The Young Man from Atlanta

See it if you want to see every HF work. Why the Pulitzer? Doesn't build to end; no real resolution. Unlikable chars; women badly depicted. No point.

Don't see it if you want an intellig, insightful plot. Repetitive dialogue. Slow, banal, dull. Acting hard to assess, given inferior script. Polished prodn.

See it if You like theatre that shows a”slice of life”, past, present, future, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Great production!

Don't see it if You don’t enjoy subtlety. Set in the 1950’s there’s as much to be read between the lines here of what they say as what they actually say.

See it if Some good acting,( Average of 2 widely different ratings.) Signature always on the ball. with play selection and lower prices for early runs

Don't see it if Main idea ignored similar to movie of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Yes, it was 1950 but... Although a Pulitzer Prize winner Horton Foote's MORE

Also other plays are superior. It is early in the run but some of the cast whisper much too often (The theater is almost 18 rows deep) Wonder if Signature would consider microphones.... Read more Read less

See it if you’d like to see a well-played Well-Made Play shot through with feeling & human insight.

Don't see it if you are in the mood for theatrical innovation: This is a well-made Well-Made Play.

Also Yes, it’s 2019 & Horton Foote’s “The Young Man from Atlanta” feels old-fashioned. But it is also beautifully constructed & humanly wise, & Signature’s meticulous revival held me in its grip from beginning to end. Both lead actors are perfect at playing the deep sadness & bafflement of parents who have lost an adult son & aren’t sure why. Their final scene together, though briefly marred in the writing when Foote introduces an unneeded 11th-hour “confession”, moved me deeply in how naturally it revealed the couple’s underlying mutual affection that may well pull them through the troubles we’ve seen them endure. Foote’s slow unfolding of information about the Houston-area couple, their son & his mysterious life in Atlanta is masterful &, though it toys with the dynamics of a “whodunnit”, it never gets coy. As important to the play’s ultimate success: Its considerable sentiment always feels earned.... Read more Read less

See it if shows how harmful it is 2 fetishize religion; strong Aidan Quinn & Kristine Nielsen as father & mother; handsome set/rich man's home

Don't see it if not as moving as original; weaknesses in plotting exposed; few actors provide combo authenticity/gentle satire roles demand

Also This play is a tale of two cities: Houston and Atlanta, representing the old and new South. It's no accident that the couple's son expresses his homosexuality in libertine Atlanta. Or that their son's grifting lover from Atlanta (never seen on stage) makes his way to Houston where he haunts the couple and destabilizes their relationship. Foote is telling us: by 1950 the ways of the new South are starting to invade the old. Also this is a tale of two races: the white family that is the focus of the play and the black servants who take care of them. The whites are obsessed w money, full of sound and fury, The black servants, though beset by weightier problems, are dignified and uncomplaining.... Read more Read less

See it if You love Foote and old-time Southern plays. This is a classic that slowly builds and, with these actors, it’s very effective.

Don't see it if You’d ask “why this play now?” because of its old-timey, Southern genteel manner — high on religion & low on diversity (save the maids).

See it if Forced retirement and a son's bilking friend take toll on a southern couple. Terrific Nielsen is the play's heart. "It's a new age, Will."

Don't see it if Slow fifteen-minute prologue hint at the slow southern-paced drama to come. "Are you on the Old Age Plan?

Also "Did Mrs. Roosevelt have anything to do with the Disappointments Clubs?"... Read more Read less

See it if Touch of yesterday. Son death leaves them with questions and not facing things about their son.

Don't see it if You want a fast pace show, musical. You want answers, and a ending.

Also Set 1950 a different time and way of thinking. They never said their son was gay, but you put two and two together. Plus Aidan Quinn the father is going thru a job change. Kristine Nielsen the mother was funny and sad. Here are two people who lost their son who are in deep pain.... Read more Read less

See it if Outstanding Broadway cast; set in 1950s. Both maids are sublime. Mom is high-energy & great comic! Dad gets quite mad over things.

Don't see it if You don't like plays with intermissions that fly by (2hr 10min). You don't like poignant plays that mention a gay son who killed himself.

See it if you are a Horton Foote fan and have liked previous productions of the play.

Don't see it if not one of Foote's best plays; everything seems obvious from the beginning though it probably would not have seemed so taking place in 1950.

Also It's sad to see an aging couple's life fall apart.

I like Kristine Nielsen but I feel she detracts from the play. She plays this part the exact same cliched way she plays every other role. It would have been more believable if someone with more depth to her acting played the part.... Read more Read less

See it if If you appreciate a great American writer.

Don't see it if You want comedy and musicals.

See it if You like a family drama that feels like an old classic

Don't see it if You need a lot of fireworks on stage. This is a classic family drama where the dialogue, not action moves things along

Also I felt like I was watching a play that was written in the 1950s. I thought it was interesting when I read that this was written in the mid-1990s. It definitely had that old classic Arthur Miller or Tennessee Williams feel to it.
I found it fascinating when things were revealed for me. So crazy how the mother knew about her son and accepted it while the father did not. It was very typical for an old school family like this to never discuss these issues even between the husband and wife when it was in regard to their son.
The mother loves her son no matter what and while the father was sad that the son died what would’ve been worse for him is if the world found the truth out about who his son was.
The acting was incredible but the set was kind of disgusting.... Read more Read less

See it if It's pretty clear early on that the dead son was gay. What's fascinating is how Foote has Kristine Nielsen and Aidan Quinn dance around it.

Don't see it if Not Foote's best, but excellent nonetheless. Supporting cast is fine; Harriet Foy as the maid. Jonny Orsini is Jon now, but just as cute.

Also Horton Foote himself does the pre-curtain announcement. I was the only one who applauded.... Read more Read less

See it if Kristine Nielsen and Aidan Quinn lead a marvelous cast in a play that is sad, touching and relevant. Heartbreaking and moving.

Don't see it if If you like your shows wrapped up in a neat bow in the end, this might not be for you. It offers no easy answers to the questions it poses.

See it if you like Horton Foote. Acting excellent especially Aiden Quinn. Good old fashioned play.

Don't see it if you don't like unanswered questions. The main plot is unresolved. Not Horton Foote's best, but still okay.

See it if You are a Foote completist and missed this one earlier when it must have worked better and won the Pulitzer .

Don't see it if You become impatient with over acting or expect consistent styles from all actors. What may have been daring 25 yrs ago seems flat.

See it if You love this playwright, miss straight plays with developing characters and stories. I saw an early preview, hoping things tighten up.

Don't see it if Play was a bit corny, naive, but comfortable. I think the unspoken was obvious from the start, but watched the characters admit to truths

See it if You like family dramas set in the past. You enjoy the pull between the old ways and the new ideas that threaten them.

Don't see it if You don’t like subtleties.

See it if You appreciate Horton Foote—this is among his best, character driven, grounded in reality.

Don't see it if You don’t like period pieces; two-act play with intermission.

Also The indignities of aging, a fast decline. Truly sad because the issues are equally relevant today.

Graded down because when the lead is soft spoken, he is hard to hear.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of Horton Foote or Kristine Nielsen (Quinn struggles to establish character). Interest in American south, 1950s.

Don't see it if You are an impatient listener. Need action rather than dialogue.

Also Similar themes to Death of a Salesman.

See it if you want to see Pulitzer-winners and see how they've aged. If you want to see Kristine Neilsen deliver another terrific performance.

Don't see it if you're expecting something deeper.

Also It's truly confusing how this won a Pulitzer for it's very by the numbers structure on a topic that's been in plays since the 1940s. Foote, in the mid 90s, seems to just skirt around the LGBT elephant in the room and never deals with it in any way.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a beautiful production of this very fine Horton Foote play. Kristine Nielsen is outstanding as Lily Dale.

Don't see it if You do not like quiet, contemplative family dramas.

See it if you enjoy really good acting and writing. The show was so good that I thought I was on Broadway rather than off-broadway

Don't see it if you are looking for a musical

See it if Brilliant writing, thoughtful denouement, and carefully melded story that stays with you long after it unfurls.

Don't see it if Complex character story where things are only shown, rarely told. Wonderful acting. This is slow and thoughtful

Also This a story told in nuances and gradually in stages as well as through beautiful ensemble acting. It twists and turns on itself and its characters and although everyone is exposed there is still a wonderful earnestness and sweetness to every character no matter his​ or her foibles. I found it riveting and will think about it long after seeing it.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Horton Foote's writing, in a play which is dated because attitudes toward homosexuality have changed so radically in 25 years.

Don't see it if you don't like plays about the South, especially one so dated both re homosexuality and the balance of power in most marriages.

Also The leading man was inaudible muchof the time. I think Kristine Nielsen was miscast because this role should NOT be played for comedy, and she is incapable of turning off her comedic instincts.... Read more Read less