Sam & Dede, or My Dinner with Andre the Giant
Closed 1h 25m
Sam & Dede, or My Dinner with Andre the Giant
79

Sam & Dede, or My Dinner with Andre the Giant NYC Reviews and Tickets

79%
(43 Ratings)
Positive
91%
Mixed
9%
Negative
0%
Members say
Great acting, Clever, Entertaining, Intelligent, Absorbing

About the Show

The Custom Made Theatre Co. presents the East Coast premiere of this absurdist two-hander about a young André the Giant hitching rides to school with Samuel Beckett.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (43)

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349 Reviews | 57 Followers
79
Intimate, Thoughtful, Revealing

See it if Affecting, generous and.kind one-acter in which Beckett and Andre the Giant - who really met - converse about the state of their lives..

Don't see it if ...and hopes. Two men who crave privacy but live public lives, one who has no answers, one who lives on borrowed time. Slow start

442 Reviews | 127 Followers
78
Absorbing, Great acting, Intelligent, Quirky, Thought-provoking

See it if you are knowledgeable of Beckett's works and have an interest in plausible connection between the him and the wrestler, Andre The Giant

Don't see it if you are easily bored and have no knowledge of Beckett or his works; prefer a play with more action and less banter.

431 Reviews | 129 Followers
78
Affectionate treatment, Good acting/direction, Smart and touching, Based on true story, Entertaining

See it if Like exploring odd/quirky friendships between very different people. Have some knowledge of Beckett plays & enjoy watching conversations.

Don't see it if Want lots of action/realistic set. It's about existentialism & knowing about/liking Waiting for Godot is helpful. Don't like 2-handers. Read more

MD
65 Reviews | 10 Followers
77
Clever, Enchanting, Entertaining, Touching, Quirky

See it if you want to see a terrific actor play Andre the Giant over 20 years of life using theatrical staging and nice lighting.

Don't see it if you are unable to use your imagination or want to see a deeply developed Sam Beckett character.

194 Reviews | 39 Followers
77
Interesting, Well-acted

See it if You've any interest in the lives of Andre and Beckett...interesting story based on fact.

Don't see it if You're looking for a seriously amazing play!

543 Reviews | 82 Followers
75
Intelligent, Profound, Entertaining, Interesting, Surprising

See it if You want an interesting play about the oddest of Odd Couples you never knew about. Two men from very different worlds become friends.

Don't see it if If small plays about interesting characters are not your thing.

115 Reviews | 47 Followers
72
Clever, Thought-provoking, Disappointing, Funny, Intelligent

See it if you know/love Beckett's work well b/c there is pleasure in recognizing him in this, philosophy is your thing, you want an original story

Don't see it if you expect to care, to root for and want these characters to achieve something, it's more of an idea piece than character-driven w/ stakes

458 Reviews | 101 Followers
72
The opening scenes were pulsatile the emotion so true

See it if Half a wonderful play is sufficient. There were moments in the mid and later scenes, before a nice payoff in the final scene.

Don't see it if a two hander in a small theater with minimal staging does not appeal. You are bothered by 15 minutes of excessive drinking with no reason.

Critic Reviews (13)

Plays to See
March 16th, 2017

"A series of conversations, an extended encounter contrasting two misfits’ attempts to come to terms with life. Averett is impressively, fully convincing as Dede...Is this the Beckett who needed open, alien air around him even to be able to think his own thoughts?...The shadow and intensity of that lifelong intellectual struggle is evident in any photo of Beckett, but in this portrayal, not so much...Beckett’s wit might have been a little more evident too if he were more clearly Irish."
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Talkin' Broadway
February 17th, 2016
For a previous production

"A brilliant new play based on conversations between Samuel Beckett and André the Giant...Dilorio's dialogue sparkles with Beckett-style remarks...The imaginary meetings involve conversations that are intelligent, witty, and bright...Brendan Averett and Dave Sikula are brilliant as André and Samuel Beckett...It is a terrific tour de force of underplayed acting...Leah S. Abrams beautifully and smoothly directs this fast-paced 90-minute drama."
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Theatre Eddys Blogspot
February 19th, 2016
For a previous production

"A total delight and is guaranteed to bring many audience smiles and laughs along the way and a collective sigh of full satisfaction as its lights go out...Kudos to all involved. Rarely have I been to a play where I had so much regret that the end had arrived. I so wanted Sam and Dede just to keep on meeting and talking. Custom Made Theatre Company and Gino Dilorio have teamed to produce a winner that even in its first production, feels pretty perfect."
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T
February 24th, 2016
For a previous production

"An extraordinarily well-realized two-hander...Dilorio has wisely treated the two characters more as archetypes of Intellect vs Body rather than specific historical personages. As a result, the play works beautifully as an exploration of human types and ideals...In the tradition of Beckett, it is also extremely offbeat and funny. Dilorio’s insightful understanding of Beckett’s famous ouvre is in evidence throughout, without ever sliding into shallow parody...A delicious success!"
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For All Events
February 16th, 2016
For a previous production

"An 85-minute opus that mixes semi-intellectual, mundane banter and humorous interplay with physicality to create a thoughtful but not quite fully satisfying evening...Averett has the physical stature for the role and brings power with more than a touch of humanity in his characterization. Dave Sikula brilliantly underplays the role of Sam becoming a perfect foil for Andre...The staging of the final scene ties up a few loose ends but to this reviewer is unnecessarily hyperbolic."
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