The Perplexed
63

The Perplexed NYC Reviews and Tickets

63%
(120 Reviews)
Positive
39%
Mixed
43%
Negative
18%
Members say
Disappointing, Slow, Confusing, Great acting, Entertaining

About the Show

In Tony winner Richard Greenberg's biting new play for MTC, two families, whose lives have been tumultuously intertwined for decades, gather to celebrate the nuptials of their children.

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Member Reviews (120)

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506 Reviews | 1000 Followers
70
Thought-provoking, Quirky, Great staging, Disappointing

See it if The set outdoes all of the previous outstanding sets at M.T.C. Great to see so many of our favorites in the cast

Don't see it if Trying too hard. Little action. Relationships muddled. Could use some cutting

408 Reviews | 56 Followers
72
Needs editing, Verbose, Great set, Excellent acting, Interesting characters

See it if you like exploration of 2 families, their interactions & conflict, effect of an evil patriarch with excellent acting & production values.

Don't see it if you dislike a verbose script, characters that, at times, do not seem "real" & annoyingly complex soliloquies that go on too long.

407 Reviews | 67 Followers
65
Raunchy, Overrated, Great staging, Cliched, Banal

See it if You love a zany comedy and are okay with it missing its mark

Don't see it if Are looking for intelligent theater . Play uses many Yiddish expressions that might go over your head

394 Reviews | 70 Followers
13
Disappointing, Insipid, Slow, Cliched, Banal

See it if and only if you are HUNGRY to see Margaret Colin, Gregg Edelman and Frank Wood on stage.

Don't see it if you are easily BORED, hungry for a story where something interesting happens, or where hoping for a 1930's style stage screwball comedy. Read more

345 Reviews | 78 Followers
70
Indulgent, Too many characters, Disappointing, Confusing

See it if Unnecessarily complex family drama taking place off and on stage with a cast of ten characters with a lot of back-story.

Don't see it if Intellectuals philosophizing at a family wedding, with a lot of speech writing --and underlying drama. Read more

326 Reviews | 29 Followers
70
Confusing, Insipid, Great staging, Great acting, Disappointing

See it if you like family comedies even if the story doesn't ring true.

Don't see it if you want a tightly written script that is understandable. Read more

291 Reviews | 29 Followers
70
Perplexing, Disappointing, Cliched, Ambitious

See it if You want to see a play with a lovely set and good acting. This play was truly perplexing - was that the point?

Don't see it if You want any type of theatrical 'experience' or revelation. This is just lots of talking for a very long time.

248 Reviews | 32 Followers
68
Indulgent, Excruciating, Disappointing, Banal, Entertaining

See it if you like spending time with spoiled, rich, pretentious, narcissistic people who occasionally say something witty. Beautifully appointed set

Don't see it if Few laughs or clever lines--rambling with no clear purpose or reason to be. Frank Wood is the only one that might make you feel or care.

Critic Reviews (12)

The New York Times
March 3rd, 2020

"In ‘The Perplexed,’ Moral Gridlock on Fifth Avenue: Richard Greenberg’s overstuffed new play about family feuds and ethical choices turns a wedding comedy into a crisis."
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The Hollywood Reporter
March 3rd, 2020

"Two upscale families clash during a wedding in this world-premiere play by Richard Greenberg, the Tony Award-winning author of 'Take Me Out.'"
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Variety
March 3rd, 2020

"A swank wedding brings out existential angst, savvy laughs and a little faith in Richard Greenberg's delightful new comedy."
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Theatermania
March 3rd, 2020

"Richard Greenberg's 'The Perplexed' Lives Up to Its Title: A new drama about the struggles of the one percent comes to Manhattan Theatre Club."
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Lighting & Sound America
March 5th, 2020

"On any given day, Richard Greenberg can write rings around any other playwright, but this time he has done it to himself…an overstuffed, overpopulated, and wildly overlong drawing room comedy…heavily appointed with unaddressed plot points and conversations that arrive at dramatic dead ends."
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Talkin' Broadway
March 3rd, 2020

"Greenberg's treading water here, bringing up epigrammatic existential malheureuses we don't really want to hear. He'll do better next time; he's a fine playwright, and one of his best, 'Take Me Out,' is just about to warm up at Second Stage. Go see that."
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New York Stage Review
March 3rd, 2020

3/5 Stars. "Ten committed actors in a new play by one of our foremost contemporary playwrights, with little payoff"
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New York Stage Review
March 3rd, 2020

2/5 Stars. "Sometimes a writer has absolutely nothing to say but writes a play about it anyway."
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