Animal
75

Animal NYC Reviews and Tickets

75%
(62 Ratings)
Positive
73%
Mixed
24%
Negative
3%
Members say
Great acting, Intense, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Intelligent

About the Show

Atlantic Theater Company presents a darkly comic play about the underside of domesticity, the complexity of the brain in chaos, and the thin line between sinking and survival.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (62)

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57 Reviews | 33 Followers
77
Absorbing, Great acting, Intense

See it if love great acting. Rebecca Hall is remarkable and play should be seen just for her, but all the actors are excellent.

Don't see it if don't like character studies. Not all the play is up to a high standard and the "reveal" was disappointing but go for the ideas & acting.

147 Reviews | 39 Followers
75
Great acting, Confusing, Absorbing

See it if Excellent acting and good character development offset a too-convenient denouement. On balance, a worthwhile evening of theater.

Don't see it if You are not comfortable witnessing the painful disintegration of a personality and a marriage.

118 Reviews | 26 Followers
75
Great acting, Sad, Intelligent

See it if You love Rebecca Hall ( and Morgan Spector).

Don't see it if You are prone to -------depression.

192 Reviews | 24 Followers
72
Confusing, Edgy, Ambitious, Disturbing, Intense

See it if you're patient and willing to go along for the bumpy ride.

Don't see it if you don't appreciate drama that doesn't doesn't become clear until the end.

223 Reviews | 45 Followers
71
Great acting, Edgy, Intelligent, Intense, Thought-provoking

See it if great acting--Rebecca Hall especially; it's an interesting psychological drama. Bare-bones staging, but it's a solid, 90 minute show

Don't see it if you want a big production, don't enjoy watching a mental breakdown

140 Reviews | 33 Followers
70
Great acting, Resonant, Intense, Thought-provoking

See it if you would like to see the incredible work of Rebecca Hall, while ignoring poor writing. She carries the play and makes it so much better.

Don't see it if you are not into psychological plays or quirky story-telling. Some may find it confusing, while it can also seem very straight-forward.

175 Reviews | 30 Followers
68
Slow, Quirky, Disappointing

See it if you want to see Rebecca Hall. There are a few interesting ideas, but they get lost among the rest of the stuff in the play.

Don't see it if You're expecting a new take on an old problem. This play needs to be tightened up. And some of the speaking is a little shrill.

477 Reviews | 120 Followers
66
Absorbing, Great acting, Cliched, Intense, Manipulative

See it if you are an avid fan of Rebecca Hall and relish the chance to see her close up.

Don't see it if you don't like a psychological drams that resorts to cliches and ends up with an unexpected and unsatisfying explanation of events. Read more

Critic Reviews (23)

Theatre's Leiter Side
June 6th, 2017

“Although Rachel's version of the disorder is perhaps a bit extreme, its enactment and the reactions to it can be quite absorbing. Still, 'Animal's' focus on her mental issues and the consequent lack of suspense or developing action begins to make it seem longer than its hour and 20 minutes…The cast maintains a consistent level of truthfulness, with Hall—whose voice, posh British accent, and intonations are dead ringers for Emma Thompson's—offering just the performance you've come to see.”
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The Wrap
June 6th, 2017

“Claire Lizzimore shows herself to be a master of theatrical legerdemain…‘Animal’ doesn’t provide a very profound analysis of the mental condition on display here. Lizzimore’s play is, however, very flashy theater…Hall presents the human equivalent of the bass clef here, and in her fury is never strident. It’s a big performance, and director Gaye Taylor Upchurch is wise to mute the other actors…Its final let’s-explain-everything scene, though, is unsatisfying.”
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B
June 7th, 2017

"Rejoice, Rebecca Hall fans. That marvelous mistress of misery is back...After 85 minutes of exhausting, escalating emotions, the play is suddenly wrapped up and tied in a bow by an unexpected and unsatisfying explanation. I felt manipulated...Upchurch’s direction had a few things that annoyed me...If you are an avid Rebecca Hall fan, as am I, you will be rewarded. If Hall is not your cup of tea, skip it."
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Broadway & Me
June 28th, 2017

“Hall hits all the notes...I just wish this play were as good as she is...Lizzimore seems more interested in the gimmick of the guessing game than in making us truly care about Hall's character…I'll admit I was moved once the reveal was unveiled but that's mostly because someone close to me is going through a similar experience. Still, it's even more maddening that Lizzimore's resolution is far more pat than real life's could ever hope to be."
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Act Three - The Reviews
June 6th, 2017

“It's not that complicated but it is open to interpretation to a large degree…It's only at the very end that you figure out the 'what is going on here' part— and you'll have to connect the dots as far as who are all these people to Rachel—but it's an intimate, black box drama that keeps you sitting upright and on the edge of your seat. Bravo.”
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Edge New York
June 7th, 2017

"'Animal' feels intimate and domestic, but by that same token, it feels confined, even claustrophobic as its protagonist veers off into the realm of psychosis...Hall's Rachel is funny—darkly, bitingly funny but funny nevertheless—and sarcastic...Hall is fascinating to watch...Not much happens in this short, 85-minute play...Still, 'Animal' resists exploiting its reveal and instead makes a statement about domesticity, mental illness, and gender that feels important and relevant."
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Theater Time
June 19th, 2017

"No one can play a woman on the verge better than the brilliant actress Rebecca Hall...In Clare Lizzimore’s fascinating but ultimately disappointing new play 'Animal,' she again proves how galvanizing she is as someone going though the depths of emotional turmoil...The conclusion comes a bit too swiftly and tidily and is not entirely believable. Still, we are blessed with seeing an actress on a nearly bare stage whose every word you hang onto."
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