The Fourth Wall

See it if It is a different Gurney type play, very funny at times with good acting and directing.

Don't see it if This show needed an intermission. If you don't like Gurney.

See it if you are a A.R. Gurney fan who enjoys both the experimental and didactic aspects of his writing. Yes, the world is indeed a stage.

Don't see it if you are put off by the "message play" that sometimes tries too hard to make a point at the expense of just drama on the stage or this room.

See it if You like out of the box shows with quirky characters.

Don't see it if You want to laugh. You want a complex plot.

See it if If you love Cole Porter and enjoy a simple plot line that makes fun of the obvious. Solid acting.

Don't see it if You don’t love Cole Porter. This show is Lso not for you if you would find a play that wants to be a musical annoying.

See it if you are a fan of A.R. Gurney and enjoy the chance to see one of his less known plays.

Don't see it if You prefer very straightforward plays that don't mix genres. Only expect perfection.

Also The production also demonstrates how differently-enabled performers can take roles not originally intended for them and make it smoothly work.... Read more Read less

See it if If you enjoy good writing.

Don't see it if if you enjoy fast moving action and expect excellent acting.

See it if you love A.R. Gurney, intelligent albeit somewhat self-indulgent writing, and period pieces that are relevant now, you get TBTB productions

Don't see it if you don't like a combination of expressionistic and realistic theatre which doesn't always mesh the two adeptly

Also TBTB beautifully integrates and features actors with disabilities into all productions, and in this play they take that and run with it beautifully and actively. The play is very challenging and relevant right now, but the writer sometimes confuses his realism and his absurdism, and sometimes is just too full of himself and becomes too precious. Very fine production of a good play.... Read more Read less

See it if Acted in the round by handicapped people is brilliant. Blind, wheel chair bound etc fade into the background with riveting acting of Classic

Don't see it if You are put off by AR Gurney classic style, don’t care for drama, don’t like sitting in the middle of the action, all within 3 rows of stage

See it if You want to see something which tries to deal with larger ideas and philosophies. Some good jokes.

Don't see it if You are easily annoyed by some actors. Get bored with repetitive humor. Don't like being pandered to.

See it if you like to have something to discuss for the rest of the night. Also, if you like open (no-borders) casting.

Don't see it if you like a play that is easily categorized and easy to follow.

See it if You like AR Gurney’s writing and if you enjoy theatre in the round.

Don't see it if You only like musicals.

See it if you like a time-capsule of late Bush administration sentiment. The set was beautiful.

Don't see it if you're a fan of good acting.

See it if You like thought-provoking, socially conscious theater.

Don't see it if You need a well made play.

See it if You don’t mind sitting through 100 minutes for a handful of laughs. An interesting idea, that doesn’t work. Nice set.

Don't see it if You don’t want to see 4 actors work really hard for nothing. It’s staged really odd and the actors often speak and face away from you.

See it if you want to support an earnest theater co. tackling a Pirandello-esque comedy about theatrical conventions, activism & patrician domesticity

Don't see it if u don't enjoy Gurney's slice-of-WASP-life plays; u expect a routine drawing room comedy; u can't abide clunky pacing that lessens the comedy

See it if Ave. of an 80% and a 75%. Some great lines esp. for theater people. Great set. An "early" Gurney needed a production. Staff so nice at ART.

Don't see it if Repetitious at times. Location of the site still a problem to be solved.

See it if you are a Gurney completist & need to see the revised version of a not-so-frequently revived play.

Don't see it if you are not looking to spend your evening watching 4 game actors trying to beat some comic life into a dated patchwork of a script.

Also The ending of “The Fourth Wall” is bracing. 2 of the play’s 4 characters break through the conventional boundary separating performer & spectator & move through the audience to a new life of meaning beyond the sterile upper-middle-class living room they’ve inhabited for the past 100 minutes. Too bad this was the sole thrill I felt all night. A.R. Gurney wrote the script when the 1st Bush was on the way out, then revised it early in his son’s disastrous reign. The patchwork shows. Despite a clever premise—a woman has the notion her living room might be the 4th wall of a proscenium stage—nothing in this comedy is funny. Are the Cole Porter songs for comic relief from joke after joke that misses the mark? No wonder we hear so much about Geo W Bush: This is the dramatic analog to his administration’s signature accomplishment, waterboarding. The spark at the end could not undo all the preceding theatrical inanity. Good luck to the worthy TBTB company. Next year choose a script with a pulse.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of Gurney & never seen this play before, support TBTB's mission and programs, enjoy pop culture references

Don't see it if you're not a fan of Gurney, don't like comedy that is not really funny, expect livier, peppier shows

See it if You're familiar w/Gurney & want to see his hallmark themes w/a lighter touch & musical numbers. You enjoy meta references.

Don't see it if You prefer classic, more well-known Gurney. You don't like plays w/music. You dislike meta.

See it if the theater as a subject attracts you. The play is an extended metaphor with excellent performances.

Don't see it if you prefer action to clever dialogue. Also the 3/4 round seating does not serve the performance, try to sit in the center section of seats.

See it if you enjoy A.R. Gurney or meta comedies. The representation of actors with disabilities is inspiring.

Don't see it if bad acting and indulgent writing turn you off. Some performances are better than others, but they’re all either wooden or unconvincing.

See it if you enjoy a very unusual drama about the theater and politics. Very good use of the stage and very witty and humorous dialogue.

Don't see it if you are a Republican without humor. George W is main target but even deceased Barbara Bush gets a hit..

Also A must see if you are a Gurney fan. Try not to buy a seat in the second row in the center, very poor viewing. Nice modern new theater.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a Gurney fan, enjoy witty conversation, many theater and political references, oddball singing thrown in with player piano.

Don't see it if you need total realism in plot and don't like to have to think about what you are hearing or actors overcoming disabilities successfully.

See it if You appreciate AR Gurney. This is a good production of a fun play

Don't see it if You aren’t a fan of Gurney and you need a tradional plotline.

See it if You enjoy comical references to theatrical devices and stage business as they are being performed.

Don't see it if You don’t like Cole Porter or a drawing room comedy that keeps reminding you that you are in an audience watching a play.