Dolphins and Sharks NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (38)
See it if you enjoy a fast-pace talking serious-comedic play about office politics in a small environment
Don't see it if you're offended by certain language
See it if You want to be entertained but you want some meat on the bone. Funny, realistic look at dead end jobs in Harlem.
Don't see it if You have trouble with understanding street lingo, and don't care about marginalized populations.
See it if Tyler's tight, well written play about vicious office politics in Harlem copy shop. Fine ensemble shines in cut-throat economic environment
Don't see it if Brathwaite's staging a little too showy & distracting but not overly harming A slight scene trim could help pace Great immersive set
See it if you enjoy funny workplace comedies with a social sting and great performances, wondrous set, creative use of video, projections and movement
Don't see it if you find workplace plots hit too close to home, you've been negatively impacted by the economy, you can't relate to entry level workers
See it if You like superb set design. Racial plays (black and Hispanic cast). Office comedy/ drama. A lil preachy, but, pretty good.
Don't see it if You hate the "N" word. Office dynamics. Issues with gentrification, specifically Harlem. Cussing. Slavery references & hating "the man".
See it if You have an interest in seeing power struggles in the service industry. Racial stereotypes play a big role in this production.
Don't see it if You are not interested in the plight of the working man or woman Read more
See it if lower working class struggle, sex, race and class issues
Don't see it if dislike the above
See it if you enjoy well written plays that tackle social issues while also telling an entertaining story
Don't see it if you prefer lighter plays
Critic Reviews (16)
"A stunning new play...In a superb examination of the intersections between race and socioeconomic class, playwright James Anthony Tyler’s work opens up the internal workings of a customer service job, questioning the validity of a system in which it is impossible for any of the players to win. Tyler crafts nuanced characters supported by sharp dialogue...Tensions are brought higher still through the cast’s excellent performances, skillfully directed by Charlotte Brathwaite."
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"A blisteringly funny comedy...Tyler’s deck is stacked. Yet it’s hard to mind his heavy hand since he deals us one ace after the other...A whip-smart look at race and class – one that frequently smarts, too. The actors are a real treat to watch...Brathwaite’s direction exposes layers of the characters’ turmoil in the cast’s strong performances...Tyler might overplay his hand at times, but we all cash in on the chips of his stinging dialogue and mordant exploration of ambition, race and class."
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"The themes resonate as cliché and the characters appear as stereotypical. The proceedings and plot do not offer any new information or constructive solutions to several systemic problems addressed...The extremely competent cast earnestly tries to overcome flat scenes with undeniable energy, swift dialogue and excellent timing...Despite these admirable performances 'Dolphins and Sharks' is like the cash drawer at the Harlem Office at the end of the day. It comes up short!"
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"It's not a particularly original work, being a workplace drama such as regularly appears on New York stages...but it holds together so well and is so smartly acted and staged it stands out among the crop of recent Off-Broadway openings...The dialogue is often raw and nasty—the 'n' word gets a lot of play—and the actors get right in each other's faces, spewing words faster than speeding bullets. Still, every intonation is as natural as life."
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"Tyler’s text is colloquial and realistic. He has a strong sense of character development and personal relationships...Even with the stakes being perfectly high, Tyler could benefit with some shrinking. 'Dolphins and Sharks' could be shorter...Brathwaite’s vision was superb. The way she guided her company through the retail world while isolating the important themes allowed Tyler’s truth to hit a bit harder...Tyler wrote vibrant characters but this ensemble elevated them, drawing from truth."
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"Under director Charlotte Brathwaite, Tyler’s play unfolds with masterly plotting, but with excessive visual frippery left intact from the script...Luckily, the flashy overkill doesn’t obscure the playwright’s dramatic abilities and urgent voice...The five actors are superb...Unfortunately, the play ends with a jarring and unnecessary moment of agitprop, yet this work confirms that Tyler’s voice is not only necessary, but one worth listening to."
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"It is going to be my best show of 2017. I cannot imagine how another show is going to be able to top the experience...This seminal work blew me right out of my skin...Chilling and uncompromising...It’s a brilliant, brilliant text...All of the performers bring every ounce of their energy, focus, and commitment to telling this necessary story...This play is a working-class anthem that needs to be sung everywhere."
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“James Anthony Tyler's smart new play, expertly directed by Charlotte Brathwaite…‘Dolphins and Sharks’ owes much of its power to Brathwaite's stellar production. The ensemble cast is excellent, imbuing their characters with sympathetic detail…The production's strength lends the play a sophistication it might otherwise sometimes lack. Tyler's writing is packed with thoughtfully observed psychology, but becomes structurally repetitive in the second act, as screaming matches pile up.”
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