runboyrun & IN OLD AGE NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (49)
See it if you like to see well-written, well acted, expertly directed (and lit) hard-hitting but ultimately tender works, that reward your patience.
Don't see it if you're looking for a fast-paced, easy piece of theater. At 90 minutes each, it's not for everyone - but what a great theatrical experience.
See it if you love language-based beautifully staged magic realism with a trauma story that shows the horrors of war for children in palatable ways
Don't see it if large cathartic moments aren't your thing - this is real drama at its best, gorgeous storytelling and older actors doing great work
See it if Interesting plays (2) dealing with Nigerian immigrants and the trauma of civil war on their lives and relationships.
Don't see it if Often hard to understand accents, confusing flashbacks, the specter of a spirit world and angry characters may not be to your liking. Read more
See it if Udofia's continues her 9-part Nigerian cycle w/ Parts 3 & 8 Powerful acting esp Chevannes as the series' matriarch Both emotionally draining
Don't see it if Although both one-acts are spiritually connected by deep sense of loss & recurring pain; there is a feeling of disengagement & confusion
See it if you want to see a fascinating exploration of what it means to be a woman through a very specific lens (that has universal resonance).
Don't see it if you can't handle a slow burn--each play (especially the first) takes a while to ramp up, but the payoff is high (especially in the second).
See it if you are interested in the immigrant experience & how the past continues to affect lives years after leaving a country in conflict
Don't see it if You prefer to avoid serious drama
See it if 1st play: uses acute theme of exploded universe in need of healing; 2nd play: affecting perf by PJ Channes as wife extirpating husb's ghost
Don't see it if 1-idea plays; 1st play CLUMSY in juxtaposing events of traumatic 1968 Biafran war & crippling 2012 memories; 2nd play jokey & WAY TOO LONG
See it if you'd be interested in a serious drama featuring characters who are haunted by their pasts. The performances are excellent.
Don't see it if you prefer a straightforward narrative or have trouble sitting through a long show. Read more
Critic Reviews (12)
"For These African Immigrants, Life Is a Haunted House: In ‘runboyrun’ and ‘In Old Age,’ the latest installments of Mfoniso Udofia’s nine-play cycle, America is no place to hide from the past."
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3.5 Stars "Both plays dive deeply into the internal torments of their characters, whose painful journeys toward redemption are compelling if sometimes ponderous."
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"Unmagical Realism in 'Runboyrun,' 'In Old Age,' and 'Sunday.'"
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"A Nigerian-American Family Tells Its Story in 'Runboyrun and In Old Age': New York Theatre Workshop mounts two new installments of Mfoniso Udofia's 'Ufot Cycle.'"
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"The current presentation...is cause for alarm: The quality of the writing is showing worrying signs of deterioration, even as the parts on display fail to suggest a coherent overall picture."
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"'Plays shouldn't be hard to sit through, they should inspire us or thrill us or challenge us to think, but they shouldn't tax our physical endurance. The acting and production values of both runboyrun and In Old Age are excellent; there's just too much of both of them."
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3/5 Stars "'Ghosts Haunt a Nigerian-American Family Saga': New York Theatre Workshop stages two installments of Mfoniso Udofia's nine-play cycle"
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"Unfortunately, 'runboyrun' and 'In Old Age,' the two now on display at New York Theatre Workshop, do not stand alone apart from the earlier plays and would be better served by being paired with other parts of the cycle. Possibly they need to be seen in repertory with their companion plays."
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