Freight: The Five Incarnations of Abel Green NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (42)
See it if you love social drama with a twist.
Don't see it if you are offended by culturally sensitive subjects.
See it if ONE PERSON WHO MADE YOU BELIEVE EACH AND EVERY TIME OF HIS LIFE WERE ACTED OUT SO MASTERFULLY.I HOPE PEOPLE COME TO SEE THIS EXCELLENT SHOW.
Don't see it if IF YOU WANT ELABORATE SETS OR A BIG PRODUCTION.IT WAS SIMPLY A GREAT BIT OF ACTING WITHOUT ALL THE FRILLS.
See it if you appreciate insightful, brilliantly created and executed drama re tensions of wealth/security vs. commitment to principles/friendship.
Don't see it if you do not enjoy one-man vignettes in one 100 min. act with minimal but ingenious set from African American perspective but universal theme.
See it if You like excellent and committed acting, historically based storylines, multimedia
Don't see it if You don’t care for seeing the uncomfortable realities of a segment of the population, need big flashy productions, don’t like storytelling
See it if You want to see theatre at its best - nuanced, absorbing, enthralling, genuine. Took my breath away.
Don't see it if Really don't like solo shows. It's a meditation on American black experience, how we treat each other, and the ebb/flow of our decisions. Read more
See it if you want to experience a masterful execution of a brilliant script.
Don't see it if you are not ready to pay attention; prefer to see a musical or something light Read more
See it if you want to see a star. This is a fully formed, beautifully prepared piece performed by a consummate performer.
Don't see it if you dont like on man shoes. You are uncomfortable with racial politics. Read more
See it if You want to see an extremely well acted solo show on some of the challenges faced in the African American struggle through five time periods
Don't see it if You don’t like solo shows. The actor here however is outstanding
Critic Reviews (7)
“A powerful production...Frighteningly relevant...This iteration of ‘Freight’ captures the essence of its predecessor while expanding (and improving) upon it. Nicholson gives a tour de force performance...I wanted to see more from the female characters and to have more variety among the women...Craft's script never stints, however, on its unflinching look at racism, and the strategies Abel adapts to survive. In all, this is a timely and timeless theatrical journey.”
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“Craft has written a meditation on the consequences of how we treat our fellow man. He’s done this subtly...Each parable manifests a pithy situation with imagination and context...A thoughtful and dramatic entertainment one can enjoy at many levels...Nicholson acts, sings, dances, and plays percussion with talent and focus...Director Megel steers his thespian with a sure and sensitive hand...Only the protagonist’s literally whirling into each incarnation seems off.”
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“The most captivating one man show I’ve ever seen... A poetic and poignant theatrical experience...Craft builds an incredible narrative with each poetic word. His writing is absolutely perfect..Megel’s direction highlights every poetic moment using every theatrical element available to him... J. Alphonse Nicholson is incredible...It feels rare to me that stories are thematically crafted in such a way that stirs spirit and shifts consciousness. ‘Freight’ is one such story.”
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"This rich and thoughtful solo play is most concerned with intimate self-examination: how to be good to one another within black culture, when the larger culture rewards complicity...Mr. Nicholson transforms from one Abel to the next in front of us, and though he doesn’t quite get his arms around the faith healer, he makes the others distinct and entertaining, each a smart man with the charm to hold a room and the capacity to savor memories of past pleasures."
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"Nothing in this 90 minutes is overly flashy, or exceptionally funny, or terribly moving, but it is genuine. It sets out to tell a story, and it tells one. One that may as well be five, or 500, or 5 million. One just as relevant today as yesterday...and even more so tomorrow."
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"The story and Abel’s experience would resonate on a much deeper level if some of the text were replaced with more of these visually-powerful moments that are created using other theatrical conventions than the spoken word. The play is dialogue heavy and a bit thin when it comes to theatricality, save for the beautiful transitions."
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"You'll find yourself surprised and moved by the stories of struggle collected in Howard L. Craft's incisive one-man play. Directed by Joseph Megel and expertly performed by J. Alphonse Nicholson, 'Freight' captures big historical truths in personal, idiosyncratic tales...Craft's meditation on race in America is clearly timely; what's surprising here is his light touch. Humor and song leaven the evening, and a surreal ending offers an escape from Green's troubled world."
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