The Underlying Chris

See it if Fascinating exploration of innate vs. acquired identity. Vignettes of "Chris" at different life stages. Warm, amusing & intellectual.

Don't see it if You would be confused by 10 actors of various ages/races/genders playing Chris. You prefer intensity & emotion to inward reflection.

See it if u want to learn the meaning of life in a play about universality & identity as told thru birth-to-death vignettes from the ever-astute Eno.

Don't see it if you prefer directness, realism & conventionality to allegory, abstraction & non-conformity.

Also Via the protagonist's journey through his/her/their life's milestones (both insignificant & monumental), Eno will have you ruminating about the value of a human life, the relevance of social constructs, and predestination vs. mastery of your own fate.... Read more Read less

See it if An unusual chronicling of a life from start 2 finish. Since all people have both male & female aspects to themselves Chris is no different.

Don't see it if you don't like when a playwright enjoys playing with his audience; you prefer a straight forward story that doesn't make you think.

See it if want brief reminder of what life & theatre can be. like expectations to B turned on their head, want to pay attention & figure it out

Don't see it if like not challenge of disruption of theatrical expectations, want ONE actor to play the same character all the way thru, fight 2 stay awake

See it if you like plays that make you think, that deal with issues like who are we,can we be good & bad at once,are we more than 1 person

Don't see it if you want a straight line, totally comprehensible play.This is probably one you should see twice.That's not a good thing.It should be easier

See it if You enjoy a play about what makes up our identity, blending gender, race and age into a variety of scenes that come to no real conclusion

Don't see it if You dislike a play about what makes up our identity, blending gender, race and age into a variety of scenes that come to no real conclusion

See it if ...a story about the events in one’s life that influence forever played by a variety of “Chris”. Needs to go deeper.

Don't see it if ...the appearance of a character before 1st scene to explain what the play is about worries you. It’s not that mysterious.

See it if life to death of Chris & his/her many incarnations of age, gender, race & how ordinary random occurrences shape his/her life progression.

Don't see it if non-linear, sometimes confusing, many brief scenes, occasionally tedious

Also Having so many different performers play the character can have a distancing effect. Some scenes are touching & quite wonderful, others fall flat. The cast is very good. It's a worthy attempt with varying results.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a play about celebrating our differences, individuality and being alive. You want to see some very good actors

Don't see it if You don't like performances that are in essence short plays. You don't like to see a different type of play. You want to see a musical.

Also I was very impressed with the set design. Very well done. The performers were very good. There were many opportunities to laugh. This play was "different" but I enjoyed it non the less than others I have seen.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy vignettes exploring the development of human character, viewpoint, relationships, with racially/ethnically/gender diverse cast

Don't see it if you prefer spending more energy/time on play theme than on identifying each character played by different race/gender actors in each scene

Also The laudable premise and theme of the work (human emotional and psychological development) would have more impact if the audience were not required in each scene to decifer the code to identify the Chris character in that scene based on rapidly delivered clues tied to reveals in earlier scenes, apparent pandering to the goal of racial/ethnic/gender casting diversity.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a brilliantly conceived, but not fully developed, play about life and its universality

Don't see it if you want "men" to be unique. Eno posits that there is far more to compare than contrast in our lives.

Also "Chris" is a gender and race neutral character who trudges on, "just breathing", as "Chris" goes through life's pitfalls. It is a wonderful idea to base a play on, but "Chris's" reaction to each tragedy is perhaps too resigned to resonate with an audience.

Because we only see "Chris's" life through "Chris's" eyes, it is difficult to reconcile the number of true mourners at "Chris's" funeral with "Chris's" self-perception. We perhaps need some asides (as in its a Wonderful Life - although certainly not as sappy) to show "Chris's" actions or simple presence making the lives of others better.... Read more Read less

See it if You appreciate the plays of Eno.This is another unusual one, exploring the life cycle of a "Chris",portrayed by various actors of different

Don't see it if It is a unique work,but following the play can be confusing.

Also races,ages, and sexes. The performances are excellent.

See it if You like a talent cast of 11 (including children), who play multiple characters. It’s very emotive, well-acted, well-staged. If you watch

Don't see it if AND love ❤️ “This Is Us”, on NBC, then you’ll love this play. I love that the cast was diverse, in age, gender, ethnicity, size, etc. I love

Also That “Chris” was the common theme throughout, however, it was confusing why! That’s my only gripe preventing me from giving this show 100 💯, as a score. It’s family-friendly, funny 😆, and sad 😔. I found myself constantly having to fight back the tears 😭... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in thinking about life's big questions or like Eno's other work

Don't see it if you are easily confused or are uninterested in nontraditional theater/storytelling.

See it if Great acting with interesting sets.

Don't see it if Character changes were a bit confusing.

See it if you can follow one "character" played by several different actors

Don't see it if you can't

See it if You like interesting shows with a unique premise and shows that try to make a deeper philosophical point.

Don't see it if You want to see a straight-forward show with clear characters, that has a lot of action and forward momentum to the story.

See it if You like a fun non-traditional show that requires close attention.

Don't see it if You want a traditional show with a clear linear plot.

See it if You can follow a slightly surreal, kind of non-linear plot. You like non-traditional stories. You like good writing.

Don't see it if You want something easy to follow or traditional. You’re looking for something big and flashy.

Also Captivating, fascinating. Jumping through time and identities. Indescribable, but moving and awesome.... Read more Read less

See it if you like to think about life, you are patient in waiting for a playwright to come to the point, you can tolerate a bit of confusion

Don't see it if you want a traditional play with traditional casting, you are easily confused

See it if you want a complex view on life & identity. This play does something interesting with the casting a views when following one character.

Don't see it if you want a fast paced spectacle. Or if you don't want an overly complex show that requires some brain power in order to appreciate.

See it if You can handle many actors in many roles doing many scene changes with many confusing storylines Trying to tell you the meaning of life

Don't see it if You can’t handle many actors in many roles doing many scene changes with many confusing storylines Trying to tell you the meaning of life

Also I’m the type of person who prefers Monty pythons “meaning of life”

See it if You enjoy seeing theater that tries to tell stories in different ways. This show was simultaneously completely relatable and foreign.

Don't see it if You don’t like to think at the theater. You like straightforward storytelling.

See it if you're into high-concept, low-narrative shows. What was intriguing to me may wear thin & annoy those seeking more traditional fare.

Don't see it if you're easily confused. It can be hard to keep track of who's who as characters get shuffled among actors of varying genders/races/ages.

See it if you like theater that portrays real, sometimes unlikable, mostly white people who are feeling stuck in their lives

Don't see it if you don't have patience for a play about a middling middle-aged white man and the women who take too long to realize they're better than him