The Public offers a new play drama about a complicated man who changed how the world thought. "Socrates" is a tribute to the man who continues to inspire us to question authority and defend freedom of belief. More…
"Socrates" is an intellectual thrill ride from the philosopher’s growing prominence in democratic Athens through the military and social upheavals that led to one of the most infamous executions in Western history. Tony Award winner Doug Hughes ("Doubt," "Junk") directs.
See it if if you are interested in history ,great set and great acting
Don't see it if overly long and upsetting death scene
See it if You're fascinated by a lot of philosophical debate and appreciate intelligence and great acting.
Don't see it if the thought of seeing a play about an ancient Greek philosopher bores you
Also Although a bit draggy in the 1st Act, the 2nd Act alone makes this a m... Read more Read less
See it if You have an interest in the life of the mind. You want to understand why philosophy is relevant to life. You love drama.
Don't see it if You're not at all curious about how the ancient Greeks created the basis for the modern world. My Big Fat Greek Wedding was enough for you.
Also In a strong cast, David Aaron Baker was outstanding as Anytus, one of ... Read more Read less
See it if You are fascinated by Greek philosophy /history, and enjoy interrogations about the meaning of life. You find historic parallels intriguing.
Don't see it if You are impatient with slow first acts with unclear direction. You dislike sexual innuendo. YOu want a happy ending!
See it if You enjoy intellectual plays and being challenged to sort out >2 characters played by the same - great - actors
Don't see it if You want pure entertainment, you need to think to appreciate this play
See it if Such great dialogue and very thought provoking especially in these times. Brilliant performances and very intense.
Don't see it if Show is long, and can be repetitive. It needs one's full concentration. Difficult subject matter and can be tedious at times.
See it if You enjoy questioning the beliefs around you and aren’t afraid of having your own beliefs challenged. It is masterfully done!!
Don't see it if You just want entertainment. This one will make you think.
See it if you are interested in the way Socrates changed thinking, or want to be captivated by a brilliant performance by Michael Stuhlbarg.
Don't see it if you can't enjoy slow shows with many one-dimensional characters, even if many of the moments are passionate and intelligent.
See it if Loved how relevant the play was to today's situations
Don't see it if Don't enjoy long, philosophical plays
See it if you would enjoy a dramatization of the Socratic dialogues at his life's end. Nice job of making his character annoying but inspiring.
Don't see it if Imaginary conversations appended to a play designed to be historical will spoil the enjoyment for you.
See it if You enjoy a well written play of ideas. Well staged, acted. Don't mind having to pay careful attention to a lot of words and characters.
Don't see it if You have a short attention span and prefer lighter fare and plot lines that are easy to follow.
Also I really enjoyed this production and appreciated the author's and Publ... Read more Read less
See it if If you like really good lighting, good acting and long, long philosophical discussions.
Don't see it if If you don't like long philosophical discussions and want to have some idea where a story is heading.
See it if you want to experience Socrates as he might have been. The show can be more didactic than dramatic at times.
Don't see it if you want something that engages the heart more than the head. The "emotional" moments felt rather forced and unearned at times.
See it if You don't have a problem with engagine but length discussions of epistomology
Don't see it if You think you might bored or tired.It's a long show - engaging if you are interested, but long.
See it if You appreciate the classics.
Don't see it if You prefer theater that values emotions over ideas.
See it if Despite being verbose, dense & philosophically dry; drama still sustains interest & relevance w/Stuhlbarg's brave turn as a pompous Socrates
Don't see it if Unfortunately, can also feel like 3 hrs of mansplaining in bad lighting Still, a cautionary tale about the fragility of a democratic society
See it if you think a rudimentary 3-D history (& philosophy) lesson might be worth $60-plus dollars & 2-&-a-half hours of your time.
Don't see it if you are expecting anything exciting or original in a drama that tracks a bold thinker through 1 of the most important trials in history.
Also I will state my bias upfront: Good theater demands more than animating... Read more Read less
See it if powerfully dramatizes story of S vs Athens establishment & politics behind his death sentence; passionate performance of M Stuhlbarg as S
Don't see it if 2 many speeches; not delve deeply into what made S’s moral philosophy revolutionary; death scene so long, u think:drink the hemlock already!
Also Principle: S falls short of A Man for All Seasons/Sir Thomas More in d... Read more Read less
See it if you are a fan of Michael Stuhlbarg and you like dialogue-intensive, didactic, long plays.
Don't see it if you are not interested in a long lesson that attempts to cover history, philosophy and civics while illustrating the Socratic method.
Also The play is long, talky and repetitive with an excruciating death scen... Read more Read less
See it if you like Michael Stuhlbarg who is excellent. If you are interested in Socrates' arguments and thoughts.
Don't see it if you want an exciting drama. This is slow, almost three hours, all talk, little action. Well done but tedious.
See it if a story told via philosophical debates/conversations that still feel relevant sounds interesting.
Don't see it if you don't like question-answered-with-a-question scenarios. The show is long. Single female role adds nothing to the story.
Also This was an entertaining show, but it drags towards the end of both ac... Read more Read less
See it if You need an explanation of Socrates’ life and death. Michael Stuhlbarg is very effective as the stubborn Socrates.
Don't see it if Play is long, stage is dark, lots of dialogue, nodded off in first act a few times so missed some of the important words.
Also Encourages one to think about the meaning of democracy.
See it if you want timely & intellectually fulfilling exploration of Socrates' life/death made relevant for today's need to figure out what is truth.
Don't see it if you won't let an almost 3-hr play unfold. With Columbo-like style, Socrates probes assertions. Brain gymnastics give intellectual muscle.