See it if You'd like to see a naturalistic play with two characters in a really slow-burning scene in a very unique space.
Don't see it if You don't like experiencing a scene in real time, and are in need of a steeper arc.
See it if you like great performances in a naturalistic play that maybe never quite gets where it's going, but the ride itself is very satisfying.
Don't see it if you're more interested in plot-driven plays and big conflict than character exploration and more intimate drama.
See it if You like two-handers that focus on the "slow burn" rather than an intense climax. You like comic books or watched cartoons as a kid.
Don't see it if You want a show with a lot of action or intense drama. You'll be annoyed by an unsatisfying, open-ended finish.
See it if you like small, intimate pieces where you're very close to the actors. Also, if you're interested in comics, video games, or LGBTQ themes
Don't see it if you want a big production, much of a plot, or you don't like geeky stuff.
See it if You want to see a very close look at two relative (male) strangers getting to know each other in a very small space.
Don't see it if You're uncomfortable with gay love stories or sitting about one foot away from actors.
See it if refreshingly real and honest - you are fly on the wall in a tiny room on their 1st date as they verbally "dance" to couplehood or not?
Don't see it if a slow, intimate, purely character-driven piece is not for you Read more
See it if You want a free comic book about kids who have superpowers. The acting was good.
Don't see it if You don't like slow plots or teenagers' love and friendships. Nothing really happened during the show; it is the feeling that matters.
See it if you like delicate shows investigating life's path and connecting to a person.
Don't see it if you dislike small two-handers. Very little happens, but it's almost poetic.
"We keep expecting the subtext of Mease's guarded dialogue to bubble to the surface, but it never does, making this show feel like an abortive night of romance...This is despite competent performances from the two actors...These layered portrayals still cannot compensate for the fact that the Michaels have been written as millennial stereotypes...It becomes a chore for us to listen...Unfortunately, 'Omega Kids' leaves us feeling so sedated, we aren't likely to look back on it at all."
Read more
“An insightful view into the feelings of two young men. If you've ever spent a night talking and opening up to another person, you will completely relate to this show. It is charming and honest…Both of these characters are likable, at times sympathetic, and very authentic. ‘Omega Kids’ is a wonderfully developed, intimate depiction of two young men and the comic book series gives the show a meaningful and appealing perspective.”
Read more
“‘Omega Kids’ holds one's attention for a surprisingly long time...About two thirds of the way in, however, a certain tedium sets in…More a talented attempt than a full-scale success, 'Omega Kids' nonetheless showcases Mease's faultless ear for his characters, as well as his empathy for the loneliness they feel in their little, self-erected prisons. Even if you rightly get impatient with the two Michaels, the last sight of them is enough to break your heart, just a little.”
Read more
"Sarratt and Gonzalez, aided by Jay Stull's direction and Kate Rose McLaughlin's movement, create almost a dance in the way they get close to each other and break apart, building sexual tension...It may not be the stuff of action-packed superhero movies, but I'll take realism over fight sequences any day...Mease's dialogue is very realistic, with lots of stops and starts...Proves that sometimes human connection is all you need for a rewarding night of theater."
Read more
"Though the slow-moving play is well-served by the able performers it can take effort to warm to its muted style. Some directorial choices make it harder to embrace it wholeheartedly...The pace of the play is sweetly creeping. Nothing is hurried. There is as much said in subtle physical movement as spoken in their veiled thoughts...A gentle, small-scale work that, with patience, has charming moments but this slight tale of connection and longing can feel dragged out."
Read more
"Michael and Mike never argue, and the chief concern seems to be the guys' place on the sexuality spectrum. There's a subtextual homoerotic thing going on (something Michael even alludes to as a thematic construct readers read into comics) but very little of overt dramatic significance transpires, and not much appears to be at stake. This is accentuated by the actors' desultory, deliberately anti-theatrical behavior and the endless pauses that occupy so much of the play's final scenes."
Read more
"A subtly stunning drama...With the tools on the page paired with Jay Stull's impeccable direction, Noah Mease has crafted a marvelous universe. It’s a spellbinding story. It’s a modern story yet it’s timeless...'Omega Kids' captures the intricacies of human connections. And Jay Stull insured this in his approach of the piece. His work was exceptional to say the least...'Omega Kids' would not be what it is unless the pair of actors weren’t as strong...A spellbinding production."
Read more
"The production has a lot going for it...Director Stull makes excellent use of the Gallery Space at the Access Theater...Yet with all the tension and mystery, and though the characters are deftly drawn and ring painfully true, payoff is missing because the action lacks narrative momentum...Artfully written and staged, well acted...'Omega Kids' the play is more ruminative than theatrical, frustratingly so because of the talent and skill that’s gone into it."
Read more