Boy NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (77)
See it if you want to see a masterful performance by Bobby Steggert of a troubled young man negotiating his gender and sexuality.
Don't see it if you require close to perfection in your dramas. This may not be the perfect play and it can be confusing: is he the boy or girl now? No prob
See it if you enjoy plays that make you think. Fascinating topic, terrific acting, well directed.
Don't see it if your favorite show is Jersey Boys
See it if You want to see a play that makes you think, and poses a 'what would you do' scenario. Don't be put off by the gratuitous poster.
Don't see it if Even though the themes involve children and could even be germane to a young child, Boy isn't for kids under 14 years old or so.
See it if You enjoy deep, topical material relating to transsexuals. The acting is awesome.
Don't see it if You find sexual material, especially transsexualism, disturbing.
See it if If an engrossing, difficult dilemma appeals. Based on a true story BOY has no real villains just people faced with difficult decisions
Don't see it if Gender identity holds no interest for you.
See it if you want to see a terrific performance by Bobby Steggert.
Don't see it if you don't want to see the story of someone who had unusual gender issues.
See it if You're the type of person who wants to see a play that purports itself as intellectual but really is a surface look on an interesting topic.
Don't see it if You're expecting something more than just another love story with a slight twist.
See it if You're open-minded.
Don't see it if You're close-minded.
Critic Reviews (23)
"The 'Boy' at the center of the play is Adam, portrayed so sublimely by Bobby Steggert...There are no definitive antagonists here. Everyone is doing what they can to help a child who feels completely out of step with the rest of world, it’s just that their help is destroying him...Anna Ziegler’s writing is clean, clear, and concise. Not a word out of step. Her poetry of emotions all brought so beautifully to the stage by Linsay Firman’s subtle directorial hand. The cast is simply put – perfect."
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"'Boy' showcases Ziegler’s ability to build symphonies out of time travel, which she has mastered better than many science fiction experts...Steggert’s extraordinary performance as Adam/Samantha calls attention to itself precisely because of how unmannered it is...There is a sense of approachable intellectualism in 'Boy' that allows it to work both as conventional theatrical entertainment, but also as a souvenir that haunts you for many days to come."
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"The brilliant ensemble cast brings that story to a level of authenticity and catharsis rarely seen on the New York stage at present…Playwright Ziegler handles the story with just the right mix of pathos, ethos, and logos – her writing could not be more persuasive...Steggert delivers a profoundly exquisite performance…The play raises a significant number of deep, rich, and enduring questions about acceptance of self, the healing power of true love, and the resilience of the human spirit."
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"The zeitgeist’s obsessive fascination with issues of sexual confusion and gender identity continues with ‘Boy,’ an engrossing yet inconsistently satisfying new drama. Bobby Steggert plays a character inspired by a famous case of sexual reassignment surgery performed in 1966 on David Reimer. You may wish to Google 'David Reimer' to find out what happened to Adam’s source, and to wonder whether the note of promise on which the play ends might be not only misleading but disingenuous."
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"Ziegler's play occasionally retains the feel of a case history, but for the most part the playwright presents Adam's situation with a high degree of pathos...Linsay Firman directs 'Boy' in complete rapport with the science and humanity built into the work...Steggert gives a thoroughly remarkable performance, up there with the best of the 2015-2016 season...In sum, 'Boy' raises a cogent question and offers a highly compelling answer in a highly compelling manner."
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"The story itself might well have been fodder for tabloid headlines or emotionally-charged confessional TV shows, so great credit must go to the playwright and to its outstanding cast for avoiding all of that. 'Boy' strips itself of any weepy mawkishness and bores with honest intensity into the damaged soul of the character...The entire cast gives first-rate performances under Linsay Firman’s carefully focused direction. But it is Bobby Steggert who absolutely shines."
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"The ever-fine actor Bobby Steggert gives an intricately moving performance as a troubled, conflicted victim of an accident that has altered his life…'Boy' is an earnest exploration of an emotionally-charged subject and Bobby Steggert is just the actor who can convincingly depict the character and the situation in which he is locked. Linsay Firman has directed effectively, which, combined with the quality acting and writing, keeps the play steadily involving."
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"The production is a handsome one, featuring a versatile, almost haunting set and smooth, character-driven direction from Linsay Firman. Ziegler's relatively high-concept structure unfolds seamlessly and builds to a touching conclusion...Though Ziegler doesn’t exactly break new ground in exploring the nature of gender identity, 'Boy' insightfully examines the emotional consequences of feeling out of place in one’s body."
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