The Mushroom Cure NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (70)
See it if you want to see an authentic, masterful portrayal of what it's like to have OCD. With candid eloquence, Strauss immerses us into his world.
Don't see it if you are not a fan of one man shows, or are not interested in shows that deals with OCD or experimentation with hallucinogenic drugs.
See it if you are interested in a comedy about trying to heal yourself through alternative medicine -- with a side of romance.
Don't see it if you don't like solo shows.
See it if A masterful storyteller who baits you in for a very personal journey that you can’t help but to feel connected, stirred and inspired by it
Don't see it if A one-man show with little to no props. Far from being silly- let’s just joke about mushrooms and drugs as the poster may suggest. Read more
See it if You like superbly executed theater. Strauss’s work—writing, performance, production—achieves a wholly organic synthesis.
Don't see it if There’s no reason not to see this. You’d have to have a psychological disorder even more challenging than OCD not to go see this.
See it if You are interested in OCD or just any illness and a man's quest for a cure. I enjoyed it very much. It was very thought provoking.
Don't see it if You do not like one man shows.
See it if you like solo shows about mental illness and coping strategies, both good and bad
Don't see it if you dislike one person shows, can't handle revealing emotions Read more
See it if Comic with OCD seeks hallucinogenic cure, while courting his smart girlfriend. Hip humor, captivating story, good acting.
Don't see it if You don't want to see the challenges of living with OCD. You don't like self-deprecating humor. You prefer a bigger production.
See it if you are ready for a deep dive into the frustrations, highs, lows, and exhausting recovery of a victim of obsessive compulsive disorder.
Don't see it if you cannot sit 90 minutes without interval in a solo man show with minimal set, a monologue with a few other parts played by him &dark theme
Critic Reviews (16)
“Strauss is an affable performer...Overall, however, he works a little too hard in attempting to make a comedy out of his experiences, and his relationship with that graduate student who becomes his partner in pharmaceutical crime isn't always believable. ‘The Mushroom Cure’ is a mildly amusing hour and a half, but kids -- please -- don't try this at home!”
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“Strauss makes the standup-monologue-as-one-man-show his own, with a sweetly vulnerable take that has quite a few belly laughs...You’ll feel that you’ve entered into the labyrinth of the creative mind...A lovely remembrance...This is a tale of boy-meets-girl underneath all of the remarkably intricate talk of drug dealers...A real treat. One caveat, I’d limit the amount of times the lights go out...We want to see his pathos, his heart on his sleeve. He’s the whole reason we are there.”
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“Over the course of 90 minutes, Strauss reveals perhaps more than anyone ever wanted to know about obtaining drugs, including psychedelic cacti which requires circuitous preparation before ingesting, and dealing with an unorthodox community of chemists...As a result, Strauss’s more banal ramblings caused a couple of audience members to nod off...It's astutely directed by Jonathan Libman.”
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"Mining a great deal of laughter from disabling pain, it tells what Mr. Strauss says is the true story of his quest to rid himself of obsessive-compulsive disorder with psychedelic drugs, and it feels true partly because of the awkwardness that underlies his demeanor...The show is a bit overlong...but it winds its way to a reasonably happy ending: Mr. Strauss is here in front of us, well enough to spin his tale."
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"Strauss' true-life tour de force is a funny, frenzied trip through his OCD and the methods he uses to try to cure himself...His constant, manic attempts to achieve perfection can be maddening and even heart-wrenching. Strauss has an engaging, ironic delivery that keeps you riveted throughout the show’s nearly two-hour running time...'The Mushroom Cure' might benefit from a stronger structure and a 20-minute trim—but hey, no one’s perfect."
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“In the course of 90 minutes, we follow the ups and downs of Strauss’ professional, mental health and romantic lives in great detail. To his credit, Strauss gives the impression of delivering these stories as if for the first time. He is fresh and very involved, yet sensitive to the audience’s reactions. He manages to make a tediously unattractive condition fascinating and also manages to make himself affecting and human. OCD has never been as attractively rendered.”
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“Strauss takes us on his fatally flawed magic carpet ride...Some of his states are humorous, his commentary funny. Other sections are tedious...The production might have been perfect, brilliant genius: if the script sections were tightened, if tepid sections that flat-lined were jettisoned...Strauss needs to work on a balance of tone...As a shorter piece, 'The Mushroom Cure' might have been magnificent, illuminating, humorously scintillating. As is, the show is funny, revealing, and enjoyable."
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“Desperation courses through Adam Strauss’s performance...Yet Strauss, a stand-up comedian, tells his story with humor as well, as the best playwrights do for serious material...Strauss is becomingly ordinary, with his mop of black hair itself displaying some disorder, but less than his personality provides...Under the direction of Jonathan Libman, Strauss does a splendid job of navigating romance, pain, desperation, and humor in the piece.”
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