The Young Man from Atlanta NYC Reviews and Tickets

78%

(248 Reviews)

Positive

84%

Mixed

14%

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Absorbing, Great writing, Dated, Slow

About the Show

Danger waits just underneath the surface in Horton Foote’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of an aging couple still reeling from the death of their only child.

From the show:

Set against the backdrop of a rapidly modernizing 1950s Houston, the Kidders' lives are turned upside down once again when a figure from their son’s past shows up in town. They deny, deflect and deceive in an effort to avoid the danger but can’t dodge the inevitable reckoning. How far will these grieving parents go to avoid the truths this young man from Atlanta might reveal? Director Michael Wilson (The Orphans’ Home Cycle, The Old Friends), the premier interpreter of Foote’s work, returns to Signature to to bring to life this beautiful, heartbreaking play that explores and dissects the American dream while revealing the depths we go to in order to keep ourselves safe.

Member Reviews (248)

Uneven, Slow, Great story, Great acting, Entertaining

See it if Old fashioned play. Well acted and written. Not obvious. Keeps one guessing.

Don't see it if Some characters that lengthen the play but add next to nothing save for the run time.

Disappointing, Great staging, Great acting, Funny

See it if Well acted, well directed play with good lighting. If you like Horton Foote.

Don't see it if The play is inconclusive and leaves you wanting a finality. Play only scratches the surface.

Resonant, Absorbing, Great acting, Great staging, Entertaining

See it if you would like a view of post WW2 in America where business/work/wealth collides with the American dream home/family/death. Great costumes.

Don't see it if you do not like productions of the 190's that have a different pace and do not provide all the answers. Here you have to think for yourself.

Sad, Resonant, Funny, Intricate, Absorbing

See it if 60-y.o. couple struggles to move on after son's suicide and man's job loss. Poses questions about masculinity, love & money.

Don't see it if You are uninterested in characters struggling to navigate 1950's gender roles & attitudes. Slow, lingering scenes. Read more

Dramatic, Traditional, Thought-provoking, Intelligent, Great acting

See it if you enjoy excellent traditional dramas with clear plot points and themes that leave you thinking.

Don't see it if you prefer musicals or experimental work.

Disappointing, Slow, Good acting, Contrived, Dated

See it if u want to see Foote's inexplicable Pulitzer winner about secret lives, coping with modernity & loss (of life, career, dignity, money, trust)

Don't see it if u expect to meet Foote's Willy Loman or experience an important & impactful play from this prominent writer. [This is 2nd rate HF, at best] Read more

Intelligent, Dated, Great acting, Resonant, Slow

See it if Galvanic performances from Quinn & Nielsen (w/an exquisite cameo from Bowie) help steady Foote's tonally shaky tale of quiet desperation

Don't see it if The melding of two major 20th century themes - downsizing & gay identity -never quite works & often feels forced despite a moving ending

Relevant, Slow, Overrated, Indulgent, Great staging

See it if you're a fan of Horton Foote & Michael Wilson's interpretation, curious as to how play won Pulitzer, like family sagas with secrets & denial

Don't see it if don't like slow-moving, obvious plot, you find Kirstein Nielsen annoying (she does fine), odd set (what with the doors?),or gay subtext

Critic Reviews (14)

CRITIC’S PICK "A Heartbreaker Returns in ‘The Young Man From Atlanta’: The Signature Theater’s compassionate revival of Horton Foote’s 1995 Pulitzer Prize-winning play takes a slow route to devastation."
Read more

3/5 Stars: "Even the most fervent Horton Foote fan might be hard-pressed to explain the appeal, much less the Pulitzer Prize, of 'The Young Man From Atlanta.' The playwright was renowned for his delicate, layered storytelling, but this 1995 drama lays it on thick."
Read more

"‘An Unwanted Guest to be Thankful For: Signature Theatre’s new revival of Horton Foote’s work makes clear the play’s surpassing excellence."
Read more

"'The Young Man From Atlanta' and the Old Man From Houston: Signature Theatre revives a Horton Foote play that it premiered 24 years ago."
Read more

"There is no greater Horton Foote authority than Michael Wilson, the director of the current edition, but this time his handling is a little wobbly…The pluses outweigh the minuses, however."
Read more

"The play may not pack the wallop it did twenty-five years ago, but 'The Young Man from Atlanta' offers a potent view of the United States on the cusp of social and political change."
Read more