Duck

See it if If you like a hallucination vision play ( strinberg) this is a good play. Dreams morf into other scenes. Done well. Good acting.

Don't see it if If you like linear plays that are move grounded.

See it if you want to see a unique, timely memory play that explores the human impact of reducing people to mere statistics.

Don't see it if you are not interested in political theater; you prefer linear, straightforward, spoon-fed storytelling.

Also While this piece was compelling & thought-provoking, the uneven production still feels like a work in progress. But it is certainly one with a lot of potential. Worth seeing, just don't expect polish or perfection.... Read more Read less

See it if you might want to see interlocking non-realistic parables about personal responsibility in our era.

Don't see it if you can’t handle obscurity in the theater: Here there are lots of gaps.

Also I like that the team that’s bringing us “Ducks” has mounted an ambitious script that’s asking some vitally important, uncomfortable questions about individual responsibility for our actions, both within the family & with respect to the outside world. And, as a lover of absurd theater, I had no trouble with the fact that there are several gaps in the logic of the several “braids”—short thematically related scenes—that are interwoven into the final product. But when so much of the story is either highly abstract or remains unanswered, it’s hard to focus on those important questions: Viewers are too busy keeping their heads above water. I also found one of those “braids” of the story, a series of interviews of a wavering intelligence officer by a smarmy journalist, to be ineffective. But I love the attempt to mount complex parables for our current age that question the citizens of a nominal democracy on how much each of us is responsible for actions committed in our name.... Read more Read less

See it if you appreciate good acting, sound and staging on an interesting topic, presented with strong writing and delivered clearly.

Don't see it if you have difficulty with non-linear plays - I found this a bit choppy and that was intensified by some actors playing multiple roles.

See it if you enjoy overlays and digressions in exploring the philosophical value of events that only might be what's happening.

Don't see it if you require a clear plot with logical character development.

See it if CIA cipher w/ codename "Duck" is compatible in code & in the field, like a duck on land & in water, has misgivings."I'm the will of country"

Don't see it if Time shifts and multiple characters and an amorphous lead character and limited lighting cues make it rather incoherent: "Chronic analysis"

Also "Who are we supposed to serve, ourselves or the higher-ups/I was part of something that I wasn't sure was the right thing/I'm the hero no matter what they say"... Read more Read less

See it if Story about going thru past to present.

Don't see it if you want a clear story and want to know the character.

Also At first it was little confusing, and I saw that it went back and front. We are not really told what happen or maybe I did not get it.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a show exploring accepting responsibility for endorsed but repulsive actions

Don't see it if you believe "pleasing" is always better than conflict, no matter the costs

Also If you enjoy theater, this is a play you should see. Not profound enough to be a "must see", but an extraordinarily well done production asking an important question.

Kellye Rowland's brilliant comic relief in the form of the dysfunctional Social Worker gives just the right amount amount of escape to the audience.

Duck is a pleaser and gets rewarded for all his morally questionable decisions. CRUMB is the older, "dead" brother who has opted for a moral course and been rejected by himself and society. When viewing CRUMB 's interrogation of his younger brother think AOC questioning Mark Zuckerberg - the moral center wrenching the heart of the amoral, well rewarded pleaser.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy dark psychological drama about conflict between conscience and need for life structure/professional and job skill acknowledgement.

Don't see it if you prefer comedy, musicals, multiple acts with interval, light theme, larger house and sets, or are disturbed by questioning USA actions.

See it if You like a good espionage plot thru the eyes of a guilt driven brother. Very strong acting by the entire cast. Kudos to the lead actor.

Don't see it if You don’t like dramas about intelligence agencies.

See it if you like plays that explore philosophical issues trough a rapidly changing at times absurd and at times dreamy vignettes. A good finish.

Don't see it if if you like clear linear storytelling or mind a play that seems repetitive and has some character development issues.

Also The idea was interesting but I didn't connect with any of the characters and once you got the issue they didn't really go anywhere because the writing was a bit blunt on the issues so kinda of strawmans things. it feels like the same discussion happens with different characters repeatedly so it gets repetitive. Finish was good though.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a dream-like story where Duck's memories jump from 1 thing to the next. Great idea of questioning consequences of one's actions!

Don't see it if you need linear story-telling and are confused by jumps between lots of short scenes, some of them pretty abstract.

See it if You like to see some good acting, although it may be confusing at times when actresses were switching characters.

Don't see it if You prefer more entertaining pieces.

See it if you can stand it for 70 minutes

Don't see it if confusing and poorly writing and staging

Also It is a mess

See it if You want an exploration of compartmentalizing / the "banality of evil" and its ramifications.

Don't see it if You want a fully polished production with a satisfying ending.

See it if you like subversive theatre that dares to speak truth to political power.

Don't see it if questioning authority disagrees with your personality and disposition. You hate questioning established authority.

Also Everything about the experience of seeing this play felt rebellious. Tom Block's play, cloaked in a Beckettian absurdist frame explores the mental unraveling of a CIA probability crunching analyst who realizes too late that his 60% report might have cost an innocent American his life.

Layers of uncertainty undo brainwashed American military righteousness in all its nuances that affect every aspect of his life. He must now learn to live with the consequences to his actions.

I like that Mr. Block leaves for us to ponder whether Duck will live in the world of the rationalists or the world of his brother Crump, who like him took a moral stance and was marginalized into homelessness from a prestigious Defense Dept. psychologist position.

It shouldn't feel subversive to go and see these plays and kudos to the whole production team for speaking truth to power with this gem of a play. We need more plays like this that challenge and explore our blind assumptions to political hegemony.... Read more Read less

See it if you like non-linear narrative w/ensemble casts playing multiple roles with humor and a dark political philosophical narrative that questions

Don't see it if you want answers to those questions or something easy less repetitive or you expect more quirk or clowning than is on offer here

See it if you like intense, intellectual text that explores the internal conflicts of a character through short, thought-provoking scenes.

Don't see it if you don't like great acting or have the concentration to unravel the outwardly presented inner conflicts.

See it if you'd like to see a stream of conscious/dreamlike play questioning our personal responsibilities in today's dark political era.

Don't see it if you do not like obscurity and prefer a linear, traditional play or not interested in political theater.

See it if it is definitely cheap and short 70 minutes and you like to support downtown theater

Don't see it if you have no patience for unintelligible drivel

See it if Really smart and timely. Great group of actors. Well directed. Well written.

Don't see it if You don't like dark comedy and political drama.

See it if Shows that combine current events with intelligent questions about the human endeavor - what is knowing, certainty and meaning.

Don't see it if Clearly delineated plot lines and resolutions. Plotlines left unexplored or unresolved. Actors taking on multiple roles and allegory.

See it if You like plays that use absurdity and humor to explore questions about personal responsibility, and leave the answers up to the audience.

Don't see it if You have a low tolerance for less than great acting.

See it if If you appreciate an interesting and unique story with impeccable acting!

Don't see it if Just go see it!

See it if into plays where scenes morph into each other dream-like, creating a puzzle

Don't see it if you like your plays anchored

Also Imagine a juggler expertly keeping many balls in the air, but not knowing how to land them, the show ends with the balls still in flight. That is what Duck felt like.

The play could have happened in someone's head; hopping from memory to memory, under the smudged photos of one of the characters. This is downtown theater at its smartest. And then it continues on the same level and starts to feel tiring, a tease without climax.

There is much to enjoy here, as long as you focus on the journey and not on the missing landing.... Read more Read less