“‘Animal’ ultimately disappoints and even infuriates…But the play, directed with clinical focus by Ms. Upchurch, has the virtue of allowing us to sit within touching distance of Ms. Hall as she plumbs the depths of toxic unhappiness. It is a pursuit to which she brings the expertise and bravery of a veteran spelunker…The scariest thing about this half-cooked play is that even after its catchall denouement, it’s still Rachel’s nihilism that feels like the most legitimate way of looking at life."
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"As Rachel unravels—thrillingly, in Hall’s hands—we’re always at least a few steps ahead, right up to the supposed shocker of a final twist. It’s easy to see why Hall was drawn to this material: She gets to span the emotional gamut, from brittle to ferocious. And although Rachel’s off-the-wall digressions outshine the central narrative, this intimate production presents an exceptional opportunity to witness, up close, an actress of Hall’s force probing the limits of custodial rage."
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“Rebecca Hall is so striking and sympathetic in 'Animal' she almost makes up for shortcomings in Clare Lizzimore’s play. Almost — but not quite…The play is designed to be a puzzle…Eventually the root of Rachel’s problem comes out in a late-in-the-game revelation you don't see coming. But surely the issue plaguing Rachel would have come up in therapy, so the twist feels like the author is playing mind games with the audience. Although the play wilts, Hall stands tall."
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“Brilliantly played by Rebecca Hall, Rachel is one hot mess, and it’s the actress’ sterling performance that makes Clare Lizzimore’s gimmicky drama worth the discomfort…‘Animal’ can be a bit of a slog—slow-paced and lacking in narrative momentum…The glib resolution feels more redolent of a playwright’s trickery than an exploration into the human condition…Hall’s superb performance provides the main redeeming element.”
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“Unfortunately, the material is replete with tired, female-cracking-up clichés, and coasts mostly on Hall’s considerable stage presence. For a while, that’s good enough… Hall’s performance devolves into a series of noisome rants...The dialogue reeks of playwriting, especially as we’re able to telegraph the clumsy direction that the story is going…Hall deserves sharper, tougher, better material. For a performer capable of such exquisite emotional control, 'Animal' is too off-the-leash.”
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“Hall is astonishing in her ability to convey the subtleties of this inner tug-of-war…Considering the skill with which we're kept off balance through the majority of the play, it resolves incongruously neatly, and with a surprisingly pointed diagnosis. The overly explanatory ending takes away some of the raw punch…However, if all for the sake of bringing an underexplored facet of woman nature to the stage, a moment of human clarity is forgiven.”
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"The confusion one might feel trying to follow Atlantic Theater Company's production...is no doubt an intentional reflection of the emotional state of its central character...Rebecca Hall, as Rachel, as gives the kind of gutsy, layered performance that keeps viewers intrigued while the playwright slowly drops bits of information that lead up to a puzzle-completing conclusion...Though the 80-minute piece lacks a satisfactory conclusion, Hall is always a captivating presence."
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"Hall is an actress of such coruscating intelligence that she can even make madness seem lucid...The twists packed into the latter part of 'Animal' are surprising, but they are also self-defeating...Such game-playing keeps us guessing but also undermines the play's serious intentions...Still Upchurch's production keeps us vitally interested in what is happening to Rachel...If 'Animal' doesn't quite have the impact it aims for, it has many gripping passages."
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