The Undertaking

See it if you like experimental theater, or are deeply interested in how societies & individuals confront death.

Don't see it if you have little appetite for experiment in the theater, or if looking at death makes you squeamish.

Also As I’ve written before on Show-Score, I’m a fan of experimental theater. I’m glad I saw “The Undertaking.” But I can't help feeling that this piece does not fully succeed at achieving its grand ambition of examining how contemporary New Yorkers handle thoughts about/encounters with death. The two actors, while personable, at times feel like they are straining to make their material "believable". The acting style is for the most part hyper-naturalistic, even when the actions depicted -- conducting a shamanistic journey, for example --are not. The plot is choppy -- not necessarily a flaw, but here, when a connection is made, often it feels like it's just dropped. The set is lovely to look at. Too lovely? The video design, which at time washes over the entire set in the very intimate theater space (a huge plus for this production) helps bridge the way for the audience from the banalities of a NYC apartment/studio to the big questions about life & death that the piece grapples with.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see some excellent projections designed by Tal Yarden.

Don't see it if you enjoy plays with character development, an arc, and a plot. Don't go if you feel tired—the slow pacing will be sleep inducing.

See it if you want a play about mortality based on real interviews - embalmer, philosopher, woman with cancer, someone who lost friends to Aids

Don't see it if the two actors act out the roles of the various interviewees with varying degrees of success - more in the very beginning and the rest drags

Also It is telling that in my list of interviews that I listed the embalmer first. It is, sadly, the only one that stuck with me. It was brief, somewhat funny and gross.
The rest should have been more moving and less sleep-inducing.
The actors do put their hearts into the characters and they do a good job of differentiating them.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a Civilian completist. A new slant on their well researched works, this one is a bit sleepy (or I was) in its investigation of death

Don't see it if You want a play, not a folksy report on views of death, passing over, and whether there is something after.

See it if You like workshop style musings on death and dying with some clever stage effects

Don't see it if You want profound insight or a developed story or characters

See it if You want to see two very good actors handle complex and thought-provoking questions of death and afterlife.

Don't see it if You don't want to see a show that is too long for the amount it has to say.

See it if you want to see superb actors who take on more than one role.

Don't see it if you are looking for insights on death. You won't find that in this play.

See it if You like pondering the big questions of death and the hereafter.

Don't see it if You are looking for a plot in the ABC form.

See it if for a meditation on mortality told through several stories

Don't see it if you are looking for a more profound experience; it just covers the surface

See it if You like the civilians. If you like theatre told in an unique way. Like supporting 59e59 programming.

Don't see it if Don’t want 90 minutes exploring the topic of death.

Also The actors are excellent in how they moved in and out of other people’s dialogue. I was engrossed by the technique this play uses.... Read more Read less

See it if You’d like to confront your death anxiety and like documentary style or intellectualized plays

Don't see it if You need a story, an emotional connection with the characters and are avoidant of thinking about death

See it if You want to see something unusual and ambitious but ultimately not particularly interesting or well done.

Don't see it if I don’t think anyone should bother seeing this.

See it if you like shows that look at death and near-death.

Don't see it if you want a lot of action and entertainment. It gets a bit lost in thought at some points.

See it if You enjoy philosophizing about death, you like seeing actors play multiple characters well.

Don't see it if You are expecting something very deep and thought-provoking

Also I didn’t think the frame for the play was effective. I would have preferred more interviews to get more perspectives instead of the psychopomp nonsense- it felt self-indulgent and silly.... Read more Read less

See it if You like innovative staging and good acting, regardless of content.

Don't see it if you won't spend 2 hours (no intermission) with 2 boring persons and phrases like "existential angst" and "fear of death is fear of life".

See it if Great acting and use of voice. Creative use of technology. Thoughtful portions

Don't see it if You are put off by unpleasant descriptions of accidents or embalming; Good ideas repeated more than necessary

See it if You're looking to get in out of the rain and your dentist is booked.

Don't see it if You enjoy well-written, well-directed and well-acted plays (though I feel sorry for the actors who signed up for this mess).