She Stoops to Conquer (TACT) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (79)
See it if Fun old-fashioned but freshly done comedy of manners. Fun characters & staging. Well acted. Smart strong women.
Don't see it if This is not a lavish or polished production. It is fun nonetheless. The language is old, but not overly so.
See it if you'd like to see an able, talented cast have a good time with this classic comedy of manners; you seek an enjoyable theatrical diversion.
Don't see it if you can't (for some reason) abide 18th Century British comedies; you're a linguist/study dialects. [The accents vary widely in authenticity]
See it if Charming revival of Goldsmith's seldom seen Restoration comedy. Impeccable acting from TACT ensemble
Don't see it if Farcical situations & broad comedy don't entertain you; trouble with multiple plot lines
See it if you've never seen a version of this play, and don't want to wait around for the next one. Be forewarned: This production is terrible.
Don't see it if you know there is a better version elsewhere. Read more
See it if Great acting from a winning cast very well staged.
Don't see it if Want more meat to your shows - then again, it's the script not the production.
See it if you like period pieces, costumes, mix ups, convoluted plots. Funny. Excellent acting. TACT always had good productions. Goldsmith important
Don't see it if you have a hard time with English cadence of the 1600's. Kinda like Shakespeare (but not). Not for everyone although well done.
See it if if you'd enjoy a modern adaption of a classic play from 1773; enjoy good ensemble acting; want to support a good resident theatre company.
Don't see it if you don't like revivals, prefer your drama modern and edgy. Read more
See it if you enjoy Brit humor, want to see a fun show, and have a few good laughs.
Don't see it if have trouble with British accents or looking for drama Read more
Critic Reviews (17)
"The jokes and one-liners in Goldsmith's 'She Stoops to Conquer,' a flagrantly silly comedy about love and mistaken identity, still hit the mark...Though it slouches for a few scenes in the beginning, the Actors Company Theatre production rights itself in the end and delivers some good old-fashioned hilarity. Goldsmith's 'She Stoops to Conquer' still packs a comical wallop, and the Actors Company Theatre proves it — no mistake about that."
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"An evening that ought to be uproarious is little more than mildly amusing. The problem, I think, is that Scott Alan Evans has pressed his cast to maintain such a cheerful, friendly tone that the play's wellsprings of laughter are severely discounted. These nice people don't really mean it, do they?...Evans' production is rarely, if ever, dull, but throughout it lacks a strong point of view and an eye for detail...This one doesn't conquer; it merely tries to ingratiate."
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"Lacking polish and with intrusive direction, this revival of Goldsmith’s classic 18th-century comedy of manners is an amiable but dull affair. The recorded snippets of harpsichord music periodically played are about the only energizing element of this dutiful production...Most crucially, it’s not that funny...They’re all technically accomplished actors but their aptitude for comedy and command of period style is individually variable...Overall this rendition is pleasantly adequate."
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"The cast and crew have managed to execute a purely delightful production at a time when the theater is too often used as a soapbox...The cast knows exactly what they’re doing, and the chemistry between one another allows the story to flow freely...For a show that premiered in 1773, it holds up remarkably well...Scott Alan Evans’ direction allows certain moments to sizzle and pop, taking full advantage of the overtly theatrical world cultivated throughout the show."
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"The self-conscious antics are further heightened by the increasingly tired, Brechtian convention of having the cast remain visible on the sides as they wait to make their entrances. This isn’t the wisest of choices for a play whose plot may strain credulity but is kept alive by the warm-heartedness of its characters, in each of whom the audience must believe. Only now and then does anyone seem flesh and blood."
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"Scott Alan Evans keeps the action whizzing along from scene to scene with a roistering quality that diverts attention from the most outlandish points of Goldsmith's plot...Director Evans has adapted Goldsmith's text in a way that's solicitous of the limitations of today's audiences but respectful of the playwright...Evans and his cast are demonstrating that Goldsmith's gem holds up as a source of merriment and a fine chance for actors to flaunt their comic gifts."
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"Three words to describe this production would be wit, whimsy and wherewithal...The actors are uniformly excellent and very well cast, each finding both the humor and the heart in the character...Within...the pared-down nature of the production, the actors find numerous colors and levels, in some ways liberated by the imposed limitations. It is a testament to their commitment and the director’s intelligence that they embrace this experience and run with it."
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"Yes, 'She Stoop to Conquer' deals in romantic silliness that Goldsmith gives the sort of oomph that requires inspired directing and playing to realize its full potential. That's exactly what fails to occur here. Though the actors strive mightily, that may be the problem: too much effortful thesping. But it's not their fault. Their unrewarding toil is a consequence of Evans's direction."
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