Dido of Idaho
About the show
EST’s Youngblood presents this scathing new play about a hard-drinking musicologist who seeks out her estranged mother. A horrifying comedy about love, despair, and maybe, eventually, hope.
... Read moreNina is struggling with a colleague/lover who is dragging his feet about leaving his beauty-queen wife. When her hijinks land her at rock bottom, she goes on a quest to get counsel from the only source she has left: her evangelical mom.
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"With its train-wreck heroine, classical-literature references, brutally candid cast of supporting characters, and wild twists, it quickly develops an audacious quality all its own...If the play sometimes shifts gears wildly, the director, Mikhaela Mahony, wields an efficient stick shift, and she gets skillful performances from her cast...Anyone who can combine mistaken-identity farce with brutal violence, feminist analysis, and a scene of hard-won forgiveness is clearly a writer to watch." Full Review
"As a playwright, Rosebrock brings an invigorating new voice to the stage...'Dido' careens from high-minded laughs to cutthroat rage to soft-edged dreamscape...The result is a crash course in self-respect and surviving betrayal, be it romantic, familial, or self-inflicted...Given a project full of risky physicality, twisty plot turns and obscure references, director Mikhaela Mahoney and her dynamic company provide a powerhouse interpretation of Rosebrock’s clever script." Full Review
"As directed by Mikhaela Mahony with a somewhat unfocused all-over-the-place eye that does eventually offer up some solid and surprising doses of tension, humor, and horror, the play goes dark quickly...Powerful and deep, the balance of comedy and surreal destruction is at moments muddled, as are the first few scenes of love and self-help, but this story of love and despair holds together at the end of Nora’s voyage." Full Review
"Although the production could use a defter hand at the helm, the play takes surprising twists that turn our preconceptions upside down, and keeps us riveted to our seats...Rosebrock’s script is witty, perceptive and well-paced. But it’s also very nuanced...Many of the production choices (or lack thereof) did not serve the play as well as they should have...The script is excellent and there is some outstanding acting." Full Review
"Rosebrock pushes her comedy into darker-than-dark territory with bold flourishes (including rapid-fire dialogue) and a mind-bending second-act twist...Mahony establishes a broadly comedic tone that doesn’t fully encompass 'Dido of Idaho's' disturbing underpinnings; instead of being prepared for its alarming detours, we feel like we just got punked. Ultimately, this smart and amusing play has the same problem as its central figure: It doesn't quite live up to its potential." Full Review
"The cultural storylines of romantic dramas are as familiar as those of ancient myths or modern reality shows, but Rosebrock upends these narratives to find humor and truth beneath them...Female empathy forms a redemptive balm to the flawed world in which the characters operate, and the play’s women share appealing chemistry...'Dido’s' core message is one of empowerment, pushing us to actively change the internal and socialized damage we lament." Full Review
"Morbidly charming...Hilariously off-kilter and engrossing at the start...Even when the romantic trio seem too aware of the laughs, watching them is a delight. That is until the end of the first act, when the play takes a sharp turn with a grisly fight scene that, while artfully choreographed, raises a dramatic hurdle that the script can’t clear...For all its daring subversion of expectations, the play takes a sharp left turn out of familiar territory, only to lose its way." Full Review
See it if If you like a new, unproven writer. If you want to find a show that has a different approach to traditional theater.
Don't see it if If your not into shows that are unnecessarily too wordy and a show that can get confusing as well as unbelievable.
See it if you like unusual theater experiences... Interesting use of stage space and set design...
Don't see it if you don't like shows staged in very small out of the way theaters...
See it if You enjoy good dialogue and surprises.
Don't see it if Not a happy story but a lot of humor along the way.
See it if Relationships mattter... lovers, husband and wife, mother and daughter woman and woman . One asks oneself 'When Do We Learn"?
Don't see it if you do not like to be almost in the show. Great intimate theater
See it if You want to see a play that has great writing, acting and staging with twists and turns and edginess this is it.
Don't see it if You don't want to laugh and almost cry and see how peoples lives are affected by the choices they made and by the people around them.
Also I was thoroughly entertained. I laughed so much and I was on the edge ... Read more Read less
See it if You are up for a work by a promising author, a great series of ideas & situations that knit well, & a strong performance by Layla Khosh
Don't see it if Overwritten or "speechy" dialogue turns you off- Far too many long winded sentences the actors struggle to get through, too much repetition
See it if You like Dido and Anaeis tale/baroque opera and want to see contemporary take on theme of love triangle-great acting, scenic design. writing
Don't see it if You might feel the production is a bit histrionic, and a fight scene too violent and graphic, but this is an interesting new play-go anyway.
See it if You enjoy smart theater in an intimate space. Well written, wonderfully acted. Smart and funny. Quirky and sometimes sad.
Don't see it if You don't like strong women casts that don't pull their punches. A little warm in the theater, but that's hardly a complaint. A little gore.
See it if Rosebrock's pitch-black comedy is wildly ambitious, literate & hellbent on "righting a few wrongs" Khosh's Nora is overblown but heartfelt
Don't see it if Structurally shaky in 2nd Act (magic-realism! with Nora's mother a complex gorgon) but concepts of forgiveness & a higher power balance plot
See it if You are interested in what can be done to use a classic story/opera and update the time and language and lose the plot.
Don't see it if You can’t watch bloody physical violence portrayed right in front of you. You don’t like plays based on classic drama.
See it if farce with a dramatic punch, the funniest on stage drunk scene ever and astounding reversals make for your idea of a great performance.
Don't see it if marriage issues cause triggering events for you. Feminism makes you nervous. You hate the opera Dido and Aeneas.
See it if You're interested in people and what motivates them.
Don't see it if You can't handle violence.
See it if You enjoy a deep entertaining show.
Don't see it if If you get troubled by a bit of violence .
See it if A battleground on a collision of world views between acedemia, musicology, sexuality, feminism, religion, and personal relationships.
Don't see it if You are unwilling to take a chance on a new playwright with lots of ideas and potential for growth.
See it if Funny, but some violence fighting. Great acting, enjoyable and sad.
Don't see it if violence, deal with learning self love.
See it if You want to see how crazy and pathetic women can be and wonder why they would want a guy like this.
Don't see it if You are not interested in crazy and over-the-top plays about relationships and why people stay in them and want them
Also There are two really good plot twist in the second act of this play. F... Read more Read less
See it if you want to see a new play written by a new voice in the theatre: Abby Rosebrock. Rosebrock takes risks and they pay off beautifully!
Don't see it if you do not like new plays. There is another reason, but that would be a SPOILER.
See it if Alcoholic woman with low self-esteem gets in trouble. Act 1 is a dark comedy full of surprises, good acting, and a climactic fight.
Don't see it if Act2 had the tone of a different play. Spiritual not literal. It resolved the feminist issues well, but wasn't thrilling & funny like Act1.
See it if you want to experience the most violent and believable fight scene I've ever witnessed live. Both funny and sad, all around a must see.
Don't see it if You don't like violence or have any interest in mending relationships that are broken.
See it if you want to see a young voice of the theatre who is quite a playwright! Good acting, great direction, and I liked the dialogue.
Don't see it if you want a play to be perfect. A few quibbles like why does C use N's computer at C's house except for plot hmmm and some scenes too long
See it if You are interested in plays by new playwrights.
Don't see it if You prefer more accomplished work. Story is disjointed, not credible. Characters are not sympathetic.
See it if You like shows about women's empowerment and like some over the top satire
Don't see it if You dislike shows that want to make a political/psychological statement or a tired of the women's empowerment enhancing self esteem theme
Also At first I was a little confused about the combination of naturalism a... Read more Read less
See it if You like a great play by a newish playwright in an intimate space (99 seats) and great acting and story Set was impressive and the writing!!
Don't see it if You thrive only on big musicals. That is really the only thing I can think of. This is great theatre.
Also The intelligence and understanding behind the writing of this play is ... Read more Read less
Cast & Creatives (12)
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