The Trees NYC Reviews and Tickets

59%
(84 Reviews)
Positive
32%
Mixed
38%
Negative
30%
Members say
Quirky, Confusing, Disappointing, Slow, Banal
Two siblings establish a community for themselves in a dangerous world. Read more Show less

Member Reviews (84)

Sort by:
  • Default
  • Standing in our community
  • Highest first
  • Lowest first
  • Newest first
  • Oldest first
  • Only positive
  • Only negative
  • Only mixed
515 Reviews | 731 Followers
27
Experimental, Quirky, Indulgent, Excruciating, Confusing

See it if you enjoy experimental theatre or brightly colored clothes.

Don't see it if Just don’t.

489 Reviews | 57 Followers
69
Quirky, Slow

See it if like something different. a story of community.

Don't see it if want an actual story. this is essentially separate stories thrown together.

323 Reviews | 60 Followers
60
Pretentious, Indulgent, Absurdist

See it if you are into experimental theatre that makes you think "Ooo the writer is being soooo clever!" This is no fault of the actors.

Don't see it if you want a play that's cohesive.

286 Reviews | 41 Followers
35
Boring, Difficult, Absurd, Well-acted, Confusing

See it if you like theater with an absurd plot and/or if you are fans of any of the actors in the show.

Don't see it if you want a plot that makes sense. I really didn't understand the play's deeper meanings and found the story confusing and unengaging.

232 Reviews | 80 Followers
90
Bee's knees trees

See it if You like an existential tale.

Don't see it if You want a literal story with meat and potatoes people and plot. Read more

226 Reviews | 36 Followers
71
Confusing, Relevant, Quirky, Intense, Great acting

See it if You want to see terrific acting in a uniquely voiced show

Don't see it if You want a straightforward drama without any social or political references.

199 Reviews | 43 Followers
65
Relevant, Intelligent, Indulgent, Quirky

See it if You enjoy experimental theater that actually has a plot even though it makes no sense. And the cast is surprisingly good.

Don't see it if You do not enjoy theater that just doesn’t make any sense.

196 Reviews | 40 Followers
32
Quirky, Excruciating, Disappointing, Confusing

See it if Two siblings become trees and I was looking for an ax.

Don't see it if Only one actor is aware what this absurd play is about and the rest of cast comes across as noise.

Critic Reviews (14)

The New York Times
March 5th, 2023

"Borinsky invites guesses; the problem is that we might not care enough for any of the people or ideas onstage to bother hazarding them."
Read more

New York Magazine / Vulture
March 5th, 2023

“If you’re not in the mood to let your mind dance along to its particular tune, you may find ‘The Trees’ exhausting, but there’s a challenging playfulness at work.”
Read more

The Observer
March 5th, 2023

“When so many new plays preach against the obvious ills of our times, or peddle televisual reality, let’s cherish the dreamers and subverters, queering the form so our imagination can climb to the highest branches.”
Read more

New York Theatre Guide
March 6th, 2023

“It's unclear what the author is chasing, maybe intentionally. Either way, it’s hard to see the forest through ‘The Trees.’”
Read more

Theatermania
March 6th, 2023

“The play has a great deal to say about the environment and our relationship to it, the way we treat and mistreat it...’The Trees’ is a beautifully bizarre piece of theater that is both deeply moving and extremely thought-provoking.”
Read more

Lighting & Sound America
March 6th, 2023

“Borinsky advocates for a kinder, gentler kind of playwriting, citing a Marxist critic who urges against using ‘dread as a dramaturgical instrument.’ (The playwright also says, ‘I'm not great at writing plot,’ which may be the understatement of the year.) Thus, the play offers no action but plenty of whimsies and musings about life that, untethered from anything, struggle to stand up on their own.”
Read more

Talkin' Broadway
March 5th, 2023

“Maybe ‘The Trees’ will be poplar; a good many seemed to find it more than oaky-doke. To which I say, lucky for yew. Me, I'm stumped.”
Read more

New York Stage Review
March 5th, 2023

“The truth is that I spent much of my time watching ‘The Trees’ trying to understand what playwright Borinsky was getting at...I even went so far as to think the play is arguing in favor of saving our disappearing forests.”
Read more