Reagan's Athena (FringeNYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (8)
See it if want to see the potential in this comedy/drama about Reagan, Nancy & Jeane Kirkpatrick
Don't see it if don't want to see it before it's ready to be seen
See it if you like American politics and want a good historical refresher about Jean Kirkpatrick and her rival at the UN, Nora Astorga, from Nicaragua
Don't see it if important, recent American historical events bore you, or you do not want to learn something new in an intelligent way.
See it if You like and understand foreign policy, an interesting take on history
Don't see it if Can accept an actor who neither looks nor sounds like Reagan, expect some production values
See it if Using the hilarious dialogue, Talbot’s Streep-like transformation into formidable Jeane Kirkpatrick is a delightful revelation
Don't see it if Great cast cooks up dysfunctional Reagan-era political antics with spot-on zest--Uribe & Talbot sniping in the UN ladies room a real treat!
See it if You like politics
Don't see it if You don't like dry performances
See it if you are curious about little known aspects of women in politics in the Reagan era.
Don't see it if you don't have the patience for plays in development.
See it if You would rather learn about the Iran-Contra affair through bad acting than Wikipedia, You like big names more than good theatre
Don't see it if You prefer plays that are rehearsed, technically competent, not insulting to women, or with good writing. This fails on all those counts.
See it if You wish to see how an unrehearsed, miscast production resulted in the 'assassination ' of this political satire.
Don't see it if You are a budding playwright, and choose not to witness how one poor performance ricochets and sends your dialogue circling the drain, tsk
Critic Reviews (3)
“This underrehearsed piece is marred by sluggish pacing and lengthy expository scenes with secondary characters. Worse, the comedy it does mine is unfortunately vulgar...The scenes between Kirkpatrick and Astorga have a great deal of potential. These two very different women spar over politics, celebrity culture and Chanel in ways that are smart and exciting. Perhaps Nevaer could refashion this as a two-hander, and flush the rest.”
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"The staging is static, and actors spend most of their time sitting down or facing front...Actors flub lines and visibly skip around the script...Characters often describe their personal changes rather than actually undergoing them onstage. Consequently, there is little emotional arc for any character...There are, however, a few successful moments...While comedic elements are inconsistent and frequently lost behind exposition, the moments that shine through are sharp and witty."
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"While political drama can be hard-hitting, 'Reagan’s Athena' is more like an acute career study...Some of the most dialectically challenging (and politically energized) text in the script might not be the most dramatic...The actors look like they are still fine-tuning points in the drama. Searching for meaning in the dense, layered story, the overall execution of the play feels a bit dragged down...It would be inspiring if the play was lifted up, out of the workshop phase."
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