Mrs. Murray's Menagerie NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (68)
See it if I thought this was laugh out loud funny! The various types of people portrayed along with group and work dynamics were spot on. Insightful.
Don't see it if A straight focus group does not interest you. This is the literal set up through conclusion of one as it might really have gone. Read more
See it if enjoy non-traditional plays done well. Not much happens but one can read a lot into it.
Don't see it if Want action - then skip this. Just people sitting around talking may not be for everyone.
See it if you like seeing well-developed characters thrown together and watching them react to each other.
Don't see it if you want a riveting plot with a strong story arc
See it if you like clever shows with a lot of wit and humor. Great acting and interesting topic of television focus group.
Don't see it if you're looking for a show with much action or a suspenseful storyline.
See it if Really enjoyed the 70s feel and the characters portrayed. Fun slice of life that feels like a real focus group but funnier.
Don't see it if You need music or intense drama, or even a defined ending.
See it if Focus group on a child's TV show - questions are asked followed by short (often funny) responses by the individual group members*
Don't see it if need action - most of play is question-answer although sometimes participants get up for coffee and snack; don't want to pay close attention Read more
See it if you enjoy theater created by an ensemble, have ever been in a focus group, have young children, Like satire with a cutting edge
Don't see it if not interested in parents of young children, plays about focus groups or created by the actors themselves, are an overprotective parent
See it if hilarious satire of focus group from hell; fine ensemble passionately explores different views on values/character 2 instill in children
Don't see it if focus group format limiting, becomes redundant after 90 minutes; ending letdown; still by end feel as if tapped into psyche of community Read more
Critic Reviews (26)
"Absorbing new comedy from The Mad Ones that finds six parents, each with an instantly recognizable personality, playing off one another during a market-research session at a pace that can only be described as musical...Under the always clever direction of the ensemble’s longtime collaborator, Lila Neugebauer, there are no drastic actions or unforeseen twists."
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“This Mad Ones' production is just as subtle and direct in its wonderful writing and characterization...There are no big emotional speeches by any members of this group, but instead we watch a steady accumulation of life detail and tensions around sexism and racism that simmer while questions about the show are asked and answered. It's both very funny and extremely excruciating...’Mrs. Murray's Menagerie’ is both plain and intriguing.”
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"Directed and acted to quiet perfection, it's a pitch perfect execution of a simple idea...The show is directed by Lila Neugebauer so invisibly that you half believe the audience is sitting behind a one-way mirror and watching an actual focus group...This is an ensemble in every sense of the word and each actor is doing exceptional work. Director Neugebauer works with them and a terrific creative team to create one of the most finely tuned productions I've seen in ages."
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"'Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie' is exceptional theater. The entire cast is superb. A creative idea has been carefully cultivated to bloom by these actors and this theater company. Inventive and hilarious, the play succeeds in elevating a very specific situation into a psychological study of ourselves and how our viewpoints shape how we see the world. No lecturing, grandiose speeches or pontificating needed. Just watch, listen and think."
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"The Mad Ones’ latest delves further into naturalism, potentially risking losing the audiences in the process...A triumph in meticulously calibrated and crafted theatrical realism. Now a known commodity, director Lila Neugebauer once again shapes the piece with her trademark attention to detail...The ensemble cast is impeccable, creating fully-formed characters out of subtle looks and gestures. To single any one out would be to do the others a great disservice."
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"The Mad Ones imbue the ordinary with hilarity...This tone of zaniness that is also realistic is something the Mad Ones have mastered, as they capture the inherent awkwardness of so much of human interaction...There’s simply something wonderfully different about a Mad Ones production because of their unique method of composition... But at its core, 'Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie' is great character-driven drama with a dose of all-too-real absurdity."
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“A very interesting play. Well written...Ego, self righteousness, and indignation make this a very humorous play...What is a pretty even paced play, it tends to slow after the first hour for about fifteen minutes, before ending strong...Neugebauer holds our attention throughout, and it makes for a nice evening...All the acting was good...’Mrs. Murray's Menagerie’ is a different kind of show. Both well staged and directed, it made for a really entertaining one you do not see very often.”
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"How do I love 'Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie'? Let me count the ways. Extraordinary attention to detail, captivatingly committed performers, songs that are no less catchy for being incidental, and wicked bad hair on heads and faces...It amounts to the most fun I’ve had in the theater since the first Ars Nova production I ever saw: 'Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.'"
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