When It Happens to You NYC Reviews and Tickets

78%

(71 Ratings)

Positive

86%

Mixed

14%

Negative

Members say

Relevant, Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Intense, Great writing

About the Show

Tawni O’Dell’s theatrical memoir is about a mother’s struggle to help restore a sense of safety and wholeness to her family after her daughter was the victim of a brutal attack.

From the show:

It’s a journey that continues to this day, nearly five years since she received that middle of the night phone call every parent dreads.

“The first time I held my daughter after she was born I made a silent promise to her I would always protect her,” says Tawni O’Dell. “Then came a night in our future when that promise was shattered. I couldn’t protect her from the man who stalked her through the streets of her beloved New York City, broke into her home, and assaulted her,” says Tawni O’Dell. “During the next few years, her life fell apart and so did my own as I tried to help her deal with the fallout from this awful crime. As a way to help make sense of what we were going through, I did what writers do: I wrote about it. I didn’t know if I would ever share our story with the world, but I’m proud to say my daughter has decided that we should in the hopes that we might be able to help other victims and their families. Rape touches just about every one of us. More women are sexually assaulted in this country than are affected by heart disease and breast cancer combined. To say it is an epidemic, is not hyperbole.”

Show-Score Member Reviews (71)

100

Riveting, Must see, Masterful, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You like serious plays -- this one deals with the difficulty of coping with rape by the victims and their family.

Don't see it if You don't like serious subject matters in plays.

Thought-provoking, Relevant, Intelligent, Great writing, Absorbing

See it if you want to see a show that is reality based even though the topic is not one easily discussed. The author has told a well thought out play.

Don't see it if you do not want to face reality or prefer musicals.

Must see, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if If you like a gritty in your face play about sexual assault and its' victims.The young woman who played the part of the young lady who was

Don't see it if If you don't want to see or know about sexual situations pertaining to women in the workplace and beyond. Read more

Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Must see, Relevant, Great writing

See it if you want to experience, almost as vividly as first-hand, emotional and psychological consequences to modern rape victims and their families.

Don't see it if you prefer shorter or multi-act drama, comedy, or musicals, more action and less exposition, or are very upset by detailed rape descriptions Read more

Great acting, Relevant, Resonant, Thought-provoking, Absorbing

See it if You want to hear a true-to-life account of a horrific incident. 90-minutes long. 4 “actors” on stage, even though the writer/mother is not

Don't see it if An actress. Great acting on the other 3’s part. It’s a dramatic memory piece, with light humor and slight cussing 🤬. It’s therapeutic.

Thought-provoking, Resonant, Must see, Great writing, Great acting

See it if I think everyone should make time to see this play: male, female, young, old, etc. A must see for everyone.

Don't see it if You want something light. If you you can’t handle sensitive topics like rape you might want to skip this one.

Raw, Emotional, Resonant, Intense, Absorbing

See it if you want to experience the raw, unfathomable reality of living in the wake of a horrifying event.

Don't see it if you're uncomfortable hearing frank discussions of rape and its aftermath. It's not graphic in terms of detail, but it's painful to hear. Read more

Great writing, Intelligent, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Absorbing

See it if you'd like to see a very personal, moving story about Tawni O’Dell’s daughter's rape and its consequences on her family.

Don't see it if you have problems with the subject of violent attacks, rape, and their consequences on the victims and their families. Read more

Critic Reviews (2)

"It's all very mysterious, since the more obvious route for O'Dell would have been to publish a prose piece, something at which clearly she has excelled, as opposed to exploring such sensitive and highly personal material in a format for which she shows little aptitude."
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"This a work grounded in sober reality, a work that rejects the prevalent idea that 'closure' is something that will surely erase all scars and 'make whole' once more those who've lived through such traumatic incidents."
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Trailer

Creative team