The Light Years NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (161)
See it if you like to see shows that push typical theatrical boundaries. Or if you're particularly interested in the World Fairs.
Don't see it if you want a show that's going to make complete sense. This show is definitely something that you have to work to figure out.
See it if You're a theatre tech lover. It only is the reason to see this (along with mom and not character). You care about World Fairs.
Don't see it if You struggle with sitting for nearly 2 hours through slow, intertwined story lines. Read more
See it if This humane story about dreams that almost succeed plays out at 2 Chicago World Fairs and is well-acted and charmingly told, but lacks...
Don't see it if ...the urgency that needs to accompany such hope if we are to retain our empathy. Captivating to sit through, but resonance evaporates.
See it if you enoy unusual stories in two timelines or romantic stories about families and hard times.
Don't see it if you want a well developed solid plot and a more coherent storyline.
See it if you don't mind a slow show that doesn't pay off much at the end. The staging is lovely and the acting is good.
Don't see it if you get frustrated with a slow show that doesn't go much of anywhere.
See it if cheap ticket available. Extravagant set. Performers spill into aisles to manufacture interest, to scant avail. Sisto and Cash shine as usual
Don't see it if you need an intermission, and you likely will to flee. Show goes nowhere. Child's hair too long and modern for the 1930s. Poorly conceived. Read more
See it if you like a play with high aspirations, even if it doesn't reach its goals.
Don't see it if you like linear plays with a strong narrative arc and a fast pace. Read more
See it if you want to see wonderful set design that doesn't live up to the confusing, stalled storyline that is given its best by very talented actors
Don't see it if you are thrown off by a meandering somewhat non-sensical storyline
Critic Reviews (31)
"Cash is excellent as both female protagonists...Oliver Butler's direction is tight and focused, giving the two time periods distinction while avoiding confusion...The play gets point just for being different. This is not your typical story or presentation. An amazing amount of storytelling occurs in one hours and 45 minutes with no intermission...The play can be a bit scattered and struggles to find its ending."
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"I think what kept me engaged throughout the performance was the desire and hope that there would be something to engage with, something potent, some kind of payoff. That payoff never came...I suppose we're meant to be enchanted by the journey the families take...There were nice performances throughout, particularly from Cash, Lochtefeld, and Barnett, all of which added value to the performance. But it just didn't grab me."
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“A story of inspiration and ingenuity…A heartfelt story of struggle, loss, and persistence. Director Oliver Butler chooses a distinctive style for the production that captures the spirit of the time period…The actors create a clear illusion that makes it easy and enjoyable to follow…The entire cast does an amazing job with this well written script, yet the stylistic concept of the characterizations does not allow for a personalized connection to the audience.”
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“Full of unique pleasures that make it something very special…The writing itself has a special charm, with a funny and slightly offbeat sensibility…Those warm, passionate, and hopeful characters are given life by a small but spectacular cast…Innovation, art, family, history, and destiny all collide in this beautiful production. The Spectatorium may have been a dramatic failure, but over 100 years later it has given birth to something incandescent and unforgettable in ‘The Light Years.’”
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"A very unusual play...We are transported to more innocent times, when novelty could inspire and awe and was not an unsophisticated or naive response...Every part of the theater space is treated to a bit of the performance. There are lights and things that go poof as well as narratives to explicate the drama. The ensemble engage, entertain and instruct...'The Light Years' uses some of the devices Steele MacKaye introduced to turn this small-scale production into a grand spectacle."
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"According to the program, the Debate Society spent seven years working on 'The Light Years,' and what has resulted is a strange, bewilderingly random series of scenes...There seems to be nothing happening on stage in 'The Light Years'—there is nothing at stake, and no narrative really emerges...Some of the actors manage to make individual moments come briefly alive...Might have some charm in a small storefront space, but it doesn’t have any impact at all in this venue."
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"Russell H. Champa’s lighting design makes use of the stage to excellent effect, balancing bright lights with more tempered darkness...'The Light Years' is a heartfelt story of two families, living decades apart, but still dealing with the same fears, hopes, and tragedies. The outstanding performances, as well as the brilliant set design, bring this heartfelt story to life."
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