Brilliant Traces NYC Reviews and Tickets

64%

(9 Reviews)

Positive

78%

Mixed

Negative

22%

Members say

Intense, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Excruciating, Disappointing

About the Show

Set in a remote cabin in the wilds of Alaska, this two-person drama finds a snowbound man and woman, struggling to make sense of each other and themselves.

A blizzard rages outside. Henry Harry is jolted awake by the insistent knocking of an unexpected visitor, Rosannah DeLuce, who is fleeing Arizona and her impending marriage. Two wounded, embittered by life, refugees of “civilization” confined to a snowbound cabin, are simultaneously attracted and repelled by each other, as they explore the pain of the past and, in time, consider the possibilities of the present.

Member Reviews (9)

Absorbing, Intense, Nicely staged, Needs some script editing

See it if Like 2-handers where both have solid acting chops. Although improbable and, at times, overwrought, the play is interesting & compelling.

Don't see it if Are uncomfortable w stretches of silence, plotholes, bouts of histrionics. Script does get repetitive, but builds to a satisfying end. Read more

Intense, Thought-provoking, Excruciating, Ambitious, Disappointing

See it if If you enjoy two very damaged people meeting in unrealistic circumstances that is continuously frustrating.

Don't see it if You’re not looking for HEAVVVY hogwash. N.B. theatre temp makes it feel like Alaska so avoid if you’re feeling fluish.

Critic Reviews (3)

"Most effective when it allows the characters to interact honestly and without literary pretenses. The setup is intriguing, and the ideas are worthy. Unfortunately, there are a few too many writerly excesses that undermine character development and narrative believability...There are also moments in which the dialogue is a little too overwrought and overwritten. Lyrical allusions to out-of-body experiences, extraterrestrials, and heartbeats are at odds with the plain spoken characters."
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"Persistent psychological drama...The best thing about Johnson's script is its imaginative landscape...So much happens over the 90 minutes. The surprises serve the characters and propel the action...Warr's gone a step above bare-bones actor's theater, to create an artistic landscape...Great movement sequences build toward the brilliantly-staged dramatic ending that rivals any theatrical feat reached in larger scale productions."
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"Fully committed performances...The vacillating and sometimes heavy-handed script is laden with symbols and metaphors. And it is too often weighed down by...frequent passages of unnecessary reiteration, which only serves to slow the pace of the narrative. But director Joshua Warr successfully builds the inherent tension between the two characters...Perhaps the most important lesson of 'Brilliant Traces' is that there is someone for everyone."
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