Straight
81

Straight NYC Reviews and Tickets

81%
(240 Ratings)
Positive
86%
Mixed
12%
Negative
2%
Members say
Great acting, Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Relevant, Funny

About the Show

'Straight' is a drama about the complexity of relationships and sexual attraction in our modern age.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (240)

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97 Reviews | 63 Followers
100
Absorbing, Edgy, Great writing, Great acting, Profound

See it if you enjoy powerfully thought-provoking theater that is unafraid to examine contemporary social issues without flinching. This one is raw!

Don't see it if you are homophobic, think being gay is a choice, or if you're a closed-minded bigoted right-wing conservative.

268 Reviews | 36 Followers
98
Absorbing, Great writing, Great acting, Resonant, Entertaining

See it if You like drama based on current racial topics.

Don't see it if If you are not open-minded about racially charged topics.

84 Reviews | 10 Followers
96
Relevant, Resonant, Thought-provoking, Original, Intelligent

See it if you enjoy adult, literate scripts that are thought provoking and challenge you to see things in a different way.

Don't see it if you are looking for a play to end with a happy ending or all tied up by the end of it. This show will make you think even after you leave.

69 Reviews | 20 Followers
95
Great acting, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Absorbing, Original

See it if You enjoy equisite ensemble acting, a show about the fluidity of sexuality, something different.

Don't see it if You are homophobic, are bisexual and haven't come to terms with it, if you are cheating on your girlfriend with your best friend.

50 Reviews | 9 Followers
95
Absorbing, Clever, Funny, Great acting, Intelligent

See it if you want a real life look into the lives of people struggling with their identity.

Don't see it if you only like fluffy stories.

103 Reviews | 32 Followers
95
Great acting, Great writing, Intelligent, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if you enjoy a well-written, interesting play about contemporary relationships and if you appreciate excellent acting

Don't see it if plays with gay themes/situations make you uncomfortable

1123 Reviews | 325 Followers
94
Absorbing, Clever, Great acting, Intelligent, Thought-provoking

See it if you want to relate to challenges that humans face in their relationships.

Don't see it if you do not have tolerance for the variety of human conditions.

73 Reviews | 5 Followers
90
Absorbing, Great acting, Romantic, Thought-provoking, Resonant

See it if Like stories about love, relationships and the complicated human condition. There is some incredible acting in this show.

Don't see it if Are uncomfortable with same-sex relations or infedility.

Critic Reviews (31)

The New York Times
March 2nd, 2016

"A smart, bracing production brimming with clever wisecracks, some thought-provoking observations on sexual identity and one very promising newcomer…'Straight' is by no means a balanced dialectic comparing homosexual and heterosexual love...The standout is Mr. Sullivan...He delivers the play’s ribald asides with laserlike timing."
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Time Out New York
February 29th, 2016

"If the setup sounds fustier than a '70s issue of 'Blueboy' magazine, playwrights Scott Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola are actually attempting to explore loaded contemporary issues, such as the reductive nature of identity labels and the way some straights fetishize queerness. But these intriguing ideas come through in clunky debate-club dialogue, two-dimensional stereotypes and a surprise-free storyline that makes you yearn for some much-needed drama to come out of the closet."
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The Observer
March 3rd, 2016

"A tender exploration of the pros and cons of being bisexual in a contemporary society that often insists you can only be one or the other...What’s wrong with 'Straight' is there’s a lot of talk about things like genetic engineering and Socrates’ bisexuality, but the talk is stiff as a Yankee spinster’s corset and not always believable...It’s sensitively written and well played by an excellent threesome (no pun intended), but 'Straight does' not entirely convince."
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Theatermania
February 29th, 2016

"Director Andy Sandberg directs this competent cast to believable performances, despite his frustrating choice to stage nearly everything on the couch downstage center...It's hard to think of this as anything more than needless, low-stakes melodrama. In 2016, the off-Broadway audience deserves something far more challenging."
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Lighting & Sound America
February 29th, 2016

"Just as Ben talks a good game when whichever of his two lovers happens to be on hand, the authors work to create a potentially juicy situation, then punts just as it is about to get good...The playwrights are pretty good at bright dialogue...Just as it looks as if the situation must break wide open, however, the authors throw in a twist that earns a gasp from the audience, but which, frustratingly, leaves far too many plot points dangling."
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Talkin' Broadway
February 29th, 2016

"A few moments stretch credulity too much...Even in its current form, however, this is a creative and thought-provoking play, an unexpectedly potent spin on what many might (perhaps rightly) consider a superannuated genre. If many stigmas have been removed from our theatre and our society, 'Straight' smacks us in the head and the heart to remind us of the many that still remain—and that, just maybe, exist more in the eyes of the beholders than in the eyes of the beheld."
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TheaterScene.net
March 31st, 2016

"'Straight' is elegantly written and equally smartly directed by Andy Sandberg...The play works partly because of its appealing and attractive cast...We learn very little about all three other than their interest in football, beer, college, sex and career...'Straight' will either strike you as old-fashioned and dated or right up to the minute depending on your point of view. However, the engaging cast makes this worth the price of admission."
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Theater Pizzazz
March 10th, 2016

"The play’s most significant weakness is that Ben’s internal struggle is neither believable nor relevant...Director Andy Sandberg tries to keep the pace moving, but the long, mostly two-person scenes that revolve around a couch, make it difficult. The ending is a twist that feels abrupt and un-earned, though perhaps with an intermission and a more developed second act, its consequences might be further explored and keep 'Straight' from feeling so dated."
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