37th Marathon of One-Act Plays: Series A

See it if you like short plays. Whole is greater than sum of parts: don't like one play, you get another. All well acted, well staged, and timely.

Don't see it if you dislike topics like MeToo, addictn, interracial love, arrested developmt. Ea play has interesting premise; some land better than others.

See it if you are interested in seeing a program of timely, psychologically acute short plays.

Don't see it if you don't like the short play form.

Also Is there another theater organization in NYC as devoted to the short play as Ensemble Studio Theatre? Once every month during the season it presents a brunch program of short plays from its young playwrights. (I’m a regular at these brunches, always a theatrical blast.) Then at season’s end EST presents programs of 1-acts in more polished productions. Series A in this year’s marathon is a success. While not as innovative as a lot of brunch material—the prevailing mode is psychological realism—the evening more than makes up for it by offering acute insight into the ways our times can damage individuals, & the ways that people near to them can mitigate the damage. The night is full of laughs at funny lines & incongruous situations. But at least once in every play I felt the chill of recognizing another human’s pain. No medium allows for this empathy so well as theater, & I thank EST & its collaborating artists for the care & rigor with which they bared the human heart on this night.... Read more Read less

See it if Four decades in, EST's Marathon of shorts remains the theatreworld's best bargain box of buried treasures. Fifteen over three nights: A,B&C.

Don't see it if No star wattage this year. Series A, uneven?Sure. A little disappointing?Perhaps. Should you still try series B and C?Absolutely can't miss.

See it if you enjoy the one-act play form. The first two plays are terrific, and then the evening starts to go downhill. Good acting and staging.

Don't see it if you enjoy quality one-act plays. Series A starts off well and then slides down the rabbit hole. The actors try to overcome their material.

See it if You need to be OK with seeing short scenes which in some cases feel unresolved. You really enjoy the concept of one Acts.

Don't see it if You are looking for fully fleshed out characters and themes. This feels like a work in progress for most of the 5 plays.

See it if Series A is five short one-act plays, mostly about individuals and relationships in trouble.

Don't see it if You don’t like one-act plays where not everything is explained and tension is mostly left unresolved.

See it if 3 out of 5 are good, short vignettes. The funnier and more tongue-in-cheek plays excel. A really good time overall.

Don't see it if 2 out of 5 rambled and their more serious parts weren’t so successful.

Also “I'm Sorry” by Fox and "The Lepers" by Damiano were tops and work the best as self-contained plays. The rest seem like scenes pulled from longer works in progress.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see 5 short one-acts with fine writing and acting that leave you wanting to longer versions

Don't see it if you are triggered by stories of rape, alcoholism, racism, or the abuse of asylum seekers.

Also Fang Du, fresh off his fine performance in Where is My Mapletown", shows that was no fluke and is magnificent here.

Also exceptional was Molly Carden in "Tricycle Backflip" as the sister who has to grow up when tragedy strikes her sibling.

I especially would love to see a longer version of "Low Power" dealing with racism among immigrants and the abuse of asylum seekers by all administration, but especially by the Trump Administration.... Read more Read less

See it if you like 1 act plays, are interested in current issues, enjoy good writing, acting & human interrelationships.

Don't see it if you dislike 1 act plays with serious themes that, at times, do not provide "depth" due to the structure of this abbreviated play format.

See it if You like to support plays in progress.

Don't see it if You want fully developed concepts and polished productions.

Also Launching point for some lucky plays. If you’ve been before, you’ll recognize actors, perhaps with delight.... Read more Read less

See it if you support their mission of presenting multiple nights of 1 acts.

Don't see it if you believe they should do fewer nights of short plays when the year's crop isn't, like this year, up to par.

See it if You enjoy taking a chance in new works, some if which succeed better than others.

Don't see it if You are not game for theater in development.

See it if you enjoy lots of ideas packed into short acts, and enjoy laughing and thinking and feeling all in a short time

Don't see it if you want serious character development or elaborate plots

Also As always, EST's one act marathons are well chosen, well acted and directed, cleverly staged. If you like what you're seeing, wait a few moments for the next!... Read more Read less

See it if You will enjoy five one act plays, several of which address contemporary issues (interracial dating, date rape, Me Too).

Don't see it if You are not interested in seeing new one-act plays of uneven quality.

See it if you like a diverse line-up smart-minded short plays.

Don't see it if Some of the plays aren't as well-developed, sometimes even meandering, as if a scene from a longer play.

Also The highlight for me was "The Lepers", a funny, very human and moving duet piece focusing on two struggling NYers at the onset of 2017. Sharp, funny dialogue and lovely performances. There was merit to some of the other plays as well, but some pieces tended to have a lack of focus and coasted more on their humor. Still, there were other finely tuned performances and direction throughout. Overall, definitely worth a look - and the EST marathon is a cherished theatrical tradition, and needs to continue to be as a great forum for new short work.... Read more Read less

See it if I love the EST Marathon, I’ve been going for years. Always gems on the bill, and if you don’t like a play it will be over soon.

Don't see it if I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to see this.

See it if Two of the plays are knockouts--well-written, acted, directed: Rosie by Lily Houghton, who scored Danya Taymor as director and Tricycle

Don't see it if Backflip by Dan Giles, crisply directed by Matt Dickson. Amy Fox's I'm Sorry is cleverly conceived and has its moments but the start is

Also stronger than the finish. The other two plays didn't land for me--both issue plays that are earnest and may resonate for some. On balance, Series A is a strong grouping, and anyone interested in new writing and in supporting emerging artists should check it out.... Read more Read less

See it if You like a great collection of plays by a talented group of artists. A nice mix of content and each piece feels well done and well curated

Don't see it if you want to see a full length play!