Picnic NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (99)
See it if You love theatre and want to learn about one of our great playwrights, and if you want your heart tugged in a way not often available.
Don't see it if Minimal staging and almost old-fashioned storytelling is not your thing.
See it if you've somehow forgotten how lovely a William Inge play can be & you want to see one of his best stripped down to its heartbreaking essence.
Don't see it if you get pissy when presented with strong naturalistic performances of a mid-century classic of Midwestern realism on a nearly naked stage.
See it if you want to see some hard to fill roles fulfilled. Hal in particular. Simple, unpretentious staging matches the work and lets it breathe.
Don't see it if you want a lot of bells and whistles. The bells and whistles are internal, screaming, crying, sitting in extended afternoons of lost time.
See it if Wonderful characters, writing and acting. Has universal themes despite setting in 50's culture. Coming of age / generational struggles.
Don't see it if You don't like slowly developing character plays where people grow and change.
See it if you like Inge, excellent acting and stories from the past.
Don't see it if you prefer sets, staging and lighting. Read more
See it if You like modern classic plays in top-notch productions
Don't see it if Low-key character studies aren't your thing. Read more
See it if You enjoy a great acting ensemble do justice to a classic American play.
Don't see it if You don't care about small town life.
See it if Really incredible acting. Very intimate simple production but incredibly absorbing. An American classic.
Don't see it if If you want more elaborate scenery. Very bare-boned but you don't even notice that since the acting is so absorbing. No need for more Read more
Critic Reviews (17)
"As long as people experience emotions of loneliness and regret, these dramas will still be relevant, as Transport Group's William Inge in Rep proves...Some refer to Inge's plays as dated, but I've never found that. The symbolism and parallels between the older and younger characters can be a little heavy-handed, but there is so much truth that still resonates. Cummings has placed both plays in an intimate setting, which makes the sadness even more palpable."
Read more
“Other than Emily Skinner’s Rosemary, performances feel exaggerated and artificial, seeming as if the actors (well represented from Broadway’s boards) are ready to burst into song, approaching the problems superficially. But these plays are as far from musicals as they can get. They’re serious and earthbound. And that’s where they go wrong…in 'Picnic' the missing explosive tension reveals itself when Alan’s decision to call the police on Hal almost seems like an overreaction."
Read more
"Engaging and relevant...The desperate starkness of Inge’s plays is particularly relevant and challenging in this post-election era...Under Jack Cummings III’s direction, the members of the ensemble cast uniformly deliver authentic and believable performances...His direction in 'Picnic' results in a fast-paced and smooth performance...Raises rich and enduring questions about the human quest for purpose and identity in a time when individuality and freedom seem to be placed in harm’s way."
Read more
"Patterson does better in this show adding, a tenderness and sympathy to Hal, as does Hannah Elless, who makes Millie highly watchable. Jack Cummings lll’s direction allows Inge’s words to speak for themselves...'Picnic' won a Pulitzer back in the day, but now these character and time seem so far out of touch with today’s mentality. They do however give us a realistic glimpse into our past, as painful as that is."
Read more
"Sadly, everything in this production feels misguided...Seeing 'Picnic' and 'Sheba' back to back does neither show any favors. Their bland similarity is emphasized and lessens whatever impact each might have on their own...One after the other, 'Picnic' and 'Sheba' don’t evince recurring themes but simply feel like the same story done with a mild twist to make it seem new...The casting only emphasizes this...Happily, actors can make hay even with soapy material."
Read more
"Revelatory reassessments of 'Come Back, Little Sheba' and, especially, 'Picnic,' perceptively directed by Cummings...Cummings’ productions rescue both 'Sheba' and 'Picnic' from the customary bonds of realistic staging...Liberated from their usual ultra-naturalistic trappings, both plays appear richer and more significant than in recent revivals; and the characters’ time-bound slang, as well as Inge’s occasional dramaturgical grandiosity, seem somehow outside time, rather than out of date."
Read more
“The situation eventually explodes and leads to a heart-stopping, love-intoxicated climax…The production is blessed at its center with a lovely performance by Ginna Le Vine…As Hal, David T. Patterson also makes an auspicious Off-Broadway debut…Cummings’s direction imbues the show with vitality, against the rather minimalist set…It’s not terribly atmospheric, but it hardly matters as the actors and Inge’s storytelling take hold of the audience’s imaginations.”
Read more
"The performances are all good, particularly Michelle Pawk as Flo...Even better is Emily Skinner as their neighbor...Perhaps a little more build and a little more temperance would have improved a couple of the other performances, particularly Hannah Ellis as Millie and David T. Patterson as Hal. Both are giving highly physical performances, and, especially in such a small space, the movements are way too exaggerated."
Read more