Dogs of Rwanda NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (33)
See it if You like one men show and music. Great acting.
Don't see it if You don’t like one character shows.
See it if This flashback story about a trip to Rwanda finds heft more in the situation and country than the actual story told engagingly by the actor.
Don't see it if One-man shows can run from eye-rolling to ultimate adoration. This falls pretty much in the center where the setting overshadows the story.
See it if You enjoy being told a unique story. A beautiful atmosphere was created on the small stage. The actor very good indeed -
Don't see it if You have no patience for a one man play about an unusual and violent story in Rwanda
See it if you are interested in the horror of genocide in general, or in Rwanda in particular. As well as redemption/forgiveness. Musician-fabulous.
Don't see it if learning of the horror of genocide is too painful. One-character shows bore you.
See it if You relate to the tragedy in Rwanda and the difficulties of reconciliation
Don't see it if you want a playful, flippant show Read more
See it if You want an intense show that will make you think.
Don't see it if You don't want anything that is topical and thought provoking.
See it if you like one man shows, especially about tough topics. Live music.
Don't see it if You don't like one man shows. You're looking for light and fluffy.
See it if you are interested in being exposed to challenges abroad and learning some difficult things.
Don't see it if if you dont like one man shows or need a lot of action.
Critic Reviews (12)
"Hodge's tendency to telegraph each emotional beat betrays the contrivance of the script. His attempts to summon white-hot anger mostly leave us cold as we see the wheels turning in his head...Unfortunately, all of the African characters discussed in 'Dogs of Rwanda' come across as thinly drawn sketches...His frequent digressions into his B-plot romance with Mary Jane are even more tiresome...It all leaves a false aftertaste that is very hard to wash down."
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"A solo show...Filled with terrors...Lewis' text is filled with fine details...Under the direction of Hill and Napolitano...Hodge holds us firmly in his grip...He is well-suited to the role of an innocent who has wandered into the heart of darkness...The production is striking and yet not too slick...There are gaps in the text that one would like to see filled...Maintains a viselike power -- it is a trip to hell and back, and it poses lingering questions about guilt and reconciliation."
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"David's chronicle is gripping, violent, and ultimately quite moving, and Hodge gives a riveting performance...There is something instinctively off putting about a white male character confronting the psychological torment of the Rwandan genocide...In the end, though, 'Dogs of Rwanda' shows that cultural scars are not limited by racial or national origins. We are all implicated in historical traumas by the narratives we hear and the stories we receive."
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"Hodge commandingly plays the American narrator...Though well-written...comes across as a contrived episode that restates that war is hell. Lewis' approach may be fresh but the subject matter isn't, and so even with the compelling performances and excellent presentation, the 70-minute show is an artistic draw...Succeeds on many crucial levels but one's enjoyment of it depends on if one is the in mood for a bleak theatrical travelogue without an imperative purpose."
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"Exquisite writing by Sean Christopher Lewis...David launches into a chilling account of the horrific events he witnessed...His account is somewhat suspect, the real mystery within the mystery of the play. As I cannot divulge the crux of this thriller, you’ll have to witness this remarkable journey for yourselves...It’s a remarkable evening all around, evocative and harrowing. Hill and Napolitano helmed this amazing evening with panache."
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"The narrative could be greatly improved with a better depiction of the geographical aspects of the story…'Dogs of Rwanda''s subject matter is intrinsically interesting but there's little of historical or political importance in it that…well-informed audiences don't already know. Its greatest value lies in the opportunity it provides for an exciting solo performance...Hodge…offers a strong, personable characterization of someone genuinely affected after having gone through such indelible trauma."
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"The one-man play offers an intense and unnerving look at man’s inhumanity to man, the lingering personal effects of unimaginable trauma, and ideas on how best to cope in the aftermath by embracing truth and forgiveness...A gripping direct-address monologue that employs us as witnesses to his story...'Dogs of Rwanda' isn’t easy to watch, but it’s impossible to turn away from the truth of what happened and the riveting production at Urban Stages."
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"Hodge as David is exceptional, and if not for his fantastically, raw performance 'Dogs of Rwanda' would not be an easy watch...Lewis gives Hodge a plentiful, vivid script that helps you understand why David, though a charming, friendly man, still feels like a wounded 16 year old...While 'Dogs of Rwanda' is a one-man show, Hodge is so vivacious and interpersonal that you feel God's Blessing is there telling him not to paint him as a Tutsi victim but an unwilling killer."
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