The Half-God of Rainfall
Closed 1h 30m
The Half-God of Rainfall
72

The Half-God of Rainfall NYC Reviews and Tickets

72%
(174 Reviews)
Positive
66%
Mixed
27%
Negative
7%
Members say
Ambitious, Great staging, Great acting, Confusing, Absorbing

About the Show

Half-god, half-mortal Demi's power affects weather, sports, and gods in Inua Ellams' epic journey.

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Member Reviews (174)

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51 Reviews | 4 Followers
88
Epic, Intense, Thought-provoking, Masterful, Great staging

See it if you are interested in stagecraft. You like poetry. You have an interest in the classics and mythology. You like thought-provoking theatre

Don't see it if you are triggered by themes of sexual assault. You don't have at least some familiarity with Greek mythology. You prefer plot-heavy shows

145 Reviews | 21 Followers
85
Great staging, Great acting, Ambitious, Clever

See it if fond of creative use of space and visual projections. Great cast w/ powerful performances..

Don't see it if interested only in traditional take of Greek mythology. If expecting fancy costumes & set design. Production was minimalist but creative.

506 Reviews | 78 Followers
84
Ambitious, Dizzying, Masterful, Great staging, Great acting

See it if Mixing Greek Mythology, Nigerian Folklore and Basketball? Yes and it works. One of the most interesting shows in town, right now.

Don't see it if Want a play by the numbers? This will not be for you.

159 Reviews | 48 Followers
84
Unique, Intelligent, Great acting, Clever, Great writing

See it if you enjoy ensemble performances; if you find mythology interesting; if you like unique theatrical experiences.

Don't see it if you’re looking for a traditional theater experience; if you don’t enjoy ensembles and narration throughout a play.

139 Reviews | 9 Followers
82
Thought-provoking, Resonant, Ambitious, Great acting, Great staging

See it if You like mythology. You can accept magic. You are interested in political themes. Fabulous set, staging, dance/movement, performances.

Don't see it if You prefer traditional dramas

180 Reviews | 68 Followers
81
Great tech, Blown away by the acting power, Intense, Enchanting

See it if the acting in parts of this was breathtaking. The set and projections were fantastic. The story was epic.

Don't see it if you're looking for a modern myth epic about basketball. It is much more a mythic epic of abuse and revenge and love.

74 Reviews | 26 Followers
80
Edgy, Epic, Great acting, Clever, Absorbing

See it if you are interested in intersectional retellings of Greek mythology, you value creative stagecraft and experimental theatre-making.

Don't see it if you are triggered by sexual violence, which is not portrayed realistically in this piece, but it is still there and very affecting. Read more

593 Reviews | 144 Followers
80
Intelligent, Great staging, Entertaining, Ambitious

See it if you might like a mix of Greek & Nigerian mythology & a dash of basketball; good performances in an unusual & interesting setting

Don't see it if you don't like monologues, which is how most of the play is presented; sets are minimal though effective; I found the play intriguing and Read more

Critic Reviews (12)

The New York Times
August 1st, 2023

“This is a writer whose intuitive understanding of the common threads of tradition, globalization and human instinct could very well create a new mythological tapestry for our interwoven times.”
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Time Out New York
August 9th, 2023

"3/5 Stars. A talented cast of seven works hard to activate this imaginative but inscrutable tale, which is often relayed in long passages of narration delivered directly to the audience. There are striking moments...Yet 'The Half-God of Rainfall' is challenging to follow: Ellams' lyrical epic is easier to parse on the page than the stage. It is many, perhaps too many, fables in one."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
July 31st, 2023

“The smaller scale of human action and character gets lost amid the grand sweep of mythology and language...A divine battle scene, heavily narrated, comes a little too close to resembling Live-Action Role Play.”
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New York Theatre Guide
August 1st, 2023

“It is Modúpé’s pain and power that leads the story to a climax...The stilted dialogue threatens to undercut ’Half-God’s’ impact, but Magar’s production is too beautiful to be held down for long.”
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Theatermania
July 31st, 2023

“ ‘The Half-God of Rainfall’ is at once an entertainment and a lesson, and that’s exactly what an epic poem should be.”
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Lighting & Sound America
August 7th, 2023

“Magar's staging has many moments of invention…But one leaves the theatre remembering the staging and design, not the story and characters. The Half-God of Rainfall is, in many ways, an impressive theatrical frieze, but its figures never quicken into compelling characters. For gods, they remain strangely powerless.”
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Talkin' Broadway
July 31st, 2023

“ ‘The Half-God of Rainfall’ is tangentially about basketball, but like the other basketball-inspired plays from this season...one does not need to be a fan or even knowledgeable of the sport. In Ellams's imagination, power, subjugation, and tactical gamesmanship plays out in a much bigger arena.”
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New York Stage Review
July 31st, 2023

“It’s definitely a staged work the likes of which you might have seen something similar in your theater-going past. Yet, it’s safe to say you haven’t seen its exact like before. This already makes it well worth seeing.”
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