical pregnancy.

See it if you’re into sci-fi B movies and are looking for something completely different.

Don't see it if you prefer conventional theatre or aren’t into an all-male cast.

See it if You enjoy post-apocalyptic plays that challenge current ways of thinking, especially with regards to religion.

Don't see it if You’re expecting a play that challenges one particular idea. This play rambles and isn’t sure of what exactly it’s challenging.

See it if You are a Robert O’Hara fan,like religious satires, great actors, futuristic settings, feminism, political themes, craziness ...

Don't see it if You like traditional plays and are very conservative about religion, feminism, and abortion themes. Detest same sex couples and marriage.

Also After reading the reviews, I did not expect to like this play. It is hilarious, outrageous, and current.
The acting, costumes, writing, set design and directing are terrific. Most of the Sunday matinee audience members just went with the flow, and really enjoyed it.
Forget the naysayers and give it a try!!... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy satire with an edge, even if it scattershot and unfocused.

Don't see it if you like a disciplined play with a clear focus

Also O'Hara really should not direct his own work. He needs someone to restrain him.... Read more Read less

See it if you don’t expect a realistic rendering of the future—this is a live-action cartoon of the present

Don't see it if you want a show that changes minds rather than preaches to the choir; can't see religion mocked; are uninterested in pro-choice perspectives

Also Mankind’s not completely airtight, but still really amusing. It’s structured like a Simpsons episode—starting w/ what seems like one story, only to break off and become the real story, and retaining just enough from the earlier part to seed the rest of the play. The show drops some early plot points which might be a little disappointing but if you’re used to Matt Groening, Matt Stone, and Trey Parker plot twists and humor it’s not completely out of the ordinary, and it's enjoyable in a lot of the same ways. Ultimate result is a fanciful critique of certain features of patriarchy—specifically, the inability to permit any kind of egalitarianism and the persistent impinging on the rights of others (even in an all-male society). The show is one giant mea culpa from mankind to womankind; an original work, indeed!... Read more Read less

See it if you like a strange satire about gender, religion, & reproductive rights. Inventive staging, Anson Mount's facial expressions are hilarious.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy weird/quirky shows, can be banal at times. Interesting social commentary, but tries to be more profound than it actually is.

See it if Though-provoking. Raised some important issues. Engaging performances. Mostly entertaining.

Don't see it if It’s message was a bit heavy-handed. Some men in attendance were uncomfortable. Mansplaining women’s Issues? Maybe not.

See it if You like high concepts and dont mind if they dont deliver intelligence or a new perception. Ends up reiterating the status quo.

Don't see it if You are touchy about religious satire. You want to see something novel.

See it if you're a fan of what-if scenarios and unique storytelling.

Don't see it if you don't like daring theater.

Also I enjoyed this more than I anticipated. There are some truly laugh-out-loud moments interspersed throughout this astute commentary on societal restrictions run amok.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to experience a truly original futuristic concept. There are some humorous moments.

Don't see it if you are offended by O'Hara's views on religion, abortion, feminism, gay marriage, homosexuality.

See it if like O'Hara's work

Don't see it if not interested in current topical dialog

See it if you want to be transported to one of the most INTERESTING takes on the future of mankind, every created before.

Don't see it if you don’t want your mind BLOWN, because it will be blown, G-U-A-R-A-N-T-E-E-D.

Also Full disclosure, I was NOT a fan of playwright Robert O’Hara’s previous plays. However, the subject matter and the depth of story which he presents in this new work is something entirely new!!! I was NOT EXPECTING the storyline to go where it went and yet, I LOVED that fact that it took me somewhere I really wasn’t expecting to go. This play is one of the MOST INTERESTING pieces of new work that I have seen in a long time and this is from someone who sees A LOT of plays throughout the theater season. Leading this production are two very strong actors – Bobby Moreno and Anson Mount – who are called upon to use every acting skill in their theatrical arsenal. The supporting cast is just as strong with Andree De Shields momentarily stealing the spotlight in the roles of both the Judge and the Ceremonial High Priest. There is even audience participation, but only for for the male audience members. This is the play not to be missed. Run get a ticket, NOW!!!... Read more Read less

See it if If you like plays that present a totally new perspective on today's world and the future of "Womankind" in a "Mankind" world.

Don't see it if If you like traditional storytelling. But if you wanna move a bit beyond you comfort zone I highly recommend this play

See it if you enjoys prior Robert O'Hara plays. This one is definitely off the wall , and could be offensive to audiences in it's themes.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy plays that are controversial in nature and theme and will upset religious theatergoers.

See it if You’re open to an endlessly surprising, over-the-top, biting, larger-than-life rasp of political satire. Not for the closed of mind or heart

Don't see it if You’ve no taste for metaphor or great leaps of imagination, have no sense of the absurd or only see things as they appear—especially onstage

Also A very funny and absurdist cautionary tale that deals with civil and reproductive rights, the State vs. the Individual, morality, sanctity and faith, this remarkably theatrical play will certainly disturb, confuse and upset many. Premised on a world where women are extinct, it's a long and sustained visual coup de théâtre that drags a bit here and there, but those moments are more than compensated for by its biting humor, its timeliness and terrific performances. Bobby Moreno and Anson Mount make the impossible quite believable, and André de Shields once again displays his mastery of surprise and the unpredictable. It’s an expensive and intense production, with excellent costumes, sound and sets, the whole very smoothly directed by playwright Robert O’Hara.... Read more Read less

See it if You are not hung up about logic. It is crazy, but no more unlikely than the last year we've lived through, plus it is funny, and truthful.

Don't see it if You feel that people, men in particular, are upright citizens, and you think it would be rude to see them portrayed as venal and idiotic.

See it if You want to have intense dialog after the show, don’t mind uneven tone, can handle discordant dialog and staging, and like ambitious shows.

Don't see it if You like light comedy, don’t like dystopian drama, have intense political theories, or need light, pat, storytelling.

See it if you find plays that spoof religion engaging; the thought of an all-male universe and its consequences delights you; you want to laugh

Don't see it if you find pro-abortion and anti-religion plays offensive

See it if You want a show that has some interesting ideas within it but lacks a director who can grasp the tone.

Don't see it if You aren't a fan of Black Mirror knock-offs because this feels very scattered.

Also Robert O'Hara really needs to stick to writing and find someone else to direct his plays. He doesn't understand what needs to be played for laughs. I think this play had a lot of interesting ideas but they needed to be pared down. There is also a point where all the men in the audience are asked to stand for a long period of time to chant. It was uncomfortable and was made worse when an insane woman at the performance was yelling at men who weren't standing.... Read more Read less

See it if You like a show that is funny and makes you think about social and political issues.

Don't see it if You are offended by criticisms of religions.

See it if You enjoy the theater of "what if?" and are amused by broad satire. Clever set design.

Don't see it if Not subtle or nuanced, bit of a sledgehammer effect in delivering plot points.

Also Satire on a world without women.
Best bit- giant golden "Cry Baby" idol of a new religion.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a devoted fan of O'Hara's work.

Don't see it if you are looking for sharp satire, surprising insights or outrageous humor.