The Saintliness of Margery Kempe

See it if you're a Nichols fan; she stands out. O'Connell is a worthy counterpart. Ensemble isn't great (director's fault?) TSMK's plot fascinates.

Don't see it if you're easily bored; every scene is too long. Humor unevenly elicits laughs. Key messages get buried. Not a waste, but misses the mark.

Also TSMK is highly uneven. Sometimes the script is brilliant (and funny) and sometimes dull and repetitive. Some of the actors are great (Nichols and O'Connell) and some are amateurish. Many of the themes (the role of women, the need to be special, religious fraudulence) are deep and important...but the parody tone obscures the historical significance. Cutting the script would greatly enhance the play's effectiveness.... Read more Read less

See it if You don’t mind seeing a show that’s got some pretty good moments in it but gets bogged down with some pretty uneven acting.

Don't see it if You want a great show with good acting, sets and costumes. It all felt pretty amateurish to me.

See it if You want a comedy that is not that funny.first act all over, second has better energy but still falls short.

Don't see it if If you want a more serious play. If you want something that is consistant.

See it if if you feel that effort deserves some rewards Also if you enjoy drawn out escapades and want to see some fine acting

Don't see it if you want to see a story that you can believe where a woman leaves her 14 (reduced to less than half) children behind to search for ??????

See it if you want to learn of an obscure 1490s mystic & poor man's Joan of Arc in an obscure (& dull) 1950s play about the relentless search for fame

Don't see it if you expect to laugh [I'm not really sure this is even a comedy], to be moved, or to be impressed by Pendleton's usually reliable direction.

See it if unusual picaresque tale set in middle ages about a woman who asserts herself, less saint, more pain in the a**; breezy humor; solid cast

Don't see it if cartoonish characters, humor often overly broad, almost vaudevillian; some scenes too long, dialogue sometimes listless

Also According to Wikipedia: Margery Kempe (c. 1373 – after 1438) was an English Christian mystic, who is known for writing "The Book of Margery Kempe," a work considered by some to be the first autobiography in the English language. Her book chronicles her domestic tribulations, and her extensive pilgrimages to holy sites in Europe and the Holy Land in an effort to be made a saint. Many think she exaggerates her exploits. The play uses broad and often obvious humor to show her as a shallow, annoying seeker of fame in a world of fools. The playwright unfortunately does not have the chops of a Chaucer who in Canterbury Tales renders his stories of participants on a pilgrimage w sharp, hilarious characterizations. Also, playwright missed opportunity: could have shown that Kempe, in some ways, was a proto-feminist.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a night of escape with a great troupe of actors bringing about hilarity with a medieval story.

Don't see it if if you are impatient - the first act dragged a little at times, but the production was redeemed in the second act.

See it if This comedy has some funny parts. It's about a woman who wants more out of life during the time when women didn't have choices.

Don't see it if If you just like musicals.

See it if Forlorn middle-aged wife in Middle Ages feigns sainthood, expecting adventurous life unencumbered. Comedy centers on passable lead.

Don't see it if Staticly-staged comedy that Austin Pendleston directs time and time again.

See it if Several funny scenes like when she goes on the pilgrimage dressed as a fake saint and the boat hits a wild storm.

Don't see it if Would be funnier as a 90 minute farce, no intermission. Runs 2 hours 15 minutes.

See it if You like comedies about midieval times that are quirky & require you to let your imagination just go with it. Great acting. Very funny!!

Don't see it if You need structure and consistency like a Shakespeare play. Mocks religion. Raunchy at times and out there. Not for the straight-laced.

Also The actors are fantastic. They deliver the material with direction by Austin Pendleton. Jason O’Connell from Pride & Prejudice is hilarious. Margery is played perfectly by Andrus Nichols. The rest of the cast plays multiple roles - Michael Genet,Thomas Sommo,Pippa Pearthree,Ginger Grace,LaTonya Borsay,Timothy Doyle, and Vance Quincy Barton.
John Wolp wrote the story of a woman who defies her role in 13th century society. The results are a comedy that kept me laughing throughout. A great escape play for a summer evening.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a big fan of Austin Pendleton and want to support his efforts; otherwise I can't recommend it.

Don't see it if you don't have time to waste.

See it if You are fascinated with the idea of resurrecting "the first autobio" and want to follow a woman's strange desire to be recognized as great.

Don't see it if You are an Austin P. fan (but he falls short here,) or are ok with a few talented actors working hard to make you care about any of it.

See it if You’re very patient

Don't see it if If you want an interesting play.

See it if You know someone in the cast or like very dialogue heavy over the top pieces. This didn't know if it wanted to be a comedy or drama.

Don't see it if The staging was unmotivated, good actors- whom I normally love- played over the top characters that were boring and felt forced.

See it if you enjoy morality plays, parodies, or plays with interesting female characters. Occasionally funny with some good acting performances.

Don't see it if you prefer plays with a quick pace and consistent tone. Some scenes drag while the attempted humor in other scenes missed the mark.

See it if You like farce of any kind

Don't see it if You want a good funny show.

See it if Expertly acted comedy (!) of religious mystic woman in 15th century England. Andrus Nichols on a comic romp as the obsessive Margery.

Don't see it if You have no interest in the Middle Ages. Director Austin Pendleton takes this story of a religious fanatic and turns it on its head. A riot!

See it if a cleverly staged play about a medieval woman’s claim of sanctity with actors playing multiple roles (a la Bedlam) good-naturedly appeals.

Don't see it if First act drags, you’ll sit through some muggery & I found it a bit misogynistic, but second act perks up. Philosophical but easy to follow.

See it if you like the cast, who did their best with little to work with. I’d watch Jason O’Connell read a phone book, & I rather wished he had been.

Don't see it if you require a sympathetic protagonist, an interesting plot, or a reason to care about anything happening onstage.

See it if You want to see a play about a woman that feels she wants more out of life and she sets out to get it among challenges and obstacles.

Don't see it if You are not interested in a play about a woman on a mission.

See it if you've done some Margery Kempe homework. Interesting background story, ambitious undertaking. Strong cast plays numerous roles seamlessly.

Don't see it if you're not up to speed on Kempe &/or the era in which this was written. Sometimes very serious, other times very funny, albeit slapsticky.

Also Do cast & crew credentials make up for dizzying book(s)?

Here they do, somewhat. Strong supporting cast plays MANY roles. Most land.

Hardest job on a stage is a non-speaking role, while everyone else is carrying-on around you. Thomas Sommo ("Pegasus" the horse) is silent during the entire first Act, remaining completely in-character. Hard not to stare @ him, expecting him to break.

Great leads: Andrus Nichols ("Margery") is mesmerizing & does not let up for 2+ hrs going from snarky, dismissive, overly-dramatic, shticky, slapsticky, & BACK again; Jason O'Connell ("John Kempe" & "Friar Bonaventure" among others) is believable & very committed.

Have always enjoyed & respected director Pendleton's work as an actor & director. Just thought this was an ambitious undertaking that doesn't always work. I'm totally ok with a LONG show if it captures your interest & attention. This one lands, mostly, on & off.

Interesting show, dizzying book, but I still recommend it, if just for the acting.... Read more Read less

See it if you support great actors doing their darnedest to make a poorly-done play, with some comedic attempts, work to hit head and funny-bone.

Don't see it if seeking riotous humor or a thoughtful work with a clear, poignant end message. The very religious may take offense to the mockery of faith.

Also The off-beat The Saintliness of Margery Kempe is based upon the first Anglophone autobiography. A misguided comedy, TSoMK suffers from an identity crisis, pacing issues, and poor direction. I’m not sure datedness is much to blame: the best works are timeless. Anachronisms can be forgiven in an attempt to make the 14th-15th-century attention-seeking mystic relevant. But the play is a doomed vessel of social satire, the leaks clear. The multi-role-playing actors work too hard to prevent complete capsizing. There were some costuming snafus (Jason O’Connell handled them with some ad-libbed humor that actually felt ideal in tone and finesse!) and one actor stumbled over many lines. In the end, TSoMK unravels any potential potency it builds: feminism, faith, popularity could be reflected upon with great insights but the forced comedy only cheapens rather than throws any serious message into vital relief. Trying too hard to be fresh and pertinent, TSoMK is a muddled mess—like Margery’s life.... Read more Read less

See it if you like shows with intelligent humor about religion and society that is as timely today as it was in yesteryear.

Don't see it if you don't like jokes about social commentary or are a devout Christian who is easily offended.

See it if You like plays that are female-centric, no matter how self-absorbed that person may be. I never got the humor, and left at the interval.

Don't see it if You're expecting an enlightening piece on a historic figure. Why this was written as a comedic piece is beyond me--I wasn't amused at all.