See it if you can be quiet and listen to strikingly distinctive actors embody hope and joy, prideful ambition and submissive desires to please.
Don't see it if you need action and changes of scene to pay attention, rather than voices full of melody and Irish lilt telling you a darkening story. Read more
See it if U appreciate the great master storyteller Brian Friel & his always riveting characters. U are a fan of Keen Company’s impeccable works.
Don't see it if U dislike heavy literate works filled with dated yet artful words. U prefer fluffy rather than intellectual dramatic. U are impatient. Read more
See it if for the performances and the words. Easy to pay attention. 3 points of view. Fantastic storytelling.
Don't see it if you want a traditional play as the characters each tell their sad tale about the same issue and events while revealing personal flaws.
See it if you like monologs that tell you everything you need to know about the characters without having them interact; you like well-written pieces
Don't see it if you don't want to see a play consisting entirely of monologs; you prefer comedies or musicals
See it if you wish to understand how a blind woman's recovery of some vision leads to tragedy as depicted separately by three different characters.
Don't see it if you do not like spare plays where each character tells his or her perspective on a story and there is little action on stage.
See it if 3 character show, of monologues, discussing pros/cons of a 40+ woman undergoing vision restoring surgery. Fascinating considerations. A+
Don't see it if You like characters to interact, do not wish in depth experience. Gaining vision seems a no brainer, then you hear all the pros and cons.
See it if You want a thought-provoking play about issues around medical intervention and its unintended consequences.
Don't see it if You don't like a 100% talking play dealing with life issues. You want something light or a musical.
See it if Thoughtful, well written play about the human condition
Don't see it if a play told entirely in monologues with no action or interaction between the characters
"‘Molly Sweeney’ Review: An Eye-Opening Experience: In Brian Friel’s play, a blind woman has her sight restored by surgery, only to see that her life and relationships aren’t what they once seemed."
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"Not Much to See, but a Lot to Listen to, in Molly Sweeney: Brian Friel's play about a woman who regains her sight gets a Keen Company revival."
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"As if to prove the adage about the Irish and their gift of gab, in 1994 Brian Friel wrote Molly Sweeney, a play that talks itself into a standstill… it's a prose piece for the theatre, and it runs out of breath long before it is over."
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"It requires a good deal of concentration from the audience, but the rewards can be considerable. The Keen Company's revival directed by Jonathan Silverstein makes a persuasive case for a work that many critics have said succeeds more effectively as a book than as a play."
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5/5 Stars "Friel was not only prolific but also profound, though never showy. In the award-winning 'Molly Sweeney,' he remains commandingly quiet when speaking from the stage."
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"Even with good acting, a play told entirely in monologues can be difficult to make lively."
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"A solid revival…under the...direction of Jonathan Silverstein....Although well-performed, the work… eventually drags as the wordy passages accumulate over nearly two and a half hours. Without the give and take of inter-character discourse, what might have worked in 90 minutes grows static."
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