See it if You love language, you love actors, you love NY.
Don't see it if You're verbally squeamish and think the world is a pretty only place.
See it if You enjoy dark comedy and great acting
Don't see it if You are not of fan of irreverent dark humor
See it if I'm biased because I do like Stephen's plays and I had to act out a "Edwin/ Pinky" scene, in high school, which is near and dear to me. The
Don't see it if Acting was great, overall. Loved the staging. Talkback was entertaining. I highly recommend- there is lots of cussing, however. drugs.
See it if it's great comedy with people from every denomination. See it if youre a Harper Hill fan.
Don't see it if the plot was fine but it didn't answer the question on everybody's mind.
See it if You enjoy a great group of actors all at their peak with smart dialog
Don't see it if Cursing or offensive language would affect your reaction to the show
See it if We attended with a group of students . They all were in the 90%-100% range for rating. .The various mini-sagas hit home for many .
Don't see it if Foul language may upset some theatergoers, stories of the various mourners although dissected are not solved. This may also present a prob.
See it if Hilarious & tragic tale of events surrounding a funeral. Writing & humor are razor sharp.
Don't see it if Raunchy, irreverent, boozy, exposes the failures & flaws of ALL of it's characters, even the person being memorialized.
See it if want to see a hilarious show with well crafted stereotypical urban dialogue that will keep you absolutely engaged.
Don't see it if you need "resolution" in your plots or dislike realistic street language. The plot is spare, but the dialogue is hilarious. Read more
"A raucous, rough-edged revival...The cast offers a very rich, primary-color rendition of a complicated group of people. But good as they are, they too often seem to cut corners rather than hug the curves of the play’s contours. Rashad’s staging, blurry and amorphous, is responsible for that. It is often difficult to tell where the action is taking place...Still, no contemporary playwright is better at the long game of setting up jokes, and making them pay unexpected philosophical dividends."
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“The production is a curious creature: It’s powered by a number of individually gutsy performances, yet, taken as a whole, its punch doesn’t quite hit the gut. It rails and rants and gets characteristically raw, but under the actor-friendly direction of Rashad, its energy can feel diffuse and its trappings noticeably un-gritty...All in all, it often feels weirdly comfortable...I longed for the tensions of the characters to be contained and brought to boil in more of a pressure cooker.”
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"The results, if uneven, are mostly pleasing, and the play itself, of which much the same could be said, comes through with all sails billowing. It isn’t perfect, but it’s smart and touching—and fun...In the hands of a less talented playwright, this premise would lead to a steady accumulation of gooey she-touched-my-life sentimentality, but Mr. Guirgis is hunting bigger game...The problem with 'Our Lady of 121st Street' is that it’s essentially plotless."
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"The flimsy plotline is less important than its procession of darkly hilarious scenes...This superb production, staged to perfection by Rashad, provides a master class in how it's done...The characters unveil their hopes, fears and disappointments in a series of confrontations that are frequently as moving as they are riotously funny...Makes a strong case for the playwright as one of our most essential theatrical voices."
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"Accomplished production, with director Phylicia Rashad building a vibrant yet subtle energetic network within her brilliant ensemble of actors...An amorphous narrative where conflicts are left unsettled, crimes are left unsolved, and goals are left extremely undefined. That essentially means the play's ending is where Guirgis abruptly decides to stop showing us the lives of his characters. If after 'Our Lady of 121st Street' we feel somewhat unsatisfied, that means we're hungry for more."
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"This sampler of Gothamites in motion hits the ground running in director Phylicia Rashad's crackling production...The play is grounded by its most moving relationship, that of building super Edwin and his mentally challenged brother, Pinky...Skillfully gliding from sharp, scatologically-expressed humor to realistic pathos, 'Our Lady of 121st Street" is a terrific collection of genuine New York stories."
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"If it doesn't seem sporting to introduce such an extravagant plot device with no intention of resolving it, the cast of characters, each one a profoundly damaged smart aleck, provides plenty of compensation...Rashad's production is firmly on the author's savage, usually hilarious wavelength without obscuring the terrible pain behind each ruthless takedown...The opportunity catch it in this darkly sparkling production shouldn't be missed."
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"A play that lets fly with a constant bombardment of lunatic interactions...Don't go looking for much of a plot. 'Our Lady' is a character-driven play...The playwright, the excellent cast, and Rashad deliver the goods by bringing these quirky individuals to life as they make us laugh out loud...The playwright's finely tuned ear for dialog shapes even the most unsavory moments into a theatrical feast."
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