The Bigot NYC Reviews and Tickets

“The sitcomlike nature of ‘The Bigot’ is evident not just in its thin characterizations and tidy plotting, but in a worldview that is near-offensive in its simple-mindedness...The play's interest in having characters teach Jim the errors of his bigoted ways is contrived, not to mention predictable...In the world of ‘The Bigot’, even racism and homophobia could be easily solved...Amid such clichéd material, this quartet of talented actors bring all the conviction they can muster.”
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"This is bad sitcom stuff, filled with flat gag lines, scenes in which near-strangers tell everything about themselves, and intractable problems that are solved after a single angry discussion...It doesn't help that Jim is little more than a collection of hate speech tropes; the tiny bit of information that we get about him is far too little, too late...The cast is better than you might imagine, although Stephen Payne deserves far better than the hopeless role of Jim."
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“The playwrights’ proficient dialogue is matched by their solidly constructed scenario with its Norman Lear-style comedic sensibility that enriches their well-drawn characters...Susko’s straightforward staging realizes the piece’s humor, drama and sensitivity through accomplished simplicity...Though topicality wafts through ‘The Bigot’, it’s really an entertaining old-fashioned well-made play with a slight edge.”
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“The stereotype of our bigot is a tad cliché and dated. Instead of an Archie Bunker it might have been interesting to see a black male hating privileged whites. Update the scenario to 2020 rather than setting an 80’s reprise. 'The Bigot' has a Disney-like fairy tale non-believable ending...A longer drawn out version of the sitcom ‘All in the Family’ without as many one liners and authenticity. A good reality check as to how far we have come.”
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"'The Bigot,' 'a dark comedy,' is big-hearted and topical but it's also so paint-by-the-numbers predictable that you won't need ESP to know how it ends…One needn't be Hammerstein II to call it as corny as Kansas in August. Its characters are so one-dimensional they practically disappear when they turn sideways. Without the generally solid performances of its four actors, it would likely fly away on the next gust of wind…A dramatically creaky, fitfully amusing, 90-minute soap opera."
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"Though this show begins with a slow start, this play weaves its plot line into your heart...This play works mainly because of its cast. Stephen Payne makes you understand his reasons and his performance is layered and full of depth...Michael Susko’s direction is a little heavy handed and makes the play seem longer than it is...'The Bigot' at times is cringe-worthy and sappy...The ending, however, is 'The Bigot''s salvation."
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"The bigotry is neither funny enough to be comedy nor seriously disturbing enough to be dramatically repulsive. Most of the jokes land with a thud...Each person in this cast works hard to create believable people with more than one or two dimensions. All of them are successful in that regard...The story arc and the character’s progressions are forced and unbelievable...The play just muddles through as a mash up of Archie Bunker and an underwritten Lifetime movie."
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"A good story written by Gabi and Eva Mor, Susko moves the characters in and out of both love and hate. The tension between all four characters at times hits top gear...'The Bigot' does many things well. It has a lot of different issues within this melodrama. All the characters have been hurt at some point in their lives. How each person reacts, how each have been shaped by hurt and tragedy, is what makes this play so interesting...A fun, and at times, a very funny, ride."
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“While many scenes in ‘The Bigot’ contain language that is uncomfortable and hard to listen to, the portrayal of Jim is unflinching and unfortunately, very familiar...The first ten minutes of the script did feel very exposition heavy...This doesn’t last long, however, and once the play gets this out of it’s system, the story takes over. And once it takes over, it really takes over....'The Bigot' asks a lot of questions that are ever present in today's society. ”
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"The first few minutes of 'The Bigot' felt trite, preachy, and patronizing—not a play I planned on recommending. But just like Jim The Bigot, over the course of the evening, I grew...Being a writer, I had self-serving issues with the script, but ultimately this play is too valuable to harp on anything other than why you should see it...Director Michael Susko stays out of the way of the actors, and lets the prevailing message shine through clearly."
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