Dido of Idaho

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 an exceptionally well written new play.

Don't see it if the current social climate and news is not of interest to you.

Also How wonderful to hear from a new young woman playwright, Abby Rosebrock, who has such funny and also poignant things to say about the world we live in. I am older but took my 23 y.o daughter and was heartened to see so many people in their 20's and 30's at the show. Everyone seemed to love it and be moved by it. There are two wonderful 'twists' (one shocking) that were done in such a natural way and not 'forced' to move the script forward. Quite impressive.... 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 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 astonishing. The unfolding of the layers is a revelation - surprising and rewarding. There is great humor and humanity in this play and in all the performances. It's over on Sunday so rush to see it!... Read more Read less

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 of my seat at times. The second half really gave me something I was not expecting and it tugged at my heart strings. There was a scene that was well choreographed and WOW (no spoiler alert here). There was a lot of WOW!!! In general. If you want to see a play about a love triangle and more please go see this play. I highly recommend this. This show was more than I expected. The performers were absolutely amazing and they did a fantastic job in this performance. The writing is sooooo good and witty. There was never a dull moment for me in this play. The staging is very creative. Loved it all.... Read more Read less

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 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 and satire. Sometimes it was difficult to know if the actors were portraying real characters or a symbolic stereotype but the plot twist at the end pulled it together.
The satires of academics and the self esteem movement were very clever... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a well-staged contemporary play by, and featuring, a talented young writer.

Don't see it if you need to avoid on-stage violence. This play contains a very realistic and bloody assault.

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 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 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 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 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 I enjoyed the content as well as the acting

Don't see it if Dont see it if real life issues make you uncomfortable

See it if An engaging, well-acted play with some interesting ideas.

Don't see it if There is a small amount of stage violence.

Also Dido of Idaho name-checks the story of Dido and Aeneas. In the Aeneid, as is explained in the play, Aeneas romances Dido but leaves her to found Rome and marry someone else; Dido kills herself.

The Dido in this case is Nora, played with restless, driven intelligence by Layla Khosh, who is trying to get her married lover Michael (Curran Conner) to leave his wife, Crystal (playwright Abby Rosebrock).

The other part of the dynamic is a cabin in rural Georgia where lives her disapproving evangelical mother June, (Dalia Davi) and the dynamic of that disapproval--especially when Nora returns there after things go south with her affair.

The acting was overall quite good with particular notice to Khosh, Davi and Rosebrock..

The only flaw was a plot element at the end where Crystal ends up in a scene in a situation that I didn't find realistic.

There is a foray in magic realism that precedes that which I wasn't totally sure of, but could live with.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy a quirky absorbing stories about relationships and coming of age.

Don't see it if If you don't like to see violence and stage blood.

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 can handle dark humor.

Don't see it if you want something light, or you're sensitive to portrayals of violence.

Also The first act outshone the 2nd a bit, but that's the only criticism I can really offer. It's well acted and clever, and another excellent reminder of how shitty and toxic men can be, and how willing people are to enable them and go along with it.

I got the bonus of a very involved audience, whose commentary added to the humor immensely.... Read more Read less

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're interested in a discussion of self-love x trauma-based compulsory behavior, like dark, funny shows.

Don't see it if you're not interested in topical shows or do not enjoy humor that arises from pain.

Also Very interesting idea cleverly executed - the core of the show is how do we become people we don't recognize or like because of the trauma that we've faced. It also discusses the somewhat contradiction between being an independent modern woman and still wanting domestic bliss with a partner (or, as the characters see it, why did the powerful Dido, who had everything, kill herself just because Aeneas didn't love her?). A big twist is justified but not totally seamlessly pulled off, and the script in general need finessing, but is nonetheless impressive, poignant and very funny. Playwright Abby Rosenbrock gives a great performance as a secondary character (notably she didn't cast herself in the lead role), and the cast is all great. Shout out to the set designer, Angelica Borrero, who uses the same elements to convince us we're in different places more than once.... Read more Read less

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 You like great theatre!

Don't see it if You want to miss in the good stuff that is happening in ny!

See it if you want to be taken on an unexpected journey with a bit of psychodrama and humor thrown in.

Don't see it if you can't stand violence or sexual content. Also references to classical Roman myth and Baroque opera. Also some psychological stuff.

Also This is a tour de force for Layla Khosh, who plays Nora, a lonely and slightly unhinged academic involved in an ill-advised and ill-fated affair. The entire cast of 5 are excellent, and special notice goes to Dalia Davi (who plays Nora's patrician Southern mother) and to playwright Abby Rosebrook, who also plays Nora's foil, Crystal, a former beauty queen.

There is humor aplenty, and enough farcical moments to cause the audience to say "oh no" several times in recognition of trouble ahead; also physical comedy... and some well-played physical violence. No spoilers here, but very shocking things happen, all crucial to the plot.

At the end of Act 1, you'll wonder where the story is going to go, and as Act 2 opens you may think you have it figured out, but there are some very unexpected twists which I will *not* divulge here. In spite of the violence and other messed-up-ness, this odd story does come to a thoughtful and hopeful conclusion. Very worth your time and a few bucks.... Read more Read less