Mr. Toole
68

Mr. Toole NYC Reviews and Tickets

68%
(10 Ratings)
Positive
70%
Mixed
20%
Negative
10%
Members say
Great acting, Disappointing, Ambitious, Absorbing, Slow

About the Show

Vivian Neuwirth's new drama creates a deeply personal reflection on the life of John Kennedy Toole, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "A Confederacy of Dunces. "

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Show-Score Member Reviews (10)

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150 Reviews | 22 Followers
83
Evocative, Well-worth seeing, Moving, Intelligent, Great acting

See it if Great acting and portrayal of repression, grief and mother's love. Interesting story well-told. Shades of Tennessee Williams.

Don't see it if You are triggered by suicide. Expect a full out theatrical production. Are frustrated with small spaces.

51 Reviews | 7 Followers
77
A worthy exploration

See it if You are a fan of John Kennedy Toole or A Confederacy of Dunces. You enjoy developmental theater cleverly executed on a shoestring.

Don't see it if You are looking for big production values or a breezy theater experience. This offers neither. Read more

271 Reviews | 66 Followers
76
Literary, Clever staging on what must be no budget, Sag in the middle, Southern emotion, Great acting

See it if you are a fan of Confederacy of Dunces, interested in overbearing mothers, or have sympathy for the pain of rejection on the creative spirit

Don't see it if you have little patience for low-budget productions or a script that could probably benefit from an edit or two. Read more

442 Reviews | 127 Followers
69
Relevant, Slow, Disappointing, Ambitious, Intelligent

See it if you are interested in Mr Toole and his history, (though too drawn out).

Don't see it if you can't tolerate poorly done southern accents, excessive loud nagging and shrieking by the mother, vague hints of other issues. Read more

286 Reviews | 23 Followers
10
Disappointing

See it if Want clearly professional actors doing their best with the play.

Don't see it if You don't want a story that is unfortunately not engaging and very slow.

3 Reviews | 0 Followers
96
Great acting, Enchanting, Absorbing

See it if While it's not perfect, the writer has created a wonderful world for the actors to perform in. And the actors deliver. All of them.

Don't see it if You expect a perfect show, as this one is clearly in development. It's quite moving.

251 Reviews | 116 Followers
During previews
85
New orleans comes alive, Confederacy of dunces author takes center stage

See it if You’d like 2 hrs on John Kennedy Toole & his struggle to write & get recognition, a battle taken on by his mother after his death. Strong.

Don't see it if You dislike a biographic, Toole, or Confederacy of Dunces or dislike long plays. Read more

761 Reviews | 165 Followers
During previews
75
Indulgent, Slow, Thought-provoking, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if curious about J. K. Toole's life and how Confederacy of Dunces became a classic after his death, enjoy mother-son stories, bio-dramas

Don't see it if not a fan of Toole or his masterwork, don't enjoy slightly staged works using same set for multiple locations or unnecessary flashbacks Read more

Critic Reviews (7)

The New York Times
March 5th, 2020

"Trying to Remember Teacher: Vivian Neuwirth’s play is a fictionalized recollection of the life of the novelist John Kennedy Toole, who died before his Pulitzer-Prize winning classic 'A Confederacy of Dunces' was published."
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BroadwayWorld
March 6th, 2020

"'MR. TOOLE' at 59E59 Theaters Depicts a Captivating Backstory of John Kennedy Toole"
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Lighting & Sound America
March 5th, 2020

"An irritating and unfocused work dominated by two highly unpleasant characters whose professions of adoration are really smoke screens for their narcissism."
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New York Stage Review
March 4th, 2020

4/5 Stars. "A new play about 'Confederacy of Dunces' author John Kennedy Toole reflects on the toll and rewards of inspiration, with intensity and subtle wit."
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TheaterScene.net
March 10th, 2020

"Vivian Neuwirth's biographical tribute, Mr. Toole, is a fascinating but cluttered account of this story. However, without program notes or previous knowledge, the play will leave many theatergoers at sea as the novel is not mentioned until at least halfway through the play."
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CurtainUp
March 5th, 2020

"The life story of writer John Kennedy Toole is the classic tragedy of an artistic genius."
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Theater Pizzazz
March 5th, 2020

"A riveting memory play about John Kennedy Toole...A story of an overbearing mother dedicated only to her son and his success. Stars Ryan Spahn as low-key Ken with an outstanding performance."
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