Wives NYC Reviews and Tickets

68%

(75 Reviews)

Positive

52%

Mixed

36%

Negative

12%

Members say

Great acting, Disappointing, Clever, Funny, Indulgent

About the Show

The author of "Men in Boats" returns to Playwrights Horizons with a new comedy that tracks and subverts patriarchal narrative tropes throughout the ages.

From the show:

From the brawny castles of 16th Century France, to the rugged plains of 1960s Idaho, to the strapping fortresses of 1920s India, all hail the remarkable stories of Great Men! — and their whiny, witchy, vapid, vengeful, jealous wives. In this kaleidoscopic, time-hopping comedy, Jaclyn Backhaus pushes past patriarchal cliché to reach an ecstatic breakthrough, untethering stories and history — and language itself — from the visions made by men.

Member Reviews (75)

Clever, Great acting, Edgy, Disappointing, Confusing

See it if you like feminist plays & unexpected twists, learn why women feel so unempowered, like non-linear plots that jump in time, odd happenings

Don't see it if you need a linear plot following same characters, shocked by ill-treatment o women, yearning to stand up on your own& living for who you are

Feminist credo: shows how wives from various historical eras have been overlooked; all over the place; how did this get produced?

See it if 1st several scenes where famous/not-so-famous historical wives rendered like TV “Real Housewives” amusing at times; cast better than script

Don't see it if skits are thin & jokey; final “woman let me roar” scene is tedious & sophomoric

Quirky, Great acting, Funny, Clever

See it if Four time period about women in comedy form (modern language).

Don't see it if Light weight show. Ending does not fit. Read more

Entertaining, Resonant, Great writing, Great staging, Great acting

See it if you can. This is a wildly entertaining show that manages to both split your sides and crack your mind wide open.

Don't see it if you're expecting something stuffy and buttoned up. This show's raucous energy manages to bolster the dramatic punch it packs.

Inconsistent, Funny, Great acting, Intelligent

See it if you enjoy good acting, funny & witty moments; interesting take on the treatment of women through the years; some laugh out loud moments.

Don't see it if you are looking for consistency amongst the three vignettes; third vignette seems out of place; don't appreciate satire or lots of cursing.

Indulgent, Intelligent, Ambitious, Funny, Clever

See it if A mixed bag. The stories of 3 wives at different eras. Some vignettes worked and were entertaining. Game performances.

Don't see it if Others did not. A bit confusing as to who was who. The vignette at "Oxbridge" University was a little too obvious.

Ambitious, Resonant ideas, Disappointing, Not epic, Delightful

See it if 4 interrelated, skit-like shorts by Backhaus; 1 w/ a hilarious Hemingway parody that will be most appreciated by women who love Hemingway.

Don't see it if you’ve no tolerance for affected irreverence. Too little time to develop intimacy that would make the serious parts authentically impactful. Read more

Intelligent, Didactic, Cliched, Funny, Ambitious

See it if you like entertaining theater that furthers the cause of liberating women from patriarchal stereotypes.

Don't see it if you don't like to be preached to in a show that presents it's message in a fairly one dimensional, stereotypical way.

Critic Reviews (15)

“In ‘Wives,’ the Other Halves Have Their Say: Jaclyn Backhaus’s slapdash comedy, at Playwright’s Horizons, travels through time to coax oppressed spouses out of their powerful husband’s shadows.”
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“‘Wives,’ in Four Exuberant Feminist Conversations”
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“The ‘Wives’ of History Are Breaking Free From Their ‘Man’-Made Storie: Jaclyn Backhaus writes new versions of Catherine de' Medici and Ernest Hemingway's exes for a world premiere at Playwrights Horizons.”
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"Jaclyn Backhaus' Frantically Funny and Freestyle 'Wives' Comments on Patriarchal Pigeonholes"
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“Backhaus, whose most recent stage offering, ‘India Pale Ale,’ was far less colorful, has written a time-hopping comedy that vents playfully and eloquently about the sorry lot of wives, and by extension all women, in a patriarchal society...’Wives’ is untidy and obsessive, and one is not always sure what Backhaus is trying to say, but it's still a zippy ride.”
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3/5 Stars "'Life With Papa and Three Other Feminist Tales': An episode involving Ernest Hemingway's several widows is a highlight of a new satirical comedy"
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“I must confess that I was not a fan of ‘Men on Boats’ – and I did not much care for Wives either, although I admire Backhaus’ wild sense of theatricality and daring and uncompromising attitude towards both history and the present.”
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A Theasy Best Bet "Feminism is a laugh-out-loud riot…Under the direction of the very talented Margot Bordelon, the play's relentless momentum speeds through all four parts in 80 short minutes…A great deal of the glory here goes to the excellent four-person ensemble."
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