Wild Goose Dreams NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (71)
See it if you are interested in relationship plays that touch on deep and serious themes. Sad and touching and very well done by all. Loneliness hurts
Don't see it if you are not interested in the pain of missed opportunity and failure.This is about the need for contact and the mistakes that thwart success
See it if You'll like this if you're up to a different type of show - not linear - that utilizes digital media for high impact. Terrific set!
Don't see it if You need something straightforward, linear, and pre-digital. Read more
See it if Loneliness takes on depth when applied to particular situations in the two Koreas. Small stories almost overwhelmed by intricate staging.
Don't see it if The Tory is a drama wrapped in glistening technology. Remember that at denouement. Also, be aware some of the technology & music is loud.
See it if a story about loneliness in the age of social media; relationship between 2 people separated from their families
Don't see it if several parts have rapidly sung social media & computer terms & phrases; metaphors & fantasy mixed in with story; sad effects of loneliness
See it if Rhythmic & symphonic in its structure exploring loneliness, yearning, freedom, family & the difficulty of communicating even in same tongue
Don't see it if It is not a linear narrative but in its exploration of storytelling and creating our own narratives this is a beautiful and creative tale
See it if you are interested in the life of a North Korean defector and a South Korean working in Seoul whose family is in the United States.
Don't see it if you expect a "normal" play. This is more of an experience with imagery and dreams acted out. Read more
See it if an assured, fanciful, funny new work by exciting new writer to the theatre scene directed with skill and flair by veteran director
Don't see it if if plays with choruses and dream scenes are not your cuppa tea for some reason, this may not be for you
See it if you're interested in a fascinating story set in a particular culture that nevertheless uses a diverse cast well, and an ensemble inventively
Don't see it if you need big stories, don't have patience for a bit of a slow burn, or dislike shows with extensive ensemble participation.
Critic Reviews (21)
“In offering a window on a world most New York theatergoers know little about, Hansol Jung's ‘Wild Goose Dreams’ is a fascinating look at Korean culture. On the other hand, what appears to be a Korean obsession with the Internet and smartphones often becomes tedious as it goes on so long without bringing us much that is new. Leigh Silverman's busy production creates a world of its own but is often overwhelming rather than enveloping.”
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“Jung's method of overlaying the digital onto the physical world is clever, and Silverman's realization of the intricate script is skillful...But with so much attention devoted to sorting through all the digital noise of this world, some of the underlying plot points become jumbled. Kim and Krusiec offer charming and appealing performances, yet the Minsung/Nanhee love story ends up feeling unevenly developed."
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"I rarely have the experience of being extremely excited and engaged in the beginning of a play, and at the end being unsure of what I was supposed to be taking away...There are so many good elements to this production. So many good ideas about presenting a computer chorus which worked – but it needs to be carried through a whole piece. Kudos to Hansol Jung for thinking of it and kudos to Leigh Silverman the director for shaping it so well."
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"Playwright Jung, while doing an excellent job in the quiet moments of the struggle to find meaning in the modern-day connection, loses herself in 'Wild Goose Dreams‘ overly conscious cleverness...It’s a grand spectacle and some YouTube fun, even when drenched with sadness, that create an enjoyable dive into the modern world of emotional engagement, but the overall effect leaves you as satisfied as a fine internet date that you know, in the long-term, will be forgotten quickly."
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"I’m not sure the play could possibly succeed at all the things it’s trying to do, and in the end I think it sometimes leans on its structural complexity at the expense of a fully realized emotional landscape...But there’s still so many things to enjoy, ruminate on, appreciate, and startle at. 'Wild Goose Dreams' is worth seeing for its innovative approach to our twenty-first-century identities and its dreamscapes even if it doesn’t catch all the balls it throws into the air."
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“’Wild Goose Dreams’ is cluttered with cleverness, awash with theatrical invention. What makes the play worth seeing, though, is its quieter but in many ways richer aspects – the complexity and pathos of the three central characters...There is much humor and several awww-inspiring moments...Silverman also deserves credit for the three central performances, which manage to be both unaffected and affecting, straightforwardly credible and somehow also deeply lyrical."
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"As the underutilized Greek chorus filled the stage delivering the cacophonous sounds of technology...Ninety minutes later...Jung’s play continued to spew extraneous technobabble...Director Silverman and playwright Jung deserve major accolades for attempting to push the boundaries of conventional theater, and there is some poetically beautiful language. Yet the abstruse nature of 'Wild Goose Dreams' ultimately clouds the vital message about human connection."
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"Theatrically and intellectually interesting if insufficiently moving and dramatically diffuse…Mingles straightforward realism with surrealistic sequences of highly stylized voice and movement…The scenes between the lovers tend more toward the ordinary and conventional than anything notably insightful or touching…And, given the sacrifices involved, the defector theme seems weak…Most memorable is Ramos's exuberantly imaginative set…I can't really say my heart goes where this wild goose goes."
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