Raison d'Etre: An Evening of Pirandello
Closed 1h 30m
Raison d'Etre: An Evening of Pirandello
78

Raison d'Etre: An Evening of Pirandello NYC Reviews and Tickets

78%
(16 Reviews)
Positive
88%
Mixed
12%
Negative
0%
Members say
Clever, Quirky, Thought-provoking, Confusing, Entertaining

About the Show

This celebration of the work of Italian master Luigi Pirandello takes his seminal play, "Six Characters in Search of an Author" and infuses it with characters and themes from two of his notable one-act plays.

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Member Reviews (16)

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754 Reviews | 124 Followers
74
Thought-provoking, Resonant, Dated, Slow

See it if Pirandello is of interest to you. Three of his plays are mashed together. His ideas and language are clearly represented.

Don't see it if you are a purist about these three works.

MJK
677 Reviews | 190 Followers
80
Clever, Absorbing, Quirky, Great costumes

See it if you'd like to see 3 Pirandello plays that have found an author to put them together into a compelling, insightful evening of absurdist drama

Don't see it if you don't like absurdist or meta-theatre; you need high production values [tho it's wonderful to see what this co. does with a small budget] Read more

656 Reviews | 129 Followers
79
Clever, Quirky, Confusing, Entertaining, Interesting

See it if It look like a few stories in one. One looked aliitle punk. They want a real story told.

Don't see it if If you want a easy story to follow and makes you think. Read more

670 Reviews | 156 Followers
90
Funny, Smart, Well played, Well staged, Beautifully costumed

See it if you'd like to see a smart retooling of 3 plays by an Italian precursor of the Absurd into a delightful evening of quirky but engaging drama.

Don't see it if you don't like to think in the theater. Read more

391 Reviews | 133 Followers
79
Intelligent, Great writing, Mixed bag, Slow beginning, Thought-provoking

See it if you like rich metafiction without the pandering of metatheater. 4th wall happily intact.

Don't see it if Uneven cast tethers a script that could fly. Some subtle & commanding performances, but some others are tiresome or so-so. Read more

308 Reviews | 86 Followers
80
Great acting, Quirky, Relevant, Existential

See it if you are a literate theater maven who enjoys & can debate off-center, avant-garde plays & characters from the like of Beckett, Ionesco;

Don't see it if you're looking for a straightforward, play with an easy to understand storyline & characters; don't like off-beat productions Read more

265 Reviews | 52 Followers
79
Great costumes, Clever, Entertaining, Confusing, Great acting

See it if You are interested in classical plays shown in new ways, great costumes and acting. Well worth a trip to the UWS.

Don't see it if You aren't interested in Pirendello or are looking for a fully staged spectacle.

148 Reviews | 99 Followers
78
Pirandello remix, Clever, Clever steampunk costumes, Imaginative hats, Quirky

See it if you'd enjoy seeing 3 shorties by Luigi Pirandello remixed with minimal staging; if you're OK with comedy mixed with deep sadness + farce;

Don't see it if if you need a big budget show; if Pirandello is not your thing; if you like musicals; if you prefer a linear narrative played to the end Read more

Critic Reviews (2)

L
September 25th, 2018

"Judging by the applause at Theatre 71, this bold stroke succeeded with members of the audience, some of whom were perhaps meeting Pirandello for the first time...The show-stopping moment when the 'six characters' interrupt a rehearsal of 'Chee-Chee,' advancing onto the set from backstage, looking almost as morbidly attired as the Addams Family, was wonderfully executed and memorable...Alas, the cast’s ability was uneven...Some puzzling choices popped up."
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P
September 23rd, 2018

"It’s a mash-up: the brilliant conceit of 'Raison D’Être' is that six characters in this case manage to intrude on two, otherwise unrelated works by Pirandello...A ninety-minute performance that skillfully combines Pirandello’s off-kilter comedy with his puzzling irony and sudden bursts of affecting drama...With great aplomb Linden, Allouche, and the rest of their ill-starred family make it seem entirely reasonable that their misfit Characters belong exactly where they are."
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