Sell/Buy/Date NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (140)
See it if You want to see a tour de force solo show that will make you laugh AND think. You will never see better acting and writing.
Don't see it if You are dead or under the age of consent. Nothing raunchy here, but the topics are mature.
See it if want to see a masterful performance by Sarah Jones with simple elegant staging.
Don't see it if you are very sick with a bad flu. just go see it.
See it if You want a glimpse into one possible future regarding attitudes about sex as industry and trafficking. Want to see a stellar performance.
Don't see it if You don't like one person shows. If you are prudish about discussion of sex. Read more
See it if you like relevant, SUPER smart writing and acting; if you enjoy one-woman shows that grapple with serious topics with both humor & gravitas
Don't see it if there's no reason not to see this. I loved it. Sarah Jones is incredible at transforming into characters literally before your eyes.
See it if you want to see a remarkable perfomance by the chameleoun Sarah Jones who creates a dizzying and memorable array of characters .
Don't see it if you don't enjoy one woman shows with a feminist theme.
See it if you like fabulous solo performances; edgy but tender feminist statements. if you are a woman or know one.
Don't see it if you don't like politicized (albeit brilliantly done) theater. This is not a saccharine musical.
See it if To see incredible acting in a fascinating one woman show. It was really astounding how convincingly she portrayed so many characters.
Don't see it if You don't like one person shows. Read more
See it if This is less educational and preachy, and more entertaining, funny and interesting than one would expect.
Don't see it if You hate one-person shows or only like a deeply earnest treatment of serious subjects
Critic Reviews (20)
"When it comes to the multiple-character solo show format, the lady simply has no peer. Her ability to slip into a variety of personae is beyond compare...If 'Sell/Buy/Date' is going to have an extended life, Jones might want to take another look at the piece's structure...Under Carolyn Cantor's light-handed direction, however, Jones deftly walks a tightrope, hitting her comic targets with unfailing accuracy and never slipping into exploitation."
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"Of all the stage artists whose chosen medium is the one-person play, Jones stands alone as a uniquely gifted interpreter of the endless swath of diversity, color, and craziness we call humanity...But 'Sell/Buy/Date' as a piece of writing is considerably less captivating...The sheer number of figures Jones portrays prevents her from delving too deeply into any of them, which gives the show a choppy quality that doesn't help it say much of anything that hasn't already been said."
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"Jones is a remarkable performer and sharp observer. And she's come up with an amusing futuristic spin on the sex industry's growth and reach into themes of gender dynamics, personal identity and feminism. That said, her characters do slip into stereotypical territory, and the piece, even at just 85 minutes, feels overly long...My quibbles notwithstanding, director Carolyn Cantor has staged this multi-voiced monologue fluidly."
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"Jones' ability to seamlessly transform from one character to another is mind-blowing, and that she has won Obie and Tony Awards for her prowess will surprise no one who sees this production. It’s tight, nuanced, and brilliantly-written...It’s complex stuff and Jones has done a masterful job of uncovering its many layers. Indeed, while she makes no effort to hide her perspective, 'Sell/Buy/Date' is presented with a light enough touch to encourage open and freewheeling discussion."
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"A poignant and surprisingly amusing exploration of the sex work industry...For all its strengths in blending the personal and the political, the one-act piece might have been slightly more effective without a rather forced subplot...There are a few other weak spots in the show that director Carolyn Cantor, who does a mostly excellent job with the proceedings, simply fails to cover up. But by the show’s end, you’ll definitely be convinced how seriously invested Jones is in her subject."
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"A brilliant discourse on commercial sex practices that puts everything into an intelligent, amusing, politically profound context...This is anything but dry. Jones’ lecturer is constantly funny. The jokes are like condiments: broadly spread...She’s a welcome beacon of wisdom at a time when idiocy is our chief political commodity. If you ask me, she could not have strolled in with her perspectives soon enough. Let’s crown her with laurels."
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"Each one of her many multicultural portrayals is brilliantly detailed in mannerisms, accent, and body language, while also being very real and moving in content...But these characterizations are just the tip of the iceberg in regard to where the true artistry lies is this dazzling new work. Her power and genius is based more on what this assortment of characters are saying...Teaching us through storytelling...Enlightening and engaging us while being entertained."
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"Most of the characters are vividly created and some of the points they make are thought-provoking. The lecture is punctuated by several interruptions during which the professor attempts to resolve a problem that is delaying her appointment as head of a new department. I thought this subplot undercut rather than enhanced the main idea...While is was a great pleasure to see Sarah Jones again, I was slightly disappointed by the material."
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