Queen (National Asian American Theatre Company) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsShow-Score Member Reviews (37)
See it if You especially enjoy intelligently written topical stories with wonderful and entertaining actors. What a pleasant surprise!
Don't see it if You can’t sit for 1 hour 45 minutes without an intermission. Don’t miss this , it’s well worth your time and attention
See it if u enjoy a good ethical dilemma plot well-acted. I was wrapped up in the choices made by characters. Science can be dramatic in a gd way.Wow!
Don't see it if u prefer flashy sets & costumes. Although these serve the drama well, audience is close to actors & can't help but become invested in plot. Read more
See it if You like plays that present all sides of tough arguments
Don't see it if You need elaborate sets and character development
See it if Well-written play exploring academia & the pressures of publishing accurate scientific papers. Great acting!
Don't see it if If you prefer a comedy or musical then skip this one. Read more
See it if you want to have insight on women in the workforce and clinical research.
Don't see it if you don't want to see anything about climate change.
See it if You like a really well written show challenging the education system and gender roles within it and if you like brilliantly performed show
Don't see it if You don't like off-off Broadway show, don't like shows that deal with social and gender issues. Don't like newer works. Read more
See it if you are interested in the difficulties to have a scientific career and more generally how much effort it takes to be honest on the job.
Don't see it if you are not interested in this current issue or if you need a more elaborate set (this mainly is a table). You would miss stellar acting!
See it if You want to see an interesting story that’s well acted and well written if maybe a bit too long. An intriguing storyline keeps you engaged.
Don't see it if You want a lot of action or bells and whistles. Lots of sitting at tables and talking goes on here. It's interesting, it fuels the story.
Critic Reviews (4)
"In short, 'Queen' aims to do much more than just shine a light on an ecological problem. At heart, it dramatizes the eternal conflict between logic and emotion, and how such a dichotomy can even manifest itself in the realm of science. It's the depth of Shekar's characterizations, the way Sanam and Ariel, especially, feel like three-dimensional people, that allows the play transcend its activist and allegorical trappings."
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Queen builds to such a satisfying climax that the final scene plays a bit flat in comparison. Also, Shekar may be slightly minimizing the play's central issue, which continues to worry ecologists. But the ideas in Queen are urgent, the conversation is stimulating, and no one emerges from the fray unscathed. As the playwright makes clear, the search for truth doesn't always lead to the moral high ground. She is clearly a writer to watch and NAATCO is doing its job splendidly by bringing her to our attention.
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"The play intermingles math, science, and politics, but Shekar and the company of actors pollinate the play with heaping doses of humanity. In sum, NAATCO's production is well worth the visit, and theatregoers will find much to appreciate in an audience with this 'Queen.'"
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Shekar’s script is extremely smart, funny at just the right moments, and morally gripping. Her characterizations of Ariel and Sanam are fully formed, uniquely individual and carefully complementary: Ariel is a crunchy-granola, bee-loving, single mom who’s desperate to prove Monsanto’s guilt, and Sanam is intense, strong-minded and honest to a fault. Through the character of Arvind, Shekar introduces the notion to Sanam that she and Ariel are looking at their study through the impartial lens of confirmation bias. The character of Dr. Hayes adds just the right amount of antagonism, almost sinister. Although there’s lots of statistics jargon in the script, it never impedes the progress of the story, thanks to the actors and director Aneesha Kudtarkar, who skillfully shapes the piece, finely intertwining the performances to maximum impact.
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