Office Hour

See it if you seek a tense, eloquent, well-acted take on the timely topic of school shooting that also explores compassion, loneliness & misjudgment.

Don't see it if you expect any concrete conclusions to a complex topic. [The show asks more questions than it answers.]; you're uncomfortable with violence.

See it if You enjoy highly relevant, topical thrillers, especially those that toy with both the audience’s and the characters’ perceptions of reality.

Don't see it if You can’t stand edge-of-your-seat, intense plays where you’re constantly waiting for a gun to go off.

See it if You'd want to watch one teacher try to get through to a troubled student and all the things she really tries. 90 minutes flies by.

Don't see it if You don't have earplugs, as there is a particularly loud moment (that goes on for a while) towards the end.

See it if You are interested in the role of teachers as moral coaches for teenage students. Are they trained professionals?

Don't see it if You are not interested in the current problem of student safety in schools. You shock easily.

Also Where does the responsibility of the parent end, and that of the school personnel begin?
Can teachers be bullies?
You walk out of this play with a lot of discussion topics. Talk to the audience around you. I go to the theater alone, this play needs a talkback after each performance.... Read more Read less

See it if you are an admirer of Julia Cho or Sue Jean Kim.

Don't see it if you expect a serious commentary on gun violence in America.

Also The play's sensationalistic approach trivializes an important subject.

See it if You can tolerate gun shots and violence in a university office.

Don't see it if You’re looking for a pleasant and comfortable experience.

See it if You want a look at a potentially volatile situation and how it may be dealt with. Or want to see the inner workings of a troubled mind.

Don't see it if Gun violence is a trigger, or watching an agonizingly slow conversation drag on, while constantly waiting for the shoe to drop.

See it if You want to see an intense show about a very touchy subject

Don't see it if Seeing a play about gun violence is going to bother you.

Also I love when as an audience member I feel scared. This doesn’t happen to me too often in the theater but it did tonight. The show deals with a troubled student who may or may not have the ability to become a “shooter”. Near the end of the play I felt like I was right there on stage I don’t want to give too much away but this is exactly what I look for in theater... Read more Read less

See it if Exploration of a potential school shooter that plays with our perceptions, stereotypes and fears to explore how we can find understanding

Don't see it if you're looking for a light comedy or don't like plays which remain ambiguous. What-if scenarios & unanswered questions, but that's the point

See it if Interesting premise. What makes a student potentially dangerous and how did he get that way?

Don't see it if Terrible execution. Says nothing about the subject. One character spends half the play in silence, and when he talks, you wish he’d shut up

See it if you enjoy contemporary dramas that touch on everyday subjects

Don't see it if you deplore dizzying drama complete with gunshots

See it if a teacher trying to help a student with issues that could lead to gun violence; teacher relates her own experiences to the student

Don't see it if contrived dialogue, sounds like a therapy session; gun shots; a very important topic but doesn't have emotional pull of real cases in news

See it if like fine acting and stories about psychological wounds and violence caused by family, discrimination and other deficits in our society.

Don't see it if you dislike plays about serious and flaws in our society that can be confusing, talky and slow at times.

See it if You think about what kinds of "signs" people should be watching out for when they want to stop certain people from having guns

Don't see it if You might be scared by a simulated mass shooting

See it if You have an interest in an examination of the the struggles of growing up as an outsider, and not fitting in.

Don't see it if You do not care for sitting on the edge of your seat, or considering issues which never troubled you growing up.

See it if You can watch a violent drama unbound by its unrealistic premise

Don't see it if You are offended by violence and graphic language and imagery.

Also One must suspend belief considerably to tolerate this play. The professor characters make so many unbelievable decisions and moves that anyone who is familiar with higher ed will find it laughable.... Read more Read less

See it if You like writing about writing, or have sympathy for the angst of isolation and parental pressure.

Don't see it if You have shooting-related trauma. You think this is going to be "about" gun violence.

Also Unfortunately, this production seems destined to be overshadowed by controversy and bangs, even though school shootings are more a setting than a focus. The play feels unpolished, but there are more beautifully touching and lyrical passages than clumsy cliches. Office Hour feels truest when it's simplest and (presumably) closer to the playwright's experience. Justifications for "why be a writer"; discussions of alienation and loneliness; and a jawdropping, show-stealing scene where the two principals stage a mock phone call with their Asian mothers.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in adolescents at risk and how their distress affects other students and faculty.

Don't see it if You are easily startled by loud noises.

Also The question that lingers is what role can adjunct faculty play in reaching out to students at risk.... Read more Read less

See it if Meditation & exploration of gun violence,isolation,mental illness inspired by Va Tech shootings but dreamlike & oddly lacking verisimilitude

Don't see it if You can’t take gunshots scenes depicting mass shootings on campus or how easily we become insensitized to violence

See it if you are interested in examining gun culture in America or what might cause a killer to consider killing.

Don't see it if gunfire in theaters scares/frightens you because there is a ton.

See it if you want to see a play that brings up the very important topic of gun violence and teenage angst.

Don't see it if you want to see a play that gives answers to the important topics it brings up.

Also the play gives you a lot to think about. The situation it brings up can go in many directions. It was gratifying to see a teacher try so hard to get through to a troubled student.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to witness what teachers face in their classrooms with difficult students. It touches on anticipation of violence.

Don't see it if You have expectations of real resolution of a student's fears. Turns to maudlin scenes of violence intended.

See it if the play attempts to address a very disturbing and difficult subject (gun violence), but ultimately doesn't add much to the discussion.

Don't see it if very loud gunshots disturb you. The play is talky and feels like an unfinished effort; the setup and the behavior feel artificial.

See it if you want a thoughtful exploration of gun violence among disaffected students who feel isolated by society; strong acting/writing

Don't see it if , like the Times reviewer, gunshots are a "trigger" for you; there are a number of blanks fired. Note the play is dark but not frightening

See it if you want to see a play about a teacher who cares about a troubled student...

Don't see it if you don't like watching violence or are looking for a light piece of theater...