The Christians
Closed 1h 30m
The Christians
80

The Christians NYC Reviews and Tickets

80%
(83 Ratings)
Positive
83%
Mixed
12%
Negative
5%
Members say
Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Intelligent, Great acting, Great writing

About the Show

The first show in Playwrights Horizon's 15-16 season, 'The Christians' by Lucas Hnath is an idea-packed drama about a pastor of a megachurch whose changing beliefs send his congregation spiraling.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (83)

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156 Reviews | 204 Followers
93
Absorbing, Great acting, Great writing, Original, Relevant

See it if you like a new play that is extremely relevant and entertaining. thought provoking too

Don't see it if you are a jesus loving zealot with no room for any other opinions or thoughts.

Rot
60 Reviews | 18 Followers
89
Clever, Great acting, Intelligent, Original, Thought-provoking

See it if you are looking for an interesting, smart, 90 min, different play, not afraid from long monologues

Don't see it if you would be bothered from the use of microphones with cords at all times, against religious ponders

86 Reviews | 57 Followers
87
Absorbing, Entertaining, Smart, Relevant

See it if you want to delve into religion and it's discontents and you want to see everything Lucas Hnath comes up with...and you should.

Don't see it if you don't like stagey arguments and religion puts you off.

271 Reviews | 47 Followers
86
Clever, Great acting, Great writing, Intelligent, Thought-provoking

See it if you love new work that stretch the idea of theatre can do.

Don't see it if you are not interested in an unconventional narrative with hot topic issues.

399 Reviews | 205 Followers
86
Absorbing, Great acting, Entertaining, Ambitious

See it if You're interested in thought-provoking drama. This show had terrific performances, and presented both sides of a religious question fairly.

Don't see it if You prefer your shows to be pure entertainment.

109 Reviews | 341 Followers
85
Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Resonant, Relevant, Great acting

See it if you're in the mood for a thought-provoking examination of faith in America. Wonderfully acted!

Don't see it if the religious service format makes you uncomfortable.

744 Reviews | 327 Followers
85
Compelling play of ideas

See it if /since dramatically shows how destabilizing the questioning of religion's premise can be; strong lead Andrew Garman

Don't see it if /since production takes time to lift off; once gets going, brilliantly explores intersection of conscience/belief/community cohesion/loyalty

178 Reviews | 281 Followers
85
Original, Great writing, Great staging, Thought-provoking

See it if You are or ever were a religious believer of any sort and sympathize with the struggles of belief and doubt

Don't see it if You need lots of action, you dislike plays about doubt, or you are repulsed by religiousity

Critic Reviews (40)

AM New York
September 17th, 2015

"Even if you do not have a theological background, 'The Christians' is captivating as a modern-day tragedy. Les Waters' production is first-rate."
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Theatermania
September 17th, 2015

"This challenging and unfailingly intelligent work brings an off-Broadway audience into the heart of a place few of them would be caught dead: a Christian megachurch. Even more amazingly, it makes us care deeply about that church and the people within...Hnath approaches the subject with disarming sincerity."
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Lighting & Sound America
September 18th, 2015

"'The Christians' is remarkable for many reasons, but first of all because it takes its characters, and their arguments, seriously. It is not a work of satire, and we are not invited to feel superior...Instead, it examines, with uncommon lucidity, how those who sincerely profess to love Christ can differ so violently in their definitions of goodness...It's hard to think of another play that speaks so pertinently to this particular moment in history."
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Talkin' Broadway
September 17th, 2015

"An edge-of-your-seat treatment about the way we all approach belief...That he manages it entirely without villains pushes 'The Christians' straight to textual success. As a play in performance, however, the seams are not invisible. Though its implications stretch well beyond just those of present-day, commercial Christianity, the depth of discussion about topics related to it may put off theatregoers who aren't well versed or interested in it."
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CurtainUp
September 12th, 2015

"Though hardly without fault lines, Mr. Hnath has managed to create a compelling drama from a setting and situation that not only sounds preachy, but relies on a sermon to get going. And director Les Waters has guided the excellent cast to believably express their characters' certainties and uncertainties in a natural, often pause-filled style...As expected with any Playwrights Horizon production, the design work is state-of-the art."
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TheaterScene.net
September 22nd, 2015

"It succeeds at getting its audience members to sheathe momentarily their daggers and engage critically with the topic of religion. Hnath initiates a new type of dialogue about faith, a dialogue free of sarcasm, condescension and judgment...Devout Christians and staunch non-believers alike often field challenges to their belief systems, and perhaps both camps deserve many of the criticisms they receive; however, they also deserve respect."
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Theater Pizzazz
September 17th, 2015

"Les Waters’s direction is puzzling. Characters speak through microphones, which makes sense when they’re in the church but not when, for example, Linda and Paul are in their bedroom. Similarly, all the action is set within the front section of the church, even though it’s clear from the script the story has moved elsewhere. It’s confusing. Much of the play takes place after the day of the sermon, but the visuals would have you think otherwise."
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Stage Buddy
October 8th, 2015

"'The Christians' is a moving and rhetorically intricate rumination on the self-righteous and tragically divisive nature of belief systems... Some characters quirks, intended, I believe, to inject some lightness into the play, miss their mark a bit and come off as inappropriate rather than irreverent amidst heady contemplation."
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