Simon Says NYC Reviews and Tickets

“Unfortunately, you might just as well read a tract on the subject (by a believer) for all the dramatic impact of this piece. Explanations replace dialogue, clichés take over for character illumination, and the whole package is too neatly tied with a bow. Poor Anthony J. Goes has the unrewarding task of being occupied by spirits whose transition looks ridiculous...Director Myriam Cyr uses the staging area well...I actually have no issue with the premise of ‘Simon Says’, just with its script.”
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"Murray lends gravitas to the story of a 'channeler'...One wishes he were able to lift Schaffer’s serious-minded play beyond fiddle-faddle, but it just gets talkier and sillier...Under Myriam Cyr’s direction, one’s disbelief may be suspended for awhile...More notable than the direction is John R. Malinowski’s snappy lighting...For people with scant interest in credibility and a high tolerance for mumbo-jumbo, its romance-novel message of love surviving across millennia may be just the ticket."
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“In Mat Schaffer’s earnest attempt to convince us of the philosophy behind reincarnation, he has written more of polemic than a drama. But just because words are spoken doesn’t make them believable. I’m sorry to say that the lighting effects are more dramatic than the writing...The characters accept the conclusion and connections with love and gratitude, but I wasn’t convinced...I was disappointed that the play didn’t succeed in dramatizing what I consider a complex and fascinating subject.”
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“Brian Murray is excellent in the role as are Anthony J. Goes as James and Vanessa Britting as Annie...This play is mostly engaging although very dialogue-heavy. The plot is slow in certain sections and some of the speech, although beautifully written, is more poetic and lyrical than the sentences that are spoken by the average person. That said, the excellence of the cast masks these minor issues...It is entirely understandable and watchable to mostly anyone.”
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“The fact that the séance in ‘Simon Says’ is suspenseful and convincing is largely attributable to the skill of director Myriam Cyr, her accomplished cast, and the production crew...The virtuoso performance, though, is by the physically and vocally agile Goes. When James goes into a trance and accesses past lives, the audience is transfixed…‘Simon Says’ may not be profound, but the production provides for a diverting evening at the theater.”
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"'Simon Says' gathers an impressive amount of talent into one concentrated space, but the script is simply not worthy of all that talent. It is a constantly impressive execution of utterly nonsensical material, which is so certain of its importance that it states it regularly, and unambiguously. This reviewer has never been more certain of any artistic endeavor’s unworthiness for public presentation."
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"The production's technical elements and the actors' skilled performances solidify the otherworldly atmosphere and make the story engaging and human. The play clearly reflects the eclectic interests and talents of the playwright himself...Goes spends more time as Simon than he does as James, and his performance certainly stands out...Goes transitions between James and Simon smoothly, and his performance could almost be a one-man show."
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"The cast and crew aren’t trying to make a profound statement here. Their slick, intimate, multimedia take on the subject leaves the door open to increased exploration and discussion about reincarnation, life after death, and related topics...The cast is admirably directed by international writer-director-actor Myriam Cyr...Anthony J. Goes is mesmerizing as James, who undergoes spiritual transformations."
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