The Niceties
Closed 1h 45m
The Niceties
82

The Niceties NYC Reviews and Tickets

82%
(53 Ratings)
Positive
90%
Mixed
6%
Negative
4%
Members say
Relevant, Thought-provoking, Great acting, Intelligent, Absorbing

About the Show

At an elite East Coast university, a polite conversation between a professor and a student becomes a powder keg of race, history, and power.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (53)

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57 Reviews | 3 Followers
97
Absorbing, Cliched, Intense, Profound, Must see

See it if If you want to see an intelligent impassioned debate between current points of view, represented masterfully.

Don't see it if If you want lighthearted entertainment, or an action show. Read more

567 Reviews | 150 Followers
95
Great acting, Great writing, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Intelligent

See it if An under-represented black activist demands her gay uni. prof. change the curriculum. The volleys are smart & balanced. Reliable Lisa Banes!

Don't see it if Smart play about smart women with a dumb ending. Read more

1166 Reviews | 464 Followers
93
Intelligent, Great writing, Great acting, Relevant, Riveting

See it if You want to FEEL your theatre. Two great actors sparring with an incredibly timely and relevant script that makes you root for both/neither!

Don't see it if You don’t like theatre that puts your stomach in a knot and makes you rethink some of your core beliefs. Read more

536 Reviews | 279 Followers
92
Absorbing, Intelligent, Great acting, Great staging, Relevant

See it if you enjoy 2-character plays in which neither character is the villain. If you like plays that are timely and thought-provoking.

Don't see it if you do not like plays in which everything is not tied up neatly the end. There is plenty to discuss after viewing this play.

372 Reviews | 84 Followers
92
Sublime, Profound, Thought-provoking, Masterful, Riveting

See it if The acting and writing in this play are top notch- the dynamic between actors is sensational-it's a chess match on a roller coaster.

Don't see it if You don't want think about race and social class and education and all that is relevant about this in our culture.

257 Reviews | 26 Followers
92
Ambitious, Intelligent, Intense, Refreshing, Thought-provoking

See it if you will enjoy a 2 character play involving alleged racism pitting a black student against a white professor; you enjoy very good acting

Don't see it if you might find the first act a bit long; you don't like 2 character plays; you prefer musicals

182 Reviews | 17 Followers
92
Clever, Great writing, Thought-provoking

See it if You want a thought provoking realistic struggle of race relations. You want a night of emotionally charged material that will get you angry

Don't see it if You are sensitive and liberal. You can’t be critical about your own race and other races. I really liked this show. Made me really think!!!

90 Reviews | 5 Followers
91
Absorbing, Clever, Great acting, Great writing, Intelligent

See it if You want to be riveted by the problems we face with our divisive community.

Don't see it if You can't take debate, hard issues and conflict generally. Read more

Critic Reviews (8)

The New York Times
October 25th, 2018

“A bristling, provocative debate play about race and privilege in the US, and it begs to be argued with — partly because Burgess has manipulated the contest in ways that feel unnecessary. But it is also a drama about the destructiveness of internecine fighting...It’s odd that Janine, with all of her experience, doesn’t immediately suggest places Zoe might look to bolster her thesis. And while Janine is not a cardboard villain, Ms. Burgess gives her some clunky lines that make her sound like one."
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Time Out New York
October 25th, 2018

"The arguments Burgess presents—about free speech versus cultural sensitivity, and the difference between endorsing and enacting progressive ideals—are nuanced and timely...Despite the performers' excellent efforts, however, the combatants seem more like political positions than people; the plot that has been grafted onto their righteous pontifications rings hollow, and the sparring becomes repetitious, especially since neither woman seems capable of change. Perhaps that’s the point."
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BroadwayWorld
October 28th, 2018

"In Burgess' thought-provoking 'The Niceties'...while one side appears to emerge victorious in the court of public opinion, neither is unscathed...Both actors give persuasive performances, with Boatman's Zoe seeming intimidated at first, but switching firmly into activist leadership mode...Though Janine is sometimes scripted as being too condescending...Banes does a fine job of showing the character's struggle to retain her composure when her belief in racial equality is challenged."
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Talkin' Broadway
October 25th, 2018

"The play of ideas starts careening out of control. The discussion turns into shouting, and Boatman talks faster and faster, divulging well-worded opinions she can't possibly have come up with on the spur of the moment...Janine, meanwhile, in Banes's calm, well-calibrated performance, is a voice of relative reason, to these ears at least...Senior might have toned down Boatman's volume and hysteria to bring a more equal weight to both arguments."
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New York Stage Review
October 26th, 2018

"I cannot remember the last time I left a theater feeling more frustrated or irritated...Both characters are clearly intended to be sympathetic...Sadly, few of these qualities, save for punishment, figure in any meaningful way in 'Niceties'...As an appeal to our better, saner angels, 'Niceties' doesn’t just fall flat; it actually contests the potential for smart, well-meaning people to cut through the polarization and rancor."
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CurtainUp
October 28th, 2018

"Despite Kimberly Senor's subtle direction and, impassioned as Barnes and Boatman are, they somehow come across as manufactured mouthpieces for the arguments Ms. Burgess wants to bring to our attention. Ultimately I found myself wishing I could like both these women better and that I wasn't turned off by some of the extreme rhetoric."
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Front Row Center
October 26th, 2018

"Nothing is resolved. I loved it. The other thing that I really liked about Burgess’ approach to her two-character, conflict-filled play is that there is no clear villain...'The Niceties' crackles and sparks with friction. Burgess’ characters are drawn with precision and her dialogue is expertly crafted to keep the both the tension and attention high...What it does do for the audience, is allow us to listen to both sides without an emotional stake in the outcome."
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Gotham Playgoer
October 25th, 2018

“It would be hard to find a timelier, more relevant play...The play is all the more poignant in that it is set in pre-election 2016...The play is not without its flaws: at first the author comes dangerously close to making Janine a caricature, but she partially redeems this with some humanizing information later on...The arguments occasionally become repetitious, but the topics are so timely and important that I didn’t mind...Senior’s direction keeps things moving forward briskly.”
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