Exquisita Agonia

See it if Dark comedy of exaggerated spanish melodrama. Act 1 had an interesting premise that was subtle, magical, & spiritual.

Don't see it if Act 2 was an angry unpacking of family grievances that didn’t match the gentle setup from Act 1. I felt disconnected and confused.

See it if Cruz's drama concerning illusive nature of love vs obsession Rich, poetic language ofttimes overwhelms story Zayas' staging wisely discreet

Don't see it if Act 2 spins wildly out of control becoming a violent & often shrill pyscho-drama about family greviences Borders on a telenovela Big letdown

See it if You want to see an interesting an unusual take on how family reacts after a loved one receives a heart transplant

Don't see it if You do not understand Spanish and don’t want to read subtitles. But that should not stop you from seeing this

Also This is the second show this year I have seen at this theater. Not sure if all their shows are in Spanish or not but both plays have been really well done. When you see this play and know exactly what it’s about you will realize that it would have been very easy to go over the top. But they didn’t. When I think about this play it was the perfect amount of realism. I’ve never thought about the subject matter but I think this is exactly how it would all go down. I thought the first act did a nice job of setting up the second act but it may have been a bit long and drawn out. Other than that I really loved every other aspect of this production.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy family drama shows. Note: The show is in Spanish. There are subtitle screens at each seat.

Don't see it if You don’t like repetitive dialogue that asks the same question without answer.

See it if you are interested in the somewhat unique concept of transplant surgery and the effects on the recipient and the donor's family.

Don't see it if you are not Spanish language literate, have problems reading subtitles while trying to watch the play and like to be emotionally involved.

See it if You enjoy lyrical writing performed by a (mostly) high quality cast, and you enjoy stories about problematic relationships.

Don't see it if You aren't fluent in Spanish and don't like to read subtitles, or are not interested in family dramas.

Also The theater is quite lovely and well-appointed.

See it if You like a tale well told

Don't see it if You hate reading translations in front of you

See it if You have yet to see a play performed in a language other than English. You enjoy tense family dramas.

Don't see it if You are looking for something "light." You do not enjoy family dramas. You do not enjoy melodrama.

Also The first thing I would say is that if you are an English speaker and have yet to see a play in another language with subtitles, see this show or another at repertorio espanol. The theatre is beautiful ant the subtle system works very well.

The play itself has a great premise. But the second act fails to deliver on the premise. The elements of magical realism are left by the way-side as the drama is resolved.

The actors are all wonderful. Though Soraya Padrao is particularly compelling.

The set/lighting/sound design are all great. The sound design wonderfully plays up Millie's operatic leanings.

The story that's there is compelling, as is the direction and performances, but the play is undeveloped, repeating certain beats in lieu of covering more ground.

I would still recommend checking out Exquisita Agonía or another Repertorio Español show if this one doesn't speak to you.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to promote Spanish speaking theatre and know a cast member to support.

Don't see it if you want to see a well acted and well written play on an important subject.

See it if Pulitzer winner's new play is calling card enough.

Don't see it if Be prepared for mucho reading if not a native speaker. Even adept speakers want subtitle crutch for nuance and curiosity of comparing terms.

Also A lot of camp. Cast really chews the scenery and comes back for seconds! Audiences here are too expressive. Woman behind me laughed at just about everything, which influenced me to dismiss play as melodrama. I would have enjoyed it more otherwise. Vibrant colors in the lighting and costumes, all well chosen. It's the merry widow's show and she runs with it. Doctor has a distinct voice and good range of emotions. A much easier play to juggle subtitles with than a classic or adaptation, which really would be inconvenient agonia. Cozy theater.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a dramatic story in Spanish by a very talented writer

Don't see it if You don’t want to read in English to follow or want a lighter story

See it if you have wondered how a meeting between the family of a heart donor and the recipient might go.

Don't see it if you don't speak Spanish and are not prepared to read the translated lines on the screen on the back of the seat you are facing.

Also It was frustrating at times to follow the dialogue; the translation frequently lagged behind the on-stage' lines; when it caught up, it just as often skipped to the next translation too fast for me to read it. I obviously missed several lines & often paid more attention to the screen than to the actors.
The play is propelled by the question: what will happen when the spouse of a heart donor meets the recipient? But of course there's more concerning the relationships among the dead spouse, his widow, & their children. The most interesting character is the recipient; the drama of the donor family devolves in the 2nd act into melodrama with predictable confessions & secrets predictably revealed, much as you'd expect in any melodrama about a family; the heart transplant thus seemed largely like a gimmick. The play might better have focused much more on the man with the new heart.... Read more Read less

See it if you like affecting drama that is passionate and intelligent and that surprises and provokes discussions

Don't see it if you don't enjoy foreign language theater.

Also The best play by Nilo Cruz since "Anna in the Tropics"

See it if you are a fan of Nilo Cruz' work, new plays that prompt thought, you speak spanish or would enjoy watching a show in Spanish with subtitles

Don't see it if You are not bilingual and don't like reading subtitles, you are looking for a spectacle show.

Also The script itself is interesting, but uneven. The premise is fascinating, but the execution is weak at times, particularly with the way the play wraps. It all feels a little too forced and melodramatic. I think Cruz could have pulled more out of the situation.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a show with a lot of potential & an interesting premise, beautiful theater, beautiful stage & music

Don't see it if melodramatic and silly acting from some of the leads and dialogue/character decisions that are not always believable will ruin it for you.

Also The premise was interesting but the play didn't quite come together. It lost direction, believability, and power in the second act. It also felt repetitive in parts, circling around the same issue without truly moving forward. A different cast/director may have been able to fix some of these issues.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a thoughtful exploration of an oddly untouched subject in human life, with twists and turns that make for good theater.

Don't see it if Because of the positioning of the subtitles they distract from a full appreciation of what is going on on stage, for non-Spanish speakers.

See it if You want a meaty family drama with real wit.

Don't see it if You don't speak Spanish and you find reading a translation in front of your seat very distracting--always looking away from the stage.

See it if Enjoy philosophical text , family issues as the subject matter with an engaging cast. If you’re a fan of Nilo Cruz.

Don't see it if If heavy text with deeper meaning is not interesting to you . Don’t enjoy plays in Spanish.

See it if The play is powerful. If you enjoy family dramas, that explosion in a closed space feel, this is perfect for you.

Don't see it if The first act falls limp, especially compared to the dynamite second act.

See it if you like the writings of Nilo Cruz and his way of not letting you go with the easy way out of a line plot.

Don't see it if you want to see a typical, predictable, story that won't let down your first desires for an anticipated development.

See it if you want to experience something out of the ordinary

Don't see it if trying to read subtitles on a tiny screen is bothersome

See it if You love spanish language plays w/good acting and a good set

Don't see it if you don't care for sm theaters or foreign language plays

See it if You are intrigued by a story about a heart recipient and the woman who cannot let her husband go. The acting was excellent on the whole.

Don't see it if If you don't like hearing things in another language - although the surtitles were easy to read.

Also Loved hearing this gorgeous language even though I cannot understand it. The rapid dialogue made the action more urgent. The set is lovely and the writing is superb.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see some great theatre in a less traditional space.

Don't see it if You get distracted by subtitles during shows.

See it if you like a show with potential and promise, a beautiful theater, beautiful stage and music

Don't see it if you don't have a lot of tolerance for melodrama. It had promise, but the staging was sub par.