The Qualms
Closed 1h 30m
The Qualms
79

The Qualms NYC Reviews and Tickets

79%
(9 Ratings)
Positive
89%
Mixed
11%
Negative
0%
Members say
Great acting, Entertaining, Clever, Great writing, Funny

About the Show

Playwright's Horizons presents Bruce Norris' newest play about a group of couples, all without children, who REALLY enjoy each other's company.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (9)

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220 Reviews | 54 Followers
96
Great acting, Great writing, Resonant, Funny, Clever

See it if you want to see a play by an author that asks the hard questions in shockingly funny and brutal ways. You can't look away.

Don't see it if you get uncomfortable easily. Sex, politics, friendships and a bunch of other things are thrown right in your face in this new piece.

712 Reviews | 252 Followers
85
Clever, Entertaining, Great writing, Edgy, Relevant

See it if You are a Bruce Norris fan, or enjoy new, darkly comic plays.

Don't see it if You can't stand the discussion of sex or other topical issues.

124 Reviews | 173 Followers
85
Clever, Funny, Great writing, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if you like funny, provocative shows that ask big questions in entertaining (sometimes squirm-inducing) ways.

Don't see it if you are squeamish about frank sex talk onstage.

156 Reviews | 204 Followers
83
Clever, Entertaining, Funny, Original, Slow

See it if you want an engaging story and decent actors

Don't see it if you don't like run of the mill off broadway

972 Reviews | 1051 Followers
80
Hilarious, Great acting, Great writing, Entertaining

See it if You enjoy laugh out loud sit-com like comedy.

Don't see it if You don't like shows about adult themes or comedy that revolves around sexual situations.

995 Reviews | 947 Followers
75
Great acting, Surprising, Entertaining, Fun

See it if great story, fun, funny and intense. Great acting. Absorbing.

Don't see it if you don't like sexual issues being discussed on stage.

509 Reviews | 336 Followers
74
Raunchy, Quirky, Intense, Great acting

See it if You are curious to see a play about this risqué topic. Not one usually explored. The acting is excellent.

Don't see it if With family members or friends with whom the sexual topic might be awkward.

399 Reviews | 205 Followers
72
Clever, Entertaining, Ambitious, Great acting, Quirky

See it if Noah Emmerich was riveting. He's a very charismatic performer. The topic was original, and the story kept me interested.

Don't see it if It was very sexually oriented. Not for the faint of heart or conservative. Definitely not for kids.

Critic Reviews (47)

The New York Times
June 14th, 2015

"'The Qualms' offers engaging performances and rawly funny exchanges, but instead of meaty drama or even sex farce we are given a series of contentious conversations about fidelity, the meaning of marriage and other magazine-article topics."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
June 14th, 2015

"The discussion is amusing, certainly, spiced up by occasional smuttiness, and very well acted all around. But Norris is not really trying to do Shaw on Shagging: He doesn’t have enough love for his characters to make any of them very plausible in their positions. Rather, he’s an underminer...Of course, Norris is too smart to let you take refuge with any side of any argument; he’s an equal-opportunity belittler. That makes for a thrilling if not always edifying ride."
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New York Daily News
June 14th, 2015

"In the end, the evening turns into a talkfest about monogamy, pornography, power, freedom, Deb’s late husband Janosz’s too-big-to-fail manhood, and banana pudding, which is one thing everyone can agree on. Unlike Janosz’s endowment, the play leaves you wanting."
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The Hollywood Reporter
June 14th, 2015

"The play well displays Norris' gifts for acerbic comic dialogue and pungent social satire. The characters are amusingly drawn, their heated interactions eliciting laughs and gasps. But the evening eventually winds up spinning its wheels, becoming repetitive in its themes and feeling contrived. By the time it's over, the characters wind up dejected and exhausted, feelings that may well be shared by the audience."
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New York Post
June 14th, 2015

"From a dramatic point of view, this escalation is limiting since the play can only go in one direction. The arguments aren’t new, either. Still, Pam MacKinnon’s sleek production is very entertaining because Norris writes fantastic jerks and pits them against defensive, ultra-PC types. And the cast is excellent."
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AM New York
June 14th, 2015

"'The Qualms' is essentially a static scenario about group sex with little plot or character development. It leads to nothing but an extended discussion on human nature and American culture. The subject is more hackneyed than shocking, and Norris does not provide any original or interesting insight into it despite all the argumentation."
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Theatermania
June 14th, 2015

"The characters may not be having the fun they so desire, but we on the other side of the invisible fourth wall are having a ribald one. 'The Qualms' has a lot going for it, namely Norris' razor-sharp dialogue, laden with lines that explode into laughter, and a real doozy of a production."
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BroadwayWorld
June 15th, 2015

"Norris' dialogue is amusing and entertaining and MacKinnon's tight ensemble keeps the ninety-minute piece slickly paced but 'The Qualms', though touching at times, lacks the electric crackle of his past work."
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