Terezin NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (56)
See it if A Topic that must be presented again and again... Interesting use of the stage and props. At least 3 in the cast must thank N.Y.U..
Don't see it if When upstage several of the actors do not project enough. A presentation not for the faint of heart.. My partner had to skip Act 2.
See it if You like plays set against historic events. You want to see the Tolkien play. You know someone involved in the production.
Don't see it if You want a Holocaust play w/something new to say. You want multi-dimensional characters, good storytelling & acting skills. Read more
See it if You're up for a concentration camp evening.
Don't see it if If you don't like dark concentration camp settings
See it if you are a fan of smoltz.
Don't see it if you were hoping for the musical stage adaptation of the film Sophie's Choice. Read more
See it if You're somehow compelled to see all plays that deal with the Holocaust, regardless of quality, intent or reason for existing.
Don't see it if You value your time, or want something more than simplistic melodrama. Read more
See it if You have a desire to see any and all productions about the holocaust; want to hear a lesser known story
Don't see it if You want a tight plot, compelling writing, or strong direction; however, the actors are committed to this very flawed play
See it if you are interested in a theatrical recount of generally real events at a lesser known Holocaust concentration camp, profound poetry/ insight
Don't see it if you demand perfection in plot and play structure, tight writing, dramatic tension, stark/shocking realism & no anachronisms/tired metaphors
See it if you are all about seeing Holocaust related shows.
Don't see it if you don't already know a lot about the Holocaust. Read more
Critic Reviews (12)
"The tragic story of the people at Terezin is certainly a worthwhile subject, and Tolkien's play has merit. However, it needs further development. The staging is somewhat stylized, which only distanced me from creating an emotional connection with the characters...Least effective is the use of actors playing ghosts at various times throughout the play...For the most part, the actors do a good job with the material given and with their difficult accents."
Read more
“Can any playwright, no matter how talented, adequately dramatize the agony of millions of innocent victims of the Holocaust, or, for that matter, any of history's holocausts that have been visited upon entire populations with mind-boggling frequency? I don't think so, but the grim, unremittingly depressing ‘Terezin,’ written and directed by Nicholas Tolkien (the Jewish great-grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien) makes an honest, if ultimately unsuccessful, stab at it.”
Read more
“What makes Tolkien’s production a mesmerizing work is in how its characters rise above the brutality and sadistic mania of their captors...The ensemble’s work together is just terrific. The themes of Terezin are outstanding…Additional elements that make this production memorable are the stylized and symbolic effects…These directorial nuances and choices by the artistic team elevate this work to a fine artistic symmetry and create a poetic dramatic design.”
Read more
“'Terezin' is a call to remember. I appreciate a work of art that insists we fulfill an ethical responsibility, though the performance unsurprisingly is difficult and heavy…The play is clearly meant to be brutal…Tolkien’s writing finds its full expression in the monologues, which contain an unexpected gravity and poetic imagery. They are performed deftly and with professional commitment by the large cast…The choreography is sparing but clear, at times evocative and consistently impassioned.”
Read more
“Very little rings true…in the writing, staging, or performances. The Nazis…are the sociopathic stereotypes we've seen in countless movies; I wish I'd counted how many times a Luger was whipped out and pointed as a way to settle a dispute. The rambling, suspense-challenged plot, filled with superficial characters and unpersuasive developments, fails to dig deeper than its litany of familiar Nazi cruelties…Act Two, in particular, is a pileup of dramaturgy that's gone off the rails.”
Read more
"Bad commemorative art...The two-act play is a collection of hollow histrionics...Tolkien doesn’t fulfill his obvious good intentions, his shortfall not needing lengthy description here...Tolkien directed, once again proving that very few playwrights are adept at directing their own works...It’s often said that the Holocaust is impossible to dramatize. 'Terezin' will give no one the opportunity to argue otherwise."
Read more
“Tolkien is the author and also the director, and neither of which does he do well. For over two and half hours this overstuffed, confusing mess of a play struggles to find its ground...There are also historical problems with this work. The cast is terribly uneven…Even the directing here is odd…Plays about the Holocaust are important so we never forget, but that doesn’t mean we need to forget artistic integrity.”
Read more
“A shawl is used to simulate playing the violin while we hear the accompanying music. That is one of the most successful touches. But other examples of the approach are strained…Such surrealism is intrusive and unconvincing, even muddling…The ensemble cast excels in getting into the overall mood of the play…However, as sincere as this effort...is, the style of the production sometimes impedes evoking emotions connected to what we see, even though the horrors are forcefully referenced.”
Read more