Everything Will Be Different: A Brief History of Helen of Troy

See it if you know someone in the cast. The premise (a teenage girl obsessed w/beauty) has merit, but its repetitive, screaming treatment is torturous

Don't see it if you want a polished, NYC-quality prodn. EWBD's community theater via performances/script. Some funny lines buried in morass. Voices too loud

Also I left about half-way through the show.

See it if You want to see a smart look at a young girls view of self worth, image and death (to name a few). Well acted. Cleverly directed.

Don't see it if You can’t appreciate a diamond in the rough. This is WAY to long and in need of a good edit but there’s some good stuff in there.

See it if you're ready to take an unflinching look at a disturbed teenage girl who's willing to risk lots of collateral damage in her search for love.

Don't see it if you are looking for something light.

Also Hunger Theatre has revived Mark Schultz’s “Everything Will Be Different” (2005) in a strong bare-bones production distinguished by a bravura, unsparing performance by Allison Wick as the central character Charlotte, a teenage girl whose beautiful, beloved mother has recently died, leaving her daughter totally bereft. Dad too is bereft, & intermittently cruel, drunk, & maybe lascivious, so there’s not much chance Charlotte will find the love she craves from him. Being a teen, she also craves sex. Charlotte’s queasy conflation of the 2 cravings causes lots of collateral damage for several characters over the course of 2 hours & (too) many very short scenes, most of them realistic, some clearly Charlotte’s fantasy & a few that seem to straddle the unclear dividing line. The result is sometimes harrowing, sometimes creepy, sometimes poignant, never boring. (And several supporting performances are powerful.)... Read more Read less

See it if You want a searing, dark coming of age story. You want a commentary on beauty, love & sex as seen through a teen lens.

Don't see it if You're uncomfortable w/frank discussions about sex. You like a strong through-line:rough transition btwn scenes & often didn't quite connect

See it if you want good character development around the issues of parental loss and coming of age sexually.

Don't see it if you are bothered by minimal sets, loud screaming or the subject matter. A good edit is needed as this production runs two hours.

See it if You are ok with dealing with Lost and loneliness, growing up.

Don't see it if It can be dark at alot of time, if sex topics makes you uncomfortable.

Also At times you feel sorry for the lead female character. At other times I just wanted to go up there smack her across the face.... Read more Read less

See it if You don't mind excessive and prolonged screaming profanities.

Don't see it if You like straightforward pieces.

See it if You want to see many great performances on a very small and intimate stage

Don't see it if You need things to be straightforward. As the play goes on it gets a bit confusing and we don’t know what is real and what isn’t.

Also I really like this production a lot. I was pleasantly surprised over all. I hate to focus on the bad but I really hope someone reads this that can do something about the problem with this venue. As an actor I know how much hard work and dedication goes in to a theater production. Throughout this entire play today you could hear another play going on close by in a different room. This bothered annoyed and distracted me during the entire performance. If I was in this play this would not be acceptable Someone needs to have respect for what these young and up-and-coming actors do. I could not imagine going out there giving my blood sweat and tears every day only to hear some stupid piano and singing going on behind me. Overall this is a really good play that deserves a look but if you are distracted by what I just mentioned I would advise not seeing it.... Read more Read less

See it if you appreciate intensely emotional character and relationship development re loss from perspective of imaginative adolescent girl/her dad

Don't see it if you prefer comedy, light drama, or musicals, or cannot sit through 2 hours of uncomfortable subject matter without interval

Also Only the slighty excessive length prevented perfection. Ready for Broadway. Bravo!... Read more Read less

See it if You're up for a dark coming of age tale as a young girl tries to deal with death/loss/sex/insecurity/self-worth & despair with mixed results

Don't see it if Teenage angst and troubles, or melodrama, hold no interest. Despite some good moments, it's a long way to go for a flat, pat ending.

Also Mark Schultz has a terrific ear for teen dialogue, and Allison Wick is pitch-perfect as the troubled Charlotte, whose infatuation with Helen of Troy as a model of beauty allows her to explore and fantasize about her darker impulses as a means of teenage escape.

It's an impressive performance and an interesting premise, but the direct connection is muddled, and the director's notes lead one to think that Genet might have been the better role model. Length is an issue as well; 3 parts instead of 4 might have helped tighten plot and focus, as would some explanation of the father's apparent sudden epiphany at the end.

As written and as played by Ken Schatz, the father is unfortunately riddled with cliché. It’s a difficult role and a good try, but not helped by Schatz’s voice, ranging from inaudible to thunderous.

The rest of the cast is committed and believable; lights and sound effective and direction smooth. In all an interesting if unrealized premise with a terrific lead actress.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see excellent acting be all on stage.

Don't see it if you want the obviously missing backstory to help make sense of the seemingly overboard grief of daughter and father.

See it if You want to see some really great performances and something that will challenge you and push your comfort levels.

Don't see it if You dislike having your patience and comfort tested. The show is 2 hours no intermission and feels it.

Also First off, there are some amazing performances in this show. Allison Wick is 100% in it at every moment and I personally enjoyed Schatz's and Goodnight's performances as well.

That said the dialogue often feels more like an acting exercise than naturalistic conversation. (Think Meisner)

I did very much appreciate that the show pulls exactly zero punches. You will definitely be uncomfortable at some point in the show by design, and it's very effective.

Just a personal pet peeve. Allison Wick is clearly an objectively attractive person. Some of the material might have landed a little more if this were not the case. She looks like a model with an (arguably, but not necessarily) bad haircut.

The scene changes are many, and make the show feel like a series of vignettes rather than one constant piece. But overall, I like the piece. It's heartbreaking, it's funny, it's moving. Just not at all times.... Read more Read less

See it if You appreciate great acting in a dark and disturbing but intensely thought provoking play. You will never forget the girl playing the lead.

Don't see it if You find material dealing with sexual obsession and physical violence too disturbing. This one is very strong and in your face..

See it if you want to see a dark, but intensely acted play that is a gut-punch, takes no prisoners and will have you thinking about it afterwards.

Don't see it if you want something happy, fluffy and will not inspire you to thoughts of suicide. This is one intense piece of work.

Also First off, the entire cast deserves a standing ovation for their performance. Allison Wick (Charlotte) laid it all on the stage and it was magnificent. Ken Shatz as her father, Harry also was brilliant. Special mention goes to James Goodnight as Guidance Counselor, Gary who brought some needed comic release.
Loneliness is Charlotte's only companion. After her mother died, and her father abandoned her emotionally as a result, Charlotte seeks love. First, she wants the kind of passion that Helen of Troy inspired, where people would kill...or die for her. Then she equates sex for love, fantasizes about acceptance and throws herself at every male character. After she creates a relationship out of a sleazy one off encounter, she says she likes her version better. Reality is crushing her.
Ms. Wick handles the emotional weight brilliantly. Like any 15 year old, she doesn't know what she wants, she is selfish and at times, mean! While the play may be a little long, it never bogs down.... Read more Read less

See it if They have air-conditioning.

Don't see it if Utterly self-indulgent, shrieking mess of a show. Two hours of characters yelling ugly things at each other. Not even ear plugs will help.

Also Abandon hope all ye who enter here.
Meandering overworked story of damaged teen with alcoholic father destroyed by his wife’s death. Helen of Troy is just a gimmick to hang a hat on. Teen wants to be desired, mistakes sex for love, misses mother, tries to seduce guys. All performances are one-note and the first five minutes are no different than the last five. Repetition of theme 65 times. No direction even though a director is listed. In two words, absolute DEATH.... Read more Read less

See it if you can commit to a long, convoluted, often painful story which fails to provide resolution.

Don't see it if you're sensitive to discussions/depictions of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse/manipulation.

See it if You want to sit for 2hours without a break watching a bad play about nothing. Too much screaming in parts.

Don't see it if You want a plot based play.

See it if You think you'd enjoy watching an annoying teenager's slow, erratic, shrill, and painfully repetitive descent into madness.

Don't see it if You want a clear "voice," meaningful insight into characters, and believable character portrayal.

See it if You're ok with an only semi-likable unreliable narrator protagonist who sows chaos & to whom awful things happen for 2 unrelenting hours.

Don't see it if It's a portrait of a girl in crisis all but begging for help that never arrives for 2 hours. Well acted but BRUTAL to watch. No happy ending

See it if You want to see well-written characters performed by good actors

Don't see it if You want a satisfying conclusion to the production

See it if you like tense, explicit, uncomfortable dramas and are interested in how cultural values cause teen girls to be sexualized at an early age.

Don't see it if you can't handle a play that keeps you on edge for two hours with very few laughs to ease the tension.

Also When a fifteen-year-old girl loses her mother and has no one else to provide support and guidance, she goes looking for love (and power and value) in all the wrong places---mostly, by offering her sexuality while completely out of touch with any desires she might have. Although I would have liked to know more about where Charlotte is getting this information from (peers? Internet porn?), the societal messages seem accurate, and I think this kind of conditioning occurs even earlier (by age 13). The production keeps you on your toes, going from reality to fantasy with no signal such as a lighting change. Acting is strong throughout, and actors are believably cast. I especially liked James Goodnight in a quirky supporting role as a guidance counselor. See it while you have the chance. Tip: Buy your tickets online in advance, since purchasing at the door is time-consuming.... Read more Read less

See it if you like excellent acting

Don't see it if you don't like sexual themes

See it if you enjoy shows that have more shock value than artistic value

Don't see it if you don't enjoy raunch under the guise of telling a story about grief.

Also This show went too far. If the script didn't overtly depend on shock value, the performances would have held more weight. It felt like the author was trying to cram every sexually deviant activity he could into one grieving process, which made the show contrived and banal. Also, the entire production seemed to be gratuitous for the actress playing the lead and everyone else was just existing in her space.... Read more Read less

See it if if you like the comparison of modern day social dilemma intertwined with references to Greek mythology

Don't see it if very modern minimalist background set; darkening of set to indicate different scenes; fast action at times;main character reads book refs

See it if you like gritty and somewhat in-your- face dramedies with bare bones off-off Broadway production values. The tiny theatre seats about 30 !

Don't see it if you are put off by gritty in-your-face plays that you might find to be bordering on the distasteful.