Paradise Lost

See it if this is a very nice adaptation of the original and retelling of the Adam & Eve story.

Don't see it if The play starts with a plot that is developed throughout but completely ignored & dropped at the end. Why? What happened with those people?

Also Fraser is wonderful as always!

See it if You are interested in the Adam&Eve story. Most of the dialog was very modern and sometimes funny. Alison Fraiser & Eve were great!

Don't see it if The subject matter doesn't interest you. It could be 20min shorter, the first scene in particular felt way too long.

See it if Louis Liberatore and allison Fraser were very good. Very good set and generally entertaining.

Don't see it if If you do not like modern plays. This Milton is a modern,but good version.

See it if you like hilarity applied to a Bible story -here great costumes and a changing, partially-projected set let a great troupe of actors shine.

Don't see it if you do not like humor in your religious stories or expect anything close to John Milton's poem - this is a creative adaptation.

See it if Studied refresher course of Milton's Adam & Eve meet-up poem of polarities. "Boundless love & magnanimosity." Shay's Queen Eve is masterful.

Don't see it if "Hideous miscreant!" Safe for feminists: "I'm claiming an UNFAIR superiority on you." No serpent. Great set w/ fireflies. Alison/Lou wasted.

Also "Why have I not ascended?/We've all changed, Sweetness & Light"

See it if The Old Testament with a touch Jesus added.

Don't see it if If religion/myth/mankind is not your thing.

Also Base/taken/inspired on John Milton Classic from 1667.

See it if you like a clever and funny look at Lucifer in the Garden of Eden. Wonderful and attractive set with very good actors. Alison Fraser a hoot!

Don't see it if you don't like humor poked at the Old Testament although this is gentle humor not Book of Mormon.

See it if Some of the cast have Broadway credentials

Don't see it if 1hr45min of one dimensional acting. Extremely slow paced. Very talky. Cheap scenery.

See it if Want modern retelling of epic poem that works very hard to be clever and relevant. Projections are great.

Don't see it if You'd get irritated that it's ALL about Eve (altho Shay is good). There's some nice staging, costumes work, a few good bits.

See it if You appreciate the cast and a trying to be funny and profound take on Adam and Eve.

Don't see it if You want a good new version of the story.

See it if you would enjoy a novel approach to the Adam and Eve story, with some delightful performances, even if you're not familiar with Milton.

Don't see it if you are a politically correct feminist; this version will irritate you, and the delicious Eve of Marina Shay is the best thing about it.

Also The character of "Sin" played by Alison Fraser didn't work for me at all!... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy a light hearted poke at a Biblical story as told by Melville and re-imagined for 2020. Funny and timely. Great set! Wonderful cast

Don't see it if You dislike intimate theater or don't believe that Bible stories should be made fun of. You can't take theater with a "grain of salt".

Also Original Sin takes a beating in The Fellowship for Performing Art's Paradise Lost. When Beelzebub (The delightful Lou Liberatore) tells his "chief", Lucifer (the masterful David Andrew MacDonald) that his revolt against the tyrant-creator (God) might not have been his best idea, you know you're in for an irreverent night. Eve (Marina Shay) is gorgeously innocent when she meets Adam (Robbie Simpson), who like most of us, was never handed a manual on how to deal with this new, intriguing invention, woman. Although he may have read up on some pop culture Pysch 101 books. Eve starts the #metoo movement (#mefirst?) from the moment she first sees her reflection and falls in love. Lucifer, that perennial bad boy seems to take 2nd place in her affections, with Adam just short of "friend-zoned" in 3rd place. Sin (Alison Frasier) is a riot egging on Lucifer to finally trick Eve to defy God despite being infatuated with her. Mel Johnson Jr (Gabriel) rounds out the highly entertaining ensemble.... Read more Read less

See it if You like to think about religion and themes of good/evil and human nature

Don't see it if You are expecting a line by line reading of the Milton classic. Poking fun of biblical characters is not your speed

See it if You would enjoy a comical modern version of the story of creation with mention of Jesus included.

Don't see it if You wouldn’t enjoy a religious themed farce.

Also The staging was quite clever and the show entertaining and funny. I wish there had been an even larger role for the actor playing Beelzebub. I also wish that they would remove the scooter riding and accompanying horn honk that the character Sin always came to set riding on as it detracted from this clever performance.... Read more Read less

See it if if you appreciate the task of condensing Milton & the Creation story into 100 mins. If you are open-minded about religion, myth & mankind.

Don't see it if if you can't take some modern-day elements in this version; if you want no deviation from original Milton or the Bible

See it if you want to see the Bible origin story reinterpreted for a contemporary audience.

Don't see it if are looking for a new story. This follows Milton's Paradise Lost Epic poem story-line.

See it if if you want a wholsome, well-meaning accessible adaptation of Paradise Lost

Don't see it if you are interested in ambitious theatre

See it if A very interesting and easily understood version of the Milton poem. Good acting. Not in verse. Good production values for little theater

Don't see it if Not interested in Adam and Eve story.

See it if you like the Adam & Eve story, Milton's poetry and elaborately staged and costumed Biblical romps that are more recited than acted.

Don't see it if you're looking for a complete modernization of Milton's poem. Only two of the actors create modern types. The rest are blandly traditional.

See it if you're interested in the big question of good and evil as well as the role of free will. It will make you think about life and its meaning.

Don't see it if you are offended by religion.

See it if You want a very simple tale

Don't see it if You actually like Paradise lost

See it if you'd enjoy an easy, almost satirical version of a famously impenetrable classic.

Don't see it if you'd rather see the story dished up as the serious, epochal struggle between good, innocence, decadence and evil in the original.

See it if Interesting retelling of Adam and Eve story from christian perspective, with only a bit of Milton thrown in on the side.

Don't see it if Costumes and projections are beautiful but the set itself looks quite cheap. Has two plots but only one of them gets a real ending.

Also Not very tight, a number of scenes drag considerably. According to the production notes in the program, the goal of this story was to show Eve's perspective and answer the question of why she was so easily corrupted despite seemingly having everything. I found this question still largely unanswered.

However the final 20 minutes or so were very strong. The fundamental change in Eve and the world after her original sin is handled in a very compelling way, as is the fall from Eden.

The actors playing Satan and Gabriel both gave very memorable performances.... Read more Read less

See it if You like religious plays even if they aren’t well done.

Don't see it if You expect a play that is well performed and captures your attention.

Also I enjoy religious plays. I attend all of the performances that this company presents. The Great Divorce was a sensational presentation. With a couple extra jokes, this production would have looked like Monty Python and the meaning of life or the search for the holy grail. I rarely walk out of a performance but I could not sit through this performance. It was a waste of time. I look forward to their next production. Nobody can be good every time.... Read more Read less

See it if You love bible stories that stick to everything you’ve been told. It won’t disappoint.

Don't see it if You want to be challenged by an articulate interpretation of a classic story.