Bad Penny

See it if You want to see something in a nontraditional space. This was done outside in a courtyard

Don't see it if You are expecting to show up in a theater sit in a seat and watch a play that takes place on stage

Also After being introduced to this playwright earlier in the night and being tragically disappointed by what I saw, I thought about going home and just skipping this play. I’m glad I didn’t because it was so much better than what I saw earlier in the day. It is still bizarre and weird but I thought the direction and the staging were incredible. All the actors were brilliant. You’re sitting in a courtyard outside and as the play goes on the actors are popping up right around you so you don’t know if the person sitting next to you is in the play or just watching the play like you are. I thought all of this was interesting. Unlike the other play at least I kind of understood what was going on but that was mainly because I was immersed in the production and that kept me interested. The flea is doing five plays by this playwright and I think it’s going to end up biting them... Read more Read less

See it if you like Mac Wellman and the edgy theater the Flea is known for.

Don't see it if you expect to understand what is going on. Fun to watch, but ultimately I didn't get it.

See it if like Mac Wellman. An old play that still engages today. staged well to get the audience more involved

Don't see it if need a linear narrative then skip this. Though this is a very accessible Mac Wellman play.

See it if You’d like to sit outside and watch young actors throw themselves into the messy wackiness of a Wellman play about a road to hell thru NYC

Don't see it if You want clarity or a traditional play. It’s not Hadestown (although there is some singing!)

See it if you like cleverly meandering text circling around the meaning rather than spelling it out; you've never seen anything by Mac Wellman.

Don't see it if this is quite straightforward and accessible by Mac Wellman's standards but don't expect a plot-driven narrative play.

Also Wonderfully set in a small backyard at The Flea; recreates very quintessential New York mood, with random (or not so random) strangers talking to/over each other in a park. Long overlapping monologues are deliciously delivered.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see great performances as mercurial and dynamic as the weather.

Don't see it if it's so short and delightful that even if you get lost in Mac Wellman's language the show is still a good time.

See it if You want a unique (not too long) night at the theater.

Don't see it if You can’t stay outside for longer than an hour

See it if you like deconstructionist theater and if you appreciate an experience (rather than a coherent narrative).

Don't see it if you want structure, narrative, or a plot. This doesn't have a ton of that.

See it if You love sitting outside with friends and watching people bicker over cosmic misfortune and flat tires

Don't see it if You hate sunshine and great writing

See it if you are interested in innovative theater that is script-based.

Don't see it if you are in the mood to experience a traditional play: This is not that!

Also Hard for me to score! From the mid-1980s though century’s end Mac Wellman wrote a series of language-based scripts that for weird content & daring form had downtown NYC agog. Wellman burst upon an alternative theater scene in which productions were more often the result of a group effort or a director’s vision, not a new way of theater writing. His influence was large; he dramaturged the 1st 2 full-length plays of future Pulitzer Prize winner S-L Parks. I saw the original “Bad Penny” in Central Park; something of the onsite excitement is lost in the transfer to The Flea’s tiny backyard for this WellmanFest. But it’s still great fun. Woman 1 & Man 1 are 2 of the funniest ranters you’ll ever hear, & the high sky gives 2 gifted actors a worthy target. An 11th hour appearance of a visitor from hell is a brilliant stroke brilliantly staged. This production didn’t make good use of Wellman’s chorus. But if you’re interested in the history of avant-garde stage writing, you’ll want to see this.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see what passed as profound avant guard in the 1980s. Characters trying to define them self as they take refuge in the park.

Don't see it if You expect insights, humor, and anything resembling stimulating art.

See it if You want really different, really fascinating theater.

Don't see it if You need something purely linear or straightforward. This is Mac Wellman, y'all, prepare for some joyous weird.

Also BAD PENNY is a fun one. The decision to take the show outside was a great one and helped the strange, communal nature of the piece. A fun, unusual time with a playfulness and whimsicality a lot theater can learn from. I was pleasantly bamboozled which isn't something I get to say a lot.... Read more Read less

See it if You love language & poetry. Acting & staging is superb - you're right there in the thick of all this grappling with the human condition

Don't see it if You expect to "get it" immediately. It lingers and needs to be discussed and seen again. Would even recommend reading in advance.

See it if you have absolutely nothing else to do that evening. Actually, simply go elsewhere instead.

Don't see it if Loud music, stupid dialogue, ranting and raving from characters having hallucinations, characters talking past each other. Go elsewhere.

Also Every 3 or 4 years, The Flea puts on a zero value production. This is such a production. The cast worked mightily but could not overcome the idiocy of this offering.... Read more Read less