Soul Survivor

See it if You can enjoy something that’s completely ridiculous, over the top and unbelievable yet manages to explore some harsh truths in a funny way.

Don't see it if You’re not willing to set aside reality for a little while and let the absurd dark humor take you away.

Also This was MUCH better than I expected. So glad I went. It really spoke to me in a lot of dark twisted kind of ways.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy seeing what young playwrights are up to in working with the difficulties of family relationships, religion, drug and alcohol abuse

Don't see it if you want great drama - a bit campy and not too funny though there are lots of good points surfaced most of them fell flat for me.

See it if A few funny absurd moments. Plus full Male nudity in first extended scene

Don't see it if A bit too over the top and jokes become tired. Off off Broadway quality

See it if You want to see a young playwright on the rise.

Don't see it if You are old and grumpy and don’t feel like laughing and having a good time

Also This isn’t going to be the best play I see this year but it will definitely be one I remember for a long time. Nothing is better than going into a play not expecting much and just being blown away!
For what the playwright and director were trying to accomplish I believe they perfected it. The cast was spot on. Everyone did a great job. I was laughing from the very beginning. I enjoy hearing audience members cringe it makes me so happy!
I’m really disappointed by some of the low reviews I feel like this playwright is giving young people like myself who enjoy theater hope that the theater will live on forever.
I always think it takes balls when someone doesn’t write a play for older people
Only thing that bothered me was the use of the lamp near the end. And I’m only saying this because I thought the fight choreography was so well done earlier
I had a friend visiting me who never sees theater and now he is hooked... Read more Read less

See it if You need some laughs

Don't see it if If you’re serious about you theatre

See it if Amusing show affirms the humanity of ppl w/ sobriety problems; condemns the selfish, shrewish squares who begrudge having to supervise them.

Don't see it if you prefer secular arguments to religious ones. Addict is cast as a holy fool. Show’s moral reasoning boils down to "because God says so."

Also Would feel a little like Kevin Smith's Dogma if perfectly executed. Full of drunken antics, stoner humor, and quirky, homemade demonology. The show doesn’t flesh out the details of the addict’s suicidal pain, nor the caregiver’s long-term sacrifices—which keeps the tone light and brightens the audience's perception of the junkie even though all he does is take and take and give nothing back to the relationship. I’ve seen more compelling claims for why the meek should inherit the earth, but it’s a cute show.... Read more Read less

See it if interested in a young playwrights attempt at a farcical approach to religion, selling of souls, heaven & hell. A few amusing moments.

Don't see it if easily offended by satirizing religion, gore, male nudity, substance abuse. I was not offended by the above, but was by the lack of craft.

Also The description of the show sounded promising...Unfulfilled.

See it if you understand the silliness of family loyalty no matter the costs and enjoy send ups of Heaven and Hell

Don't see it if you are a fundamentalist Christian or any other religion that believes in Old Testament justice or family loyalty at all costs

Also Much of the staging of this show, but not the writing, was developed through improv leading to short skits that flow into each other through the story. That might be a turn off to some.

Playwright Dante Piro launches savage but accurate attacks on societal "norms" and religious beliefs designed to control human behavior at the expense of the "believer". This is done through unrelenting humor where incompetence and evil is rewarded by both heaven and hell.

Anna Stepanic's "Lisa" wonderfully captures a "soulless" woman - even before she realizes or is willing to recognize what she has lost.

This is "Next to Normal" without music and with delving into the dangerous area of religion. Open your mind and see this.... Read more Read less

See it if You like weird, goofy, ridiculous comedy. And don't mind seeing a naked guy get stabbed in the eye.

Don't see it if Well it's not going to go well for you if you don't have a sense of humor or issues with nudity.

See it if Enjoy an evening about the concept of heaven and hell. Strong and believable acting with this interesting script. Play has great potential.

Don't see it if Religion or nudity is something you don’t want to think about.

Also We went to the last performance and a talk-back. I think previous theater-goers would have reaped a wealth of information after hearing the playwriter’s concept and goals of the play. I believe this play will continue its evolution and growth. The playwriter told the audience at the talk-back of his dream production if there was a larger budget. I can’t wait to see this production once backers are found. In the meantime, Bravo!... Read more Read less

See it if You're up for a farcical, heartfelt meditation on the sometimes lethal cost of care-taking and literal deals with the Devil. Fresh writing.

Don't see it if You can't suspend belief, don't like tipsy demons, farce or Teddy Roosevelt as a soul repo guy. Cast is young, fine and all in, all shine.

See it if You enjoy original funny toilet humor, good acting and staging. Truly belly busting funny at times.

Don't see it if You want deep meaning or relevance.

See it if You like silly, uninteresting plays

Don't see it if You want to see something that is even moderately entertaining

See it if You enjoy black humor, you enjoy absurdism, you are open minded about nudity, profanity, and religion

Don't see it if you are offended by nudity, irreverence, foul language or if you can't laugh at the preposterous

Also I see I enjoyed this show a LOT more than other people. I laughed a lot but was left with lots of things to think about it. The ending was shall we say challenging to preconceived expectations. Maybe it's not for everyone but it will be a long time before I forget about it. Very original in concept and the acting was convincing. In this absurd situation the actors conveyed that it was "their normal", playing it straight.... Read more Read less

See it if Another story about selling souls, carrying about the substance abuser;what person will do for a close family, and...very talented demons

Don't see it if Your religious beliefs can be insulted; male nudity for some time;alcohol and drugs as solution to calm;murder and betrayal

Also Call me stupid, but I did not understand the main idea of a play.Looks like the mix of several good intentions, but the end makes you wonder. Trying to persuade viewers that people with heavy substances abuse, who even sold not their own soul but the caring sister's, can be going to heaven. Very "good" message?!Sister who killed her brother to increase his chances to go to heaven - was punished for that final act of sister love by loosing everything, including the right for normal death.
Two demons are so funny and have more human features then their "victims".
No idea, why the senior soul collector should be Mr.Theodor Roosevelt.... Read more Read less

See it if You like dark comedies.

Don't see it if You’re looking for a play that’s worked out all it’s kinks.

Also The script has its moments, especially towards the later half. The demons knowing so little about earth felt like lazy plot device. But the “repo” scene is quite inspired. The performance I saw lacked energy & the pacing was so slow most of the comedy fell flat.... Read more Read less

See it if you don't mind nudity and violence

Don't see it if you don't want to ponder the soul and where it is.

See it if It's funny. It's pretty well written but sort of falls apart in the last 15 min. It's a young cast having a lot of infectious fun.

Don't see it if There's male nudity, there's a lot of cursing, there's some violence & gore, & it needs a bit of a rewrite. Worth seeing, but not essential.

See it if You might like the gratuitous nudity (male only). Or young actors acting their hearts out for you. Or your fruitless search for any meaning.

Don't see it if Too many awkward moments, laughs that don't come, props that fail. On the bright side, there's plenty of room for improvement.

See it if you're interested in a funny but thought-provoking study of relationships.

Don't see it if you are offended by (male) nudity or crude language,

Also This show definitely works at being a bit shocking, which may put off some people. I enjoyed the body of it, but the ending felt somewhat abrupt. The acting was very good.... Read more Read less

See it if You are full of questions about contracts with our souls before and after death And might be looking for a loophole. It’s fun and good!

Don't see it if You are Not comfortable with questioning the punishment and reward system relating to heaven and hell And in between and finding humor in it

See it if You like satires that delve into religion, addiction, and co-dependency.

Don't see it if You like shows that lite and fluffy. Or have big production values.

Also With some more polish this could be quite a fun and subversive play. Unfortunately the production doesn’t come together. The ensemble doesn’t seem to be on same page; some playing realism, some playing broad comedy.... Read more Read less

See it if raw, new works are your thing. This show needs better writing.

Don't see it if quirky, at times confusing plots are not for you. The cast is energetic, but if you don't care for stage violence this is not for you.

See it if enjoy staring at exposed male, play with gruesome act. Are juvenile and seek juvenile performance. Theodore Roosevelt is well portrayed.

Don't see it if above does not speak to you

See it if You are not easily offended or put off by prolonged on stage nudity and references to hell.

Don't see it if Nudity, drug references and simulated gore and violence are not to your liking.

Also I found Mr. Dante Piro’s play spirited and original, though still in a very rough stage. On one hand it aspires to topics that could make this a brilliant dark comedy, only to descend to the silly and cheap thrill.

The main idea of the play revolves on the biblical story of Cain and Abel: Am I my brother’s keeper? The play’s ‘Cain’ is a 20-something smart and successful business woman whose loser brother shows up unexpectedly at her apartment in the full throws of a bad drug trip. He’s naked on the floor desperate for her motherly attention. What does he get in return? An accidental scissor plunged into his right eye. From there, it veers to the silly, and we lose the dark side of the comedy. The one brilliant narrative part I thought deserved further elaboration is when the sister tells of how their mother met their father in the hospital when he was having elective surgery to have ‘extra’ ribs removed to be able to perform self-fellatio. That is funny & dark and I want to know more... Read more Read less