The Headlands

See it if Want to see plays by & about the Asian-American experience, enjoy mysteries about one’s background,

Don't see it if Not interested in Asian-American takes told in a noir style or stories about trying to find one’s roots, open ended plots

See it if interesting aesthetic as story channels pulpy detective novels & video screens evoke film noir; humor leavens; solid cast

Don't see it if takes implausible left turn at end; ultimately w/o crisp plotting or deep insights into behavior of son/family, lets you down

Also Let's play the "name game". The title "The HEADLANDS" refers to (1) the mysterious/idyllic recreational area near SF where the parents met, characters visit throughout play; (2) the fact that much of the mystery is played out in the head of the son; and (3) a promontory over waters from which one can see far into the distance; in this case the play seeks that vantage point from which one can clearly see the events leading up to the murder. Alas, these promising elements do not come together to produce a compelling play.... Read more Read less

See it if Like cautiously walking through a murder mystery in a long standing San Francisco fog for the picture to emerge.

Don't see it if Slower murder mysteries aren't your thing. Entertaining but cold narration style made it harder to feel the emotional side of the drama.

Also Diversity: almost all Asian American cast (6 of 7)! Asian American playwright.
1.5 hours, no intermission.
Ticket from box office for $30.... Read more Read less

See it if You appreciate a slow-boil, relationship-based play with well-rounded characters.

Don't see it if You don’t like talky shows.

Also After a slow start, complexity takes over this family-secret dramedy, and this show becomes both more interesting and touching as a reflection on the power of place and memory. An unusual Bildungsroman. More staging with big screens, but used well here.... Read more Read less

See it if You like Family drama that is not what it seems to be. Intriguing writing. Great use of live camera projections. Memories are bad narrators

Don't see it if 90 minutes with no intermission. You don’t like mysteries or family secrets. You don’t like bare sets. Character breaks fourth wall

See it if U enjoy a great ensemble cast solving a cold case mystery from 20 years ago with romance and a thought provoking story.

Don't see it if U don’t like mysteries, prefer more linear story lines or musicals.

See it if You like mediocre and cliched whodunnits and don’t mind something that is obvious from the start:

Don't see it if You are an aficionado of crime thrillers and expect an interesting, well written play.

Also The whole plot is pedestrian and the acting is amateurish. You can see the ending coming from a mile away. Don’t waste your dollars on this trite drama.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of true crime or mysteries and/or of Christopher Chen's work; support diverse stories in the theatre, love San Francisco

Don't see it if you're in the mood for something heightened and uber-theatrical, a "big show."

See it if You enjoy watching cold case mysteries on TV, this should be your cup of tea. Good production values but acting is less than convincing.

Don't see it if Expect depth in the story of a young man discovering family secrets. Underdeveloped characters give little to think about beyond “who dunit”

See it if You love a good noir detective story; you love a well-written, nuanced drama with a fresh take on family secrets

Don't see it if you like big staging, big casts, music; need a happy ending

See it if You like stories that take their time to unravel.

Don't see it if You want a comedy. There are lighter moments, but definitely on the serious side.

Also I found the performances to be engaging. And further into the mystery we got the more I found myself wrapped up in this families story.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy plays that are both character studies and plot driven.

Don't see it if You want a play you can drift in and out of.

Also Great ensemble. Great use of projections. I found the story to well paced. It knew hen to be intense, hen to allow for humor, but all the time it kept moving forward.... Read more Read less

See it if you’d enjoy a tight, engaging kinda who-done-it that smartly raises profundity moral and cultural dilemmas.

Don't see it if you're disinclined to pay close attention.

See it if you enjoy the current "sleuthing" trend of solving mysteries. You enjoy fine acting by Asian-Americans and a tight ensemble cast.

Don't see it if You hate projections. You dislike family dramas or mysteries.

Also This is a refreshing show and very entertaining.

See it if you want a twist on film noir genre and to dive into what feels like a visual staging of a personal crime podcast.

Don't see it if you want something traditional. Also don't see this if you hate monologue-based plays b/c the lead character is narrating the entire time.

See it if you want to see a mainly Asian cast and if you're open to an ever evolving mystery

Don't see it if you are sensitive to loud noises as there are occasional bursts of sound

See it if You like mysteries involving characters who are usually underrepresented in theatre.

Don't see it if You do not like mysteries, noir, or plays.

See it if you’d like to see a stage full of interesting, flawed, engaging characters, even if their stories are confused.

Don't see it if you like your jigsaw puzzles to, ultimately, present a picture: This one never comes together.

Also I didn’t find the combination of murder mystery & family psycho-drama an easy fit in “Headlands”. The playwright has a true gift for creating interesting, flawed, human characters, & several scenes are quite lovely & shot through with insight. But the major characters (except for the narrator) seem incompatible with themselves, changing with each scene as the plot veers wildly & forces the audience to reevaluate everything it knows with each fresh revelation. There is an excitement in that, but the inconsistencies in character ultimately limit our understanding or even, finally, our caring a lot about these unknowable shape-shifters.... Read more Read less

See it if Excellent acting by all, particularly charming performance by Aaron Yoo as Henry. Interesting depiction of current and past time.

Don't see it if you want something lively, this is quiet and somewhat slow. Ultimately story is not that compelling.

See it if Great use of video and lighting that enhance the story; interesting topic and characters; very well acted by all; worth seeing

Don't see it if don't appreciate minimalist staging, sets & costumes; being an amateur childhood/adult sleuth or an orphan can have serious consequences.

See it if You appreciate new plays told in hew ways.

Don't see it if You like traditional storytelling.

See it if you want to see a modern story about a Chinese-American amateur sleuth investigating the mysterious death of his father 10 years before.

Don't see it if you don't like murder mysteries or plays that depend heavily on projections.

Also The mutability of memory plays an important role in telling a good story. The narrator is engaging, but his relationship with his girlfriend is a weak point.... Read more Read less

See it if Young Chinese adult decides to investigate father's death which occurred several years earlier. Excellent performances by multinational cast

Don't see it if There is nothing to dislike about this play. The story is well told and performed.

See it if A family drama with a mysterious element sounds appealing.

Don't see it if You don’t want to be challenged and want pure entertainment.

Also Well acted, led by a charming performance by Aaron Yoo. I found the story to grow very nicely over 90 minutes and was completely compelled.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a different kind of story. You want to learn family secrets.

Don't see it if You want something fast moving.