See it if You lik a terrific ensemble teaching you about the first Recorded woman playwright and explaining it to you in delightful unexpected ways.
Don't see it if You don’t care about new work bringing obscure writing to life. You don’t like small theatres with a minimal set. You don’t see humor in god
See it if Not a bad show, needs a little help in the production but overall NOT BAD
Don't see it if If given the opportunity, see the play, not a bad performance, small theatre but all seats were not bad.
See it if you,like me enjoy intelligent quality writing
Don't see it if irreverence bothers you or you need Broadway quality acting Read more
See it if You want to see something quirky yet absurd but thoroughly enjoyable. And if you want something historical and presented in an unique way.
Don't see it if You don't like "light" experimental theatre, intimate spaces/theatre, language, quirky almost silly shows, or feminist history. Read more
See it if You enjoy plays making equality issues — in religious and literary realms. Good sarcasm. Good acting by all four women cast.
Don't see it if You might get offended by valid sarcasm and criticism directed at church.
See it if you like plays that are really creative and thought provoking. Four very talented actresses portray very unusal characters in a witty way.
Don't see it if you don't like a small theater or shows close to 3 hours. The time is well used and goes quickly. Read more
See it if Marx Brothers style material done by nuns seems amusing. Or a comic play exploring history of a play by the world's 1st woman playwright.
Don't see it if you're not prepared for ironic absurdity.
See it if you are ready for a females' point of view of religion and commitment to your ideologies, expertly acted by 4 actors with little scenery
Don't see it if you are a devote catholic where an avant guard experiential theater exploration of religion and the patriarchy would upset you
"Three nuns hard at work at their convent look up to discover that the sky is falling …
It could be the beginning of a joke, or a New Yorker cartoon. But it’s the opening scene in “The Collision and What Came After, or, Gunch!,” a play being presented alongside “The Martyrdom” by Two Headed Rep at 59E59 Theaters. Despite the comic potential of this setup, these works, inspired by the writing of the 10th-century nun and playwright Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim, are neither as funny nor — at two hours and 40 minutes — as snappy as they could be."
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"The overall production is by Two Headed Rep, a company whose mission is to "create adaptations of classics that are politically responsible as well as fun." Certainly The Martyrdom lives up to that intent, and it could very well stand on its own to make for a very enjoyable time-traveling exploration of a thousand-year-old play. As it stands, however, the coupling of the two plays makes for a long evening, running close to three hours with an intermission. It is a lot to sit through, especially if you aren't already a member of the Hrotsvitha Fan Club."
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"Their hearts may be in the right place, but their creative minds are not. The two-part bill runs for no less than 160 minutes. Towards the end of Martyr, a contemporary character holding a cellphone says something that sounds very much like “I don’t have any idea what I’m looking at.” You can say that again."
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Throughout these plays there resonates an overarching message of female empowerment, a message that provides depth to the otherwise light comedy being served up. Nuns are habit forming, that’s what people say, and this viewer wanted nothing more than to run back and see this show again.
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