runboyrun & IN OLD AGE

See it if You need to see the previous shows to be connected with these two plays .if not it will confusing and unenjoyable.

Don't see it if 3.5 hrs was long and boring. If you haven't seen the previous shows.

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’re a fan of playwright Mfoniso Udofia’s “Ufot Cycle” of plays.

Don't see it if the prospect of seeing 2 dense full-length plays in a single sitting seems daunting to you: It is!

Also In 2017 I saw 2 plays in Udofia’s ambitious “Ufot Cycle,” chronicling how a few African immigrants & their offspring fare in the US in our times. I found “Sojourners” revelatory for formal innovation & human insight & “Her Portmanteau,” a very strong play, full of insight into the cycle’s central character. Now NYTW is generously giving us 2 more plays in the cycle for the price of 1. I found both flawed though at times moving. “runboyrun” juxtaposes scenes from a war-torn African past with the current New England life of the cycle’s central married couple, & it feels like a jumble. The husband, deeply moving in “Sojourners,” remains a frantic cypher here though the African scenelets that run through the play reveal his childhood trauma. His wife fares better, & carries the 2nd play, “In Old Age,” as well. But its soundtrack of a ghost banging, driving the wife nuts, nearly drove me nuts as well. And enduring 2 dense, full-length plays at 1 sitting felt punishing in the end.... Read more Read less

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 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'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.

Also This is a double-bill with two full-length, related plays. The total runtime is over 3 hours. Buckle in.... Read more Read less

See it if you like ambitious playwriting & hard working actors, Chevannes is especially effecting; stories of childhood trauma on adulthood.

Don't see it if good acting is not enough to hold your interest; you didn't see 1st 2 plays; much too long & draggy especially In Old Age; uninspired set.

See it if If you're a fan of Udofia's first 2 plays in this 9-play cycle, you might forgive the flaws in these two.

Don't see it if The first 2 in this cycle were linear, with a real story to tell, these were blah. With nothing to say. Just an old man losing his mind.

See it if you enjoy the Ufot family cycle thus far.

Don't see it if 3.5 hours of confusing theater is not what you like

See it if you go to the theater specifically to be PERPLEXED by what is being presented to you. I was CONFUSED from the moment the play began.

Don't see it if memory plays are not of interest to you. These two pairings will have you stumped about what you experienced for months to come.

Also I do not like sitting in a audience of a theater and not understanding what exactly is going on up there on stage. And when the play continues on and there is no exposition to the audience about what exactly is happening, I am even further confounded and begin counting the minutes to intermission. That's how I felt about RunBoyRun. However, I felt completely opposite about the companion play In Old Age. I loved that play and the way it slowly unfolded building to the plays brilliant climax. If only the first play was as good as the second play. That would have made my theater experience much more enjoyable.... Read more Read less

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 are a fan of some of the actors, to see actors put in 100%, you support off off Bway productions, to see effects of Nigerian civil war.

Don't see it if You can't sit for 3 hours or more, you expect an upbeat show, you don't have patience.

Also The actors really put their all into this production. I've seen some of them perfrom before, so I know they are really good. But the production itself (Run Boy Run) was so slow and painful that I didn't understand what was going on until almost the end. By then it was too late for this production to be saved. It was long without a break. Once the break came, I admit I left. I didn't and couldn't stay for "In Old Age". It was confusing from the beginning as it seemed to start from a point that no one knew where we were. Shame as there was potential, but we couldn't see it until the end. Once again, I don't blame the cast, they were awesome at working with what they had.... Read more Read less

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.

Also Two parts of a nine-part cycle. I very much liked the previous two parts I saw "Sojourners" and "Her Portmanteau", these new plays not as much. "runuboyrun", the more effective of the two is quite moving if at times melodramatic as an adult Disciple exorcizes the guilt and trauma of his youth in the civil war in Biafra at the expense of his marriage. "In Old Age" has Abasiama the main character in this ennead exhausted at the end of her life confronting the ghost of her husband (Disciple) and dealing with a home repairman hired by her daughter in an almost sit-com situation that turns dark before resolving. Shout out to
Patrice Johnson Chevennes for a great portrayal of this matriarch.... Read more Read less

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 know the playwright or the other stories in the series. It's a human story about struggling and acceptance.

Don't see it if Slow, dramatic stories aren't for you. You want to be entertained.

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 You need something to do

Don't see it if Not memorable,I saw it a few weeks ago and can’t remember it. I only remember that I was disappointed

See it if You have high tolerance for cliches and unnecessarily drawn out drama

Don't see it if You crave originality and taut productions

See it if you appreciate wonderful ensemble pieces told from a distinct and specific point of view.

Don't see it if you are looking for something splashy, fast paced, or explosive. It's definitely a slower paced play.

See it if you'd like to learn abt Nigerian civil war & its fall-out. Some lovely moments, but too long. Strg acting of hard material. Unusual story.

Don't see it if you want coherence or are impatient. Or don't like magic in real setting. Or the mistreatment of women/kids. W signif cuts, RBR w shine.

Also Because RBR was so long (1.75 hours) I couldn't stay for In Old Age.

See it if you have seen the other plays in this series. These is a continuation of the life of characters from the previous plays.

Don't see it if you haven't seen or read about the earlier plays. I didn't understand the relationship in the first play until well into the performance.

See it if Abusive Nigerian immigrant haunted by sister's death/civil war refuses divorce. After his death, wife vows not to repeat mistake. She does.

Don't see it if Saga parts 3 & 8 of promised; unfinished cycle cause a lot of filling in. Time/place-shifts 1968 Biafra/2012 Wooster aren't distinct.(3:40).

Also "From the broken came our world/My children,war will not take them/This is good for me"... Read more Read less

See it if Continuation of Udofia's Ufot Cycle about Nigerian family in U.S.; 2 plays - 1st about haunting effects of civil war in Nigeria; 2nd about*

Don't see it if very long at 3.5 hours, accents esp. in 2nd hard to understand; don't want the past & present represented on stage at same time (runboyrun)

Also *effects of abusive relationships

The first play (runboyrun) was very touching, very sad history & its effects.
Hard for the 2nd to match especially with its weaker staging (although set the same). The loud noises interfered with hearing the dialogue (especially since accents strong.)... Read more Read less

See it if Creatively brilliant! Three generations of storytelling of war and the impact of being a survivor. Powerful production not to be missed!

Don't see it if If you want to walkout feeling good then this isn’t your kind of play!

See it if You’re a fan of the playwright and want to see the whole cycle. You’re up on the history of Africa in the 20th century.

Don't see it if You’re easily confused by leaps in time.

Also I loved the two previous plays in the Ufot cycle, which will eventually include nine. But perhaps it would have been better if the playwright had released them in chronological order. I found Runboyrun hard to follow and it took me a while to figure out what was happening. It kept me off balance. It is quite a harrowing and upsetting play.

Also, the character of Abasiama didn’t seem to be the same person as the one introduced in the first two plays, Sojourners and Her Portmanteau. Overall, I had high hopes for these two, and I left the theater somewhat deflated.... Read more Read less