All My Fathers

See it if you want to see a play that is equal parts innovation, feeling & fun.

Don't see it if you don’t like characters in a play to break character.

Also I don’t remember the last time I saw a play that was so innovative in form even as it consistently engaged the audience. Inveterate theatergoers always delight to find an unexpected gem. “All My Fathers” is my sleeper of the season so far. The central character is a NYC playwright who returns to his Kentucky boyhood home to be confronted with news about his parents’ health & his own parentage that may be true or not. Mayhem ensues. A dead man becomes a character & critiques the play; soon everyone is breaking through the 4th wall. Sound too metatheatrical for you? It’s in fact a delight because Paul David Young’s flawed but deeply winning characters never cease to connect with us. It helps that his cast is near perfect, the downstairs LaMama space is so intimate, & the unified set with huge picture window is able to fully accommodate all the dreams, fantasies & questionable realities of this rare play that manages to be unflaggingly entertaining & experimental at once!... Read more Read less

See it if You want a really smart and inventive play. Treats aging characters sensitively but with a touch of humor.

Don't see it if You’re sensitive regarding old age and dementia as well as cancer.

See it if interested in an offbeat, beautifully acted, funny/sad play that encompasses dementia, paternity issues​, deception, dead characters & more.

Don't see it if you prefer a traditional approach without characters breaking the 4th wall & a teasing epilogue that goes on a little too long.

Also All 4 performers are spot on & Deborah Hedwall is extraordinary.The staging was inventive, the concept clever & keeps you guessing.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a play that can only be done as a play. SPOILER It beraks down the fourth wall. Totally enjoyable despite its serous topic.

Don't see it if you want fluff this is not for you.

See it if you like well developed characters, superb acting & themes of family members attempting to deal with considerable stress.

Don't see it if you dislike frequent flights of fantasy, dream sequences, dead people talking & interacting & some talking to the audience.

See it if You want to see a solid play in every way. I was totally involved

Don't see it if You want a production with full sets and high tech. This play doesn’t need that to be enjoyable

See it if You enjoy family dramas with good writing.

Don't see it if If you don’t like the supernatural brought into the script.

Also I enjoyed the first half of the show very much. In the second half, the characters speak to the dead to try to get answers,
This went on much too long and was very annoyed.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a powerful and well-acted story about identity and paternity, one of the best off-Broadway shows currently playing.

Don't see it if you want an elaborate show with big production numbers. This is a show with a simple set and four actors.

See it if Absolutely explosive mother-son dialog, heartfelt exploration of family dynamics, outstanding acting on all 4 counts

Don't see it if You don’t want to watch a very real family drama, with all its concomitant pain and sorrow

Also Let’s hope this play has another life after La MaMa

See it if Seasoned actors and director take on a family dramady with gusto. Everyone will be able to relate to situations relating to elderly parents.

Don't see it if You don't like family dramas or mental health issues. I liked this play more than I thought it would.

See it if You like plays about family secrets.

Don't see it if You don’t like plays that morph (start as one thing and become another)

Also Well acted and well written. I didn’t expect the characters to break the fourth wall at the halfway point. Good play, but it does get repetitive in its final moments.... Read more Read less

See it if Playwright’s autobiographical work; gay son vs. dying parents & uncertain dad; breaking 4th wall a lot in last scenes; the “mother” actress

Don't see it if .. keeps my jaw dropping in awe; intimate theatre space @ LaMama basement (elevator available); dramaturgic scene is a bit self-indulgent

See it if you're fascinated by family plays, DNA tests, meta-theatrics, and strong performances.

Don't see it if you have no patience for autobiographical cop-outs, in which the playwright's stand-in ends the play by discussing what really happened.

See it if The issue of parenthood resonates with you

Don't see it if you feel one issue (no matter how well played and produced) is worth an entire play

See it if If you want to see a well written play about a family and his secrets/unresolved problems with a touch of Pirandello/Freud.... Smartly Done

Don't see it if Not interested in a play about the meaning of being a real father, cancer, dementia and family issues with actors who break the 4th wall

See it if You like family dramas. The kissing scene at the beginning is quite unnecessary and disturbing. Plenty of intertwined moments.

Don't see it if You prefer more entertaining shows

Also Having a ghost in a story is not something new. "All my fathers" doesn't make much sense when there are only two possible options. I think Mama Mia has done a better job for the same type of stories... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy serious drama that takes on difficult psychological questions with a sense of dark humor

Don't see it if you want something light. But really, don't miss this: La Mama does it again!!

See it if You appreciate a well written, well acted drama that touches on dementia and family secrets and conflicts

Don't see it if You want to see a lavish production with a big cast, or want to see a comedy or musical. Also don't see if you are offended by profanity.

See it if A gay son revisiting his southern home, mercurial mother, shy father. Good bye fourth wall. Valuable experimental theater.

Don't see it if Straightforward plotting is your cup of tea.

See it if You like plays about family conflict, or plays that constantly shifting the style and structure of the play.

Don't see it if You want a straight forward narrative.

Also Beautifully designed. I see some here live that the play begins to comment on itself, but for me it took the air out of it.... Read more Read less

See it if You like small ensemble dramas with a touch of dark comedy.

Don't see it if You don’t like plays that experiment with structure and form.

Also Well acted, with a standout performance by Hogan. Personally I was enjoying the play more when it was on the traditional narrative track.... Read more Read less

See it if very well staged, excellent lighting design, very good acting. An unusual and inventive plot.

Don't see it if I found the intertextuality and "breaking the fourth wall" parts a tad too forced and self-congratulatory, so to speak;

Also they were still entertaining and clever, it just felt that the author was actively looking for an excuse to introduce them whether or not they enhance the play.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see some excellent acting in a play that bogs down in the playwright's navel-gazing & out-clevering himself

Don't see it if you have little tolerance for a shaggy dog story that refuses to wrap up, or for a dream sequence inexplicably featuring a man in a Speedo

Also No complaints about the acting, which was very good, but the Big Revelation dragged on...and on...and on...till I longed to stand up and shriek "Just tell us, so we can leave and get some dinner!" Playwright is in love with the sound of his own voice and has no clue as to how grating his "Everybody on the stage is an unreliable narrator!" device becomes after a much shorter interval than he fondly imagines. First half is pretty good; second should be subjected to ruthless cutting. Minimalist set.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of Paul David Young's plays (especially "In the Summer Pavilion" & "The Clown Play" at Fringe Festivals). Don't miss this one.

Don't see it if you want to miss the terrific quartet of actors: Richard Gallagher, Deborah Hedwall, Jonathan Hogan, and Brian Hastert. They are excellent.

See it if You want to see a family dramedy dealing with relationships with older parents.

Don't see it if You want to see a long, large-cast epic dealing with deep insights.