Chess Match No. 5 NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (55)
See it if you like John Cage, interesting plays about avant garde music/musicians, and thought-provoking, quiet, good acting.
Don't see it if you don't like slow pieces, meta, and unconventional pieces that lack a traditional story. I liked it, but it was weird and not for everyone
See it if You like Endgame, Sandbox, Exit The King, The Chairs. . . and outstanding actors
Don't see it if Like comprehensible stories with linear plots
See it if you enjoy John Cage and don't care much about plot
Don't see it if you're looking for a linear (or any) story Read more
See it if You have some familiarity w/John Cage. You want a play about big, philosophical ideas. You like abstract & non-linear plays.
Don't see it if You're expecting a plot. You have no familiarity w/John Cage. You don't want philosophy and big ideas. Read more
See it if You are a fan of any of the following: Anne Bogart/Viewpoints, John Cage, two people shows.
Don't see it if You don't see the wonder in everyday.
See it if You're a big fan of Cage and avant-garde theater and enjoy wondering what the he and she are up to. Some use of sound and light fun.
Don't see it if You can't handle 90 slow moving min with philosophical talk. I wanted to like it but the chess moves were like watching paint dry.
See it if you want something different. I have to agree with the majority though
Don't see it if Our lowest rating.. My 60 and partner's 30 did it in.. It is for those who want to MAJORTHINK..
See it if artistic philosophy, creativity, provocative
Don't see it if no plot, drama
Critic Reviews (16)
"All I could think of was I am trapped in hell with an adult Mr. Rogers in a nightmare for 90 minutes...Loud noises interspersed with vapid conversation, all while playing chess, and I need aspirin, because I now have a headache...Bond and Lauren are obviously talented, though I seriously find Bond highly annoying...As for the direction and conception by Bogart, I hope to never see anything like this again. It was the most tortuous 90 minutes of theatre I have ever spent as a critic."
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"Trying to ingest the words and make sense of them in the grand scheme of the piece is like finding a needle in a haystack. But if you open your mind to the nearly five senses production, there’s something to take away from 'Chess Match No. 5.' But no matter what, it went on a little too long...It’s easy to appreciate the individual moments but as a whole composition, 'Chess Match No. 5' is sadly unsatisfying...Fun for the first five minutes. Then it seems to drag on and on."
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“Through cleverly choreographed staging, the dialogue, so much of which is dry and didactic (as well as often being revelatory and very funny), never bogs things down; in fact, it all becomes rather playful…West’s superb sound design is like a character unto itself…If you’re looking to make sense of it all, you’re out of luck...If you submerse yourself in the concepts and ideas being espoused by the man and woman (as well as the outstanding sound and lighting), you’re likely to enjoy 'Chess.'
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"Probably best described as a 'performance piece,' since it lacks sufficient plot or conflict to qualify as a play...'Chess Match No. 5' engages the ear and eye and, from time to time, the intellect...But all this activity and all the on-stage artifacts don't make a case for the theatricality which Cage claimed for his aesthetic...It's all pleasant enough (and, thanks to the particular performers, thoroughly charming); but it's bloodless, unemotional, and forgettable."
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"A delight...'Chess Match No. 5' presents its own set of intrigues, exquisitely unfolded by our superb performers using John Cage’s very own words in director Bogart’s very own milieu...We find ourselves seeing as minutely as we ever have and listening every bit as carefully...Will Bond and Ellen Lauren are so singularly accomplished, so good at what they do that they positively shine. This is acting of a kind rarely seen in the city. And even more rarely heard."
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“While both Bond and Lauren are visibly talented actors, they were definitely challenged by their material…Ms. Bogart knows what she’s doing when it comes to directing, despite the less-than-amusing subject matter…Bogart succeeds in giving Cage's work a voice in a proper stage presentation…On the whole, ‘Chess Match No. 5’ may suffer from its source material being directed to such a specialized target audience, whereby the overall impact may be lost on many."
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"The play isn’t a drama at all. It’s a Socratic dialogue, a lesson on the nature of music...Interesting as these ideas are, the dialogue alone wouldn’t absorb us in the play. What’s more, there’s no plot or specific characterization. What involves us is the astonishing moment-to-moment life of the two actors, Will Bond and Ellen Lauren...Ms. Bogart’s direction is impeccable...'Chess Match No. 5' is a terrific explication of musical and philosophical ideas, a marvelous tribute to Mr. Cage."
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"The company has combined writing, direction, acting and the creativity of an entire ensemble to develop what can only be called a remarkable production...Bogart has directed it with careful attention to each moment, each nuance, and each in relationship to the whole. The performances of the production’s two actors are extraordinary. They have mastered incredibly challenging roles, totally embodying their characters and never allowing the attention of the audience to waver."
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