Washer/Dryer NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (35)
See it if you want laughs, to support multi-ethnic theatre makers, to enjoy NYC real estate in-jokes. Jamyl Dobson is hilarious. Real cooking a bonus!
Don't see it if you're in the mood for something serious and dramatic.
See it if If you've ever lived in a NYC apt, you'll laugh a lot. Sitcom-like. Good for an easy night out.
Don't see it if You prefer a heavy show.
See it if you want to see a goofy play that pokes fun at pretty spot-on stereotypes. Or if you want to see/support Asian representation in theatre.
Don't see it if you want a thought-provoking show. It's cute, but nothing special.
See it if You like TV sitcom style stories
Don't see it if You are in the mood for something a little deeper and original.
See it if You like shows with quirky, funny characters who relate in unusual ways to other characters and NY based shows are your thing !
Don't see it if You are turned off by shows that could be part of a rom-com series .
See it if if you are interested in seeing a new farce featuring a diverse cast
Don't see it if if you have a functioning TV. This show never really becomes anything other than a mediocre sitcom that wallows in worn out stereotypes.
See it if You enjoy plays that dissect relationships.
Don't see it if You want something with real depth.
See it if you're into fast-paced TV sitcoms that feature stereotypical characters in stereotypical comic situations.
Don't see it if you expect more nuance, more meat from the comic characters you see on stage.
Critic Reviews (23)
"Presented by Ma-Yi Theater Company 'Washer/Dryer' is only partly in keeping with Ma-Yi’s mission of producing 'new and innovative' work by Asian-American playwrights. New though it is, the play resembles nothing so much as a stale 1970s sitcom...Wry, skeptical and possessed of a dancer’s grace, Mr. Dobson brings hilarity to a play that badly needs it. In a small miracle, he also makes a fully human being out of a role written as a comic stereotype. The other actors fare less well."
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"Nandita Shenoy’s clunky new comedy...It may be asking too much of a farce to make perfect sense, but the good ones spin out wildly from a center of credibility that 'Washer/Dryer' lacks...The energies of the ethnically diverse cast are channeled into tired cultural stereotypes...Aside from Shenoy, who delivers her own dialogue stiffly, the actors find some moments of funny business between their lines, but there are only so many laughs to wring from material this washed out."
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"Sometimes you just want to be entertained, to laugh a lot, not be required to think too hard and just simply enjoy yourself at the theatre. No crying. No deep philosophical existential questions. 'Washer/Dryer' is just this kind of light delight...The witty dialogue covering subversive prejudices and the all-around absurdity of New York life is a pleasure...The audience just falls into fits of laughter and in love with everyone on the stage. This cast is perfect."
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"It is essentially a well-acted sitcom with a weak plot. But Shenoy gets strong laughs from her broadly-drawn characters, whom she paints with gleeful excess, and the director, Benjamin Kamine, picks up on her raucous humor with some genuinely amusing physical comedy."
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"'Washer/Dryer' is good-natured and Shenoy can write a funny line…But the script is overladen with gags -- mechanical gags, cheap-shot gags, gags that have nothing to do with the characters…Under Benjamin Kamine's blessedly light-fingered direction, at least all this silliness goes down fairly painlessly."
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"As the play progresses, Shenoy introduces many caricatures...Shenoy seem to bring these stereotypes up to make us laugh, but some feel so overused these days and the playwright only touches skin deep when they could be culturally interesting moments...The pace is evenly timed at a slick 90 minutes, directed seamlessly by Benjamin Kamine...If you are looking for a light evening with easy laughs, and don’t mind clichéd stereotypes, this is a play worth attending."
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"I recommend ‘Washer/Dryer,’ a tasty piece of farcical cooking about an Asian fusion marriage. The characters are comically exaggerated yet never so much as to lose touch with reality; the dialogue is sharp and often witty; there are laugh-producing physical set pieces (even the washer/dryer plays its part); and the emphasis on the dangers of lying grounds the play in a meaningful context. Wisecracks about Asian cultural differences are used more for quick laughs than any deeper purpose."
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"Shenoy’s situation comedy skates along on mostly fluffy charm. From time to time, the sexy leads deliver on this sweet promise, but for this kind of comedic froth you need the bubbly fun to last for the full 90-minute show. As the circumstances become more farcical (and not all the performances rise to the challenge), the laughs begin to feel forced…The performances need some tightening up with both comedic timing and when their characters get serious."
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