Seared

See it if Entertaining melodramatic sitcom with many funny moments. Great staging/set. Charismatic actors ham up their flamboyant characters.

Don't see it if The conflict with the insufferable genius chef gets repetitive. Needs more depth rather than volume. Ending is cute but contrived.

See it if u don't mind watching insufferable people shout at each other for 2+ hrs in a well-staged & acted, amusing but insubstantial kitchen dramedy

Don't see it if u expect a searing debate on culinary art vs. commerce. [You'll get plenty of shouting on the topic, but I wouldn't call any of it "debate"]

See it if Esparza's red hot performance as an insufferable chef on the brink of 'celebrity' nearly engulfs an equally intense ensemble Taut A+ staging

Don't see it if Rebeck's able craftsmanship is better than usual in tale of art vs commerce or more importantly 'genius' vs talented 2nd act payoff shines

See it if you are interested in the realistic presentation of life in a restaurant kitchen. The actors do a good job. The set is detailed & practical

Don't see it if excellently presented reality fails to be enough for a theater to offer.

See it if Incredible staging! I've never seen anything like it. Extensive cooking onstage. Great set.

Don't see it if By the second half of the show I was just so sick of Harry. Yes, he is supposed to be annoying but his behavior became repetitive & boring

Also story really not that interesting. The cooking, beautiful set keep one's interest. Worth seeing for that. Actors do a good job but play is too long and the constant humorless arguing and all the yelling becomes unpleasant. Theater is nice. I sat in the last row and saw perfectly, it's not that big so any seat should be good.... Read more Read less

See it if you like dramas that deal with two people that are polar opposite‘s but still want the same goal

Don't see it if You are bothered by lots of loud arguments on stage and a whiny entitled character

Also This play really hits home for me. I don’t know much and I don’t claim to know much but I do know a lot about business as I own a financial planning firm. The interesting thing about my business is I am what some people would call a rainmaker. I’m really good at talking to people, getting them to like me and getting them to trust me so that my firm can invest their money. I don’t claim to be smart or know much about financial planning. My business partner on the other hand is brilliant but he doesn’t have the ability to talk to people. This is why we work well together. I don’t know much about the restaurant business but it was great to get an inside look about one person who is a great cook and another person who had money to open a business. One of the best sets I’ve ever seen and this play was cast perfectly... Read more Read less

See it if you like great writing and acting on an amazing set.Absolutely hilarious. Kept my interest from beginning to end.Also made me hungry.

Don't see it if you want an ending that has more answers than questions.Left me with a lot to think about.

See it if Raul Esparza as a chef is not to be missed. Terrific, engaging show. I had a smile on my face from the start. Foodies will love this.

Don't see it if If the back-kitchen doings of a restaurant hold no interest for you.

See it if you enjoy a look into a hypothetical restaurant kitchen run by a chef on the edge of stardom

Don't see it if suspending your disbelief is difficult

See it if You enjoy unusual characters, if you lije looking at the different sides of a business and the different personalities which may be involved

Don't see it if If you are not interested in restaurant business issues; if you prefer regular characters and easy going personalities.

See it if you are a fan of Raul Esparza, Krysta Rodriguez, or Theresa Rebeck. Lots of laughs and great dialogue and a fun visit to the theater.

Don't see it if you don’t need another “man entitled beyond belief” play. The protagonist is less repulsive than Linda Vista’s jerk, but that’s a low bar.

Also There’s an entire sequence sans dialogue in which Esparza cooks onstage. It runs way too long, and it made me hungry for salmon, but it was cool af.... Read more Read less

See it if You like Raul who is wonderful. Krysta also excellent. Well directed. Entertaining.

Don't see it if You want character development. These are one dimensional. Story kinda thin, silly, repetitious. But you will not be bored. However ...

Also not Rebeck’s finest.

See it if a theatre-loving Food Network junkie; you’ll appreciate “artistry” and “creativity” at odds with fiscal responsibility and reason storyline.

Don't see it if you dislike long intervals of watching people cook, prepare plates, or eat that extend an engaging yet not overly-complicated or fresh tale.

Also Seared offers a savory aroma of what it’s like in a professional kitchen—here, a claustrophobic one in Brooklyn run by two friends who find their tiny restaurant exploding after a rave review about scallops. This isn’t a Food Network reality show passing as theatre, even though knife and cooking skills are convincingly choreographed. It’s an ageless “creativity vs. money” war, presented through moody chef “artist” Harry (a dazzling Raúl Esparza) and pragmatic businessman Mike (David Mason). W. Tré Davis as solo-employee Rodney and Krysta Rodriguez as annoying, conniving “brander” Emily round out the balanced-meal of the cast. Sure, Seared is predictable, and could be shorter with less food preparation—but good art cannot be rushed and it’s stunning watching Esparza play a pro cook. When Harry asserts a preference of food to people, we can’t help but wonder if it’s not all a metaphor about how we “feed” our passions and stay physically fed, too. Regardless how, we can’t do it alone.... Read more Read less

See it if you like workplace conflict, emotional outbursts, clash of values, moral issues, superb acting, good production values & realistic dialog.

Don't see it if you dislike screaming, needed editing, behavior, at times, that seems not to ring true for a character & a bit of unrealism.

See it if you love Esparza (and who doesn't?) and want to see that intensity blaze full throttle on the stage. Highly entertaining and worth a visit.

Don't see it if You think this kind of theatre is beneath you or gimmicky, or if you've had your fill of the art/commerce discussion when you saw Red.

Also Pardon my use of culinary verbiage, but I'm a cook and couldn't resist.

That said, this is delectable theatre, truly, and well worth your time, money and effort. I was engrossed every minute, and marvelled at how well it was paced. The case of four are all stars in my book, and kept the wavering balance of the story from tipping too far in either direction. Esparza is a joy to watch, and anyone with a bit of the artistic DNA will see some of themselves in his character. Much to discuss and think about here, and yes, we've seen it before, but not in this context. It's a theme worth seeing more than once.

The set was great, and I truly believed I was in a restaurant kitchen. Esparza is the brightest star here, and in many respect this play hit me where I live.

See it, if only for the fun of it!... Read more Read less

See it if 1 oz talent cooked with 1 lb of ego under high pressure is a volatile pot of toxic masculinity. Entertaining but this recipe is over done.

Don't see it if Another angry, cocky white man yelling most of the time, with hubris leading to his downfall. Overused archetype / story.

Also Diversity: yet another story centered around an egomaniac white man. Black male character serves as the innocent beacon of truth and humility. One female character but probably doesn’t pass the Bechtel test.
Ticket from in-person rush for $32.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see 4 actors acquit themselves beautifully in the close quarters of a restaurant kitchen--with actual cooking. Absorbing.

Don't see it if you have an aversion to witnessing loud arguments. Much yelling, but always in character.

Also Versatility, thy name is Raul. Truly being alive in every role -- Bobby, D.A., Mamet, Pinter, Stoppard, .... - and now cooking up a storm on stage. Wow!... Read more Read less

See it if Rebeck writes enjoyable,entertaining plays.This one involves the interactions between a temperamental chef,his co-owner,waiter,and PR agent.

Don't see it if This type of comedy is not your cup of tea.

Also The four member cast are fun to watch.Raul Esparza shines as the chef.

See it if you want to see some great performances. All 4 actors are extraordinary in this compelling story

Don't see it if you don't want to see a lot of on stage arguing. Although it fit the action of the play, it felt like there was a lot of yelling.

Also Raul Esparza again shows off his incredible acting chops and is matched by the phenomenal Krysta Rodriguez. Their performances were amazing, and well supported by David Mason and W. Tre Davis.... Read more Read less

See it if This is the kitchen equivalent of a backstage drama. A dysfunctional, egoistic chef comes to terms with his limits at a bougie BK restaurant

Don't see it if You don't like small, naturalistic dramas with low stakes and flawed characters. You don't care about cooking, onstage or off.

See it if you're a Raul fan. Or like standard sitcom level plots and gags.

Don't see it if you don't like the smell of food cooking.

See it if You want to see Raul portray an angry chef. Lots of yelling, little humor. Excellent supporting cast.

Don't see it if 2 hours of yelling is not your thing.

See it if fan of Esparza--he and rest of the cast are excellent. If you want to see behind the scenes at a restaurant, with lots of yelling.

Don't see it if I'm not sure what the playwright wanted to say. I didn't see growth or change. What is motivation for Krysta's character's involvement?

See it if for an engagingly intense performance by fine cast, esp. terrific Esparza; a fellow fan of Rebeck; fiery, relentess confrontations appeal.

Don't see it if frustrated by overlapping, staccato dialogue—can miss bits—or by steady tension, even in silences. Tight staging may feel claustrophobic.

Also From front row, miss seeing Esparza's panache slicing & dicing atop kitchen counter.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to be dazzled by creation of a real working kitchen with real food on stage and don’t need an engaging concept or good writing.

Don't see it if You like well written plays- this is not one of those.