The Profane NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (95)
See it if You enjoy family dramas and don't mind a narrative that raises more questions than it answers
Don't see it if You are uncomfortable with loose ends and really need a tidy ending
See it if you are interested in cultural differences between secular and fundamentalist Muslims living in the US.
Don't see it if The play is engaging, almost until the end. Unfortunately, the climactic moment feels forced and the flow is interrupted.
See it if for a great compare and contrast re believers and non-believers and how content each is with his/her life.
Don't see it if the above is not of interest
See it if you ant to see a family drama that offers a new take by featuring an underrepresented culture
Don't see it if plays that deal with faith and tradition don't interest you or you need them to haveh a strong narrative arc and conclusive ending
See it if you like a drama that deals with issues of identity and also has an engaging plot and sympathetic characters.
Don't see it if you are turned off--at this point--by plays dealing with identity issues of Middle Eastern, middle class families in America.
See it if You are interested in a well written, a well acted play about family relationships,values and prejudices. A thoughtful presentation.
Don't see it if If you are not interested in cultural differences and their influence on individuals. A rather deep and complex play.
See it if You enjoy thought provoking shows and are open to stories about characters with differing religious views
Don't see it if You are looking for something light and not interested in a story of families trying to bridge religious differences.
See it if You're interested in new plays about modern, relevant topics -- especially those about religion and Islam.
Don't see it if You dislike living-room, familial dramas about religious differences between engaged couples, or have grown weary of similar work.
Critic Reviews (28)
“A big, topical, controversy-filled, heaving, seething knot of subjects…Fagan stages beautifully, moves his actors as if they were responding to their own impulses…In performance levels, all the adults, the parents, are splendid, seasoned pros, reach all of the audience right to the back rows...But the young actors haven’t the same strengths, the same ability to project their performances, their crucial performances…They do disservice, indeed, damage, to the play."
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“The first act is bogged down by forced exposition…Tolerance is a liberal value but so is standing up for civil and human rights. Liberals are currently fighting over where the balance between these two principles lies, but sadly, ‘The Profane,’ does little to enrich the conversation…While there are many engaging stretches that give ‘The Profane’ momentum and make it fairly easy to watch, I kept craving real tension instead of the manufactured antics on display.”
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"Wading out into these waters isn’t an impossible task, but it may well be ill-advised, and it’s hard not to cringe when the play traffics in ethnic and religious stereotypes...The situation here crackles with a kind of energy. It could use more exploration. But 'The Profane,' even if it shakes off its slow start, is weighed down with too much weakness, especially the too often clunky dialogue and the seemingly tacked-on last scene."
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"These people weren't people; they were vehicles for differing views...Dohrn throws out the two most binary points of view, juxtaposes their stereotypes, and calls it a day. Honestly, it's a little too easy and a little lazy. The script is a lot of tell, and very little show...Kip Fagan's direction seems almost too light. The play lives in such a cerebral places that it never really settles into itself...The thoughts don't land, the language gets old, and the rhetoric gets tiresome."
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