Uncle Romeo Vanya Juliet

See it if you're a fan of all of Bedlam's out of the box works, won't be disappointed by two classics attempted to be mashed up

Don't see it if you want a clear-cut production of either Vanya or R&J or will be bothered by an indulgent concept that didn't add much to the Vanya plot

Also I loved Bedlam's Sense and Sensibility and Cry, Havoc but I'm still not sure what was going on in this production. If you think that there is a way that Vanya has an interesting mash-up with Romeo and Juliet, I'm sorry to say that it feels like more of an exercise used with first-year drama school students. Random parts of Romeo and Juliet text were interspersed at intense moments in Uncle Vanya which made it seem like they were using heightened text everyone learned in high school to help demonstrate to the audience, in case we weren't able to follow Chekhov, the subtext and emotional life the characters are feeling. It kind of felt like we were being force-fed the show through other text and I would have prefered the see Vanya by itself with this talent ensemble of actors. The Vanya moments were spectacualr and the actors truly understand their characters.... Read more Read less

See it if u feel everything Tucker does is worth seeing.Like experimental theater & r willing to put up with a creative mess with moments of genius

Don't see it if u r not famiiar with Vanya or Romeo & Juliet. Do not like experimental theater. Long for these plays beautiful words untouched.

Also I truly believe EVERYTHING done by eric is worth seeing. This first preview as explained prior to show was rough and for me did not succeed in achieving goal of placing plays side by to show their common themes. It also could not decide whether it wanted to be a spoof or serious. Concept holds great promise but needs further work i look forward to seeing it again later in the run... Read more Read less

See it if I know Vanya and Romeo well and got a few valuable, memorable insights out of the attempted mashup.

Don't see it if But I'm not convinced this show will entertain a broader audience and wish Bedlam had stuck to the great idea of doing these plays in rep.

See it if you are in love with Bedlam and want to see what they're up to.

Don't see it if you want a coherant play or expect either Uncle Vanya or Romeo & Juliet productions.

Also I just loved Bedlam's Sense & Sensibility and was very disappointed by this. I didn't think the mash up of the two plays informed either to its benefit. The R&J 'story' was made up; it didn't parallel Vanya, so for me it didn't work. Actors felt miscast and the poignancy of Vanya was lost. Neither story really held up. Basically...forgettable.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy experimental dramas. The play's premise is very intriguing but the execution fell very short.

Don't see it if You avoid complicated, hard to follow, long dramas.

See it if you are interested in experimental theatre, you have deep abiding love for either of the works being used, you don't mind weird.

Don't see it if you prefer straightforward, linear plots and ideas; you don't want to have to think too hard;

Also I've wanted to see a Bedlam show for a long time, but this is the first time it's ever worked out for me. My feelings about this show are pretty conflicted. I thought the actors were all excellent, really top notch, BUT whatever they were trying to say by pairing these two works together was just not working for me. They seemed to have a really good handle on the Chekhov-- so much so that I would have preferred to see them do a performance of just that. The intercut Shakespeare was much less clear to me, and I 100% think that's due to the fact that it was also unclear to the actors. The performers all had amazing, specific physical lives, and this show is worth seeing just for that reason...but the show is also too long-- over 2.5 hours. By the end of it, I definitely felt like I had had enough and that I was ready to go home and not think about Chekhovian misery anymore.... Read more Read less

See it if you're an established fan of Eric Tucker's direction, Bedlam's former projects, or the source properties & are willing to see a fresh take.

Don't see it if you expect either play to be newly illuminated by this mashup. The connections between characters as presented are incomplete & unclear.

See it if you think there are parallels between these two plays that warrant a mashup

Don't see it if if you think life is too short to spend 3 confusing hours theater without being entertained or amused even a little.

See it if You want to see an ambitious and bold reimagining of 2 titans of theatre.

Don't see it if Your taste level is traditional .

Also The juxtaposition of a very colloquial translation of Chekhov (Kimberly Pau) & the classic text of Shakespeare makes for a fascinating experiment. Theatre is a living breathing thing. The freedom one has with a company is the ability to be able to play and delve into the inner machinations of beloved texts and stories. Bedlam under the direction of Eric Tucker has done just that with this production. It is theatre for the sake of exploration. Therefore it demands one as an audience member to LISTEN, put aside preconceived notions and submit to the experience. While it is in previews and at times felt like the pace could have “picked up”, when the piece was in full throttle, it's the stuff of theatre magic. Go support this piece.... Read more Read less

See it if You're a die hard fan of the company

Don't see it if The First Act was sheer torture .sat in lobby and accessed internet on my phone rather than wasting another hour.had to wait for a friend.

See it if you like out-of-the-box theatre even if it doesn't land.

Don't see it if You expect it to live up to Bedlam's Sense and Sensibility or Vanity Fair.

Also This was ambitious but it just didn't work. The Rome and Juliet parts just seemed thrown in and were distracting to the major story based on Vanya. And there were too many "dance breaks" and they did nothing to move forward the plot.... Read more Read less

See it if For those who like Bedlam’s take on well known novels and plays this is an opportunity to see their interpretation of two well-known plays

Don't see it if This confusing production takes random scenes from both plays but never realized before that everyone whines in Uncle Vanya in high decibels

See it if You'd like to see a production of Uncle Vanya interspersed with moments from R&J.

Don't see it if You are expecting a full mash up of both shows. You can't sit through classical text.

Also The first act is very engaging and enticing but they lose it in the second act and it gets confusing as to the connection between both shows. Some of the actors are either good at the Chekhov or the Shakespeare. The actress playing Sonya is fantastic though!... Read more Read less