Heartbreak House

See it if I have seen other versions of this play and this one was quirky and different which I usually like but still unsure how the production

Don't see it if If you don't like new versions of classic shows

See it if You like British humor and farce in an intimate setting.

Don't see it if You can't follow dialects or prefer large shows in a large setting.

See it if you want to see some great NYC character actors chewing the scenery.

Don't see it if you're not interested in Shaw plays.

See it if You're a Shaw fan. It's not perfect, but at least it's interesting.

Don't see it if You think Terry Teachout's rave review can't be wrong, and would be disappointed to find out it's quite overblown.

See it if you love Shaw and you want to see just how relevant his plays are in today's world. The actors are fully committed to this work.

Don't see it if you can't sit through a long play. However, it beautifully acted & staged that it never felt long.

See it if It was delightfully entertaining. The cast was talented. The show was fun.

Don't see it if If you don’t like humorous banter.

See it if You enjoy clever concepts, staging, and performances in an intimate setting

Don't see it if You dislike long shows.... no matter how enjoyable!

See it if You enjoy work by Shaw. You love the actors or you like supporting small works at Theater Row.

Don't see it if You don't like plays, specifically wordy ones like this. You find some plays hard to follow.

Also I read Heartbreak House before seeing this. I had an idea of what to expect. David Stellar's direction is a unique one which some might find unnecessary. He compiled a script with the published work and some of Shaw's writings to maintain originality. No one does Shaw plays anymore. This was an opportunity to open people up to the world of Shaw and his work. However, this doesn't sit well with everyone. Running time listed is 2 hr 20 min, yet it was close to 3 hr when I went (press day). Pacing becomes slow in Act II yet the actors do their best to keep the audience engaged. I enjoyed it throughly, but I noticed that some people grumbled and made comments about the length, pacing, and structure. The actors all shine except for maybe Jeff Hiller. He plays three roles and he shines as two of them. They are small, but he isn't in the roles enough for people to love him. He switches roles quickly and that's what makes it funny. I only wish he had more moments to shine like everyone else.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy Shaw. There is great intelligence, humor and wit in this show.

Don't see it if you feel that Shaw plays are "talky."

See it if you like Shaw, you enjoy thought provoking theatre, or you want to laugh all night long!

Don't see it if you don't like Shaw plays...there's really no other reason not to see it!

Also David Staller and The Gingold Theatrical Group have brought to life a most exquisite and under produced GBS play. From the moment you walk into the theatre, you are transported to a theater's basement in wartime England--British flag banners, Winston Churchill posters, dazzling prop, set, and costume clutter; fabulous period music.

The play begins after the cast "takes us downstairs" during an air raid, which frames the production with fascinating dramaturgical history, and supports the fabulous choice to cast Mr. Hiller as the Nurse, Burglar, and Randall. This trio of characters brought the house down with laughs.

GBS described the show as "A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes", and this came through quite well--with vibes of Vanya, Three Sisters, and some of Chekhov's remarkable tragicomedy conventions.

The Utterwords and Hushabyes dominated the stage with their intense and captivating presence; I'd go back just to see them again.

A delightful evening of theatre.... Read more Read less

See it if you like GBS. HH swirls all over. Point isn't clear until the end. Needs cuts; framing device is fun altho it undercuts ending. Great cast.

Don't see it if you want coherence. Fun quips/characters, but sprawling (frustrating) work. Metaphor of unhelmed ship comes late. 85 for cast/65 for script.

See it if If you like a traditional show. Good acting.

Don't see it if Direction was aweful. Different then previous on and off Broadway performances, this one was not good to long. They changed it fromoriginal

See it if you want to see Shaw's great anti-war comedy, adroitly acted by a 1st rate cast of Off-Bway all-stars, in a lively, if uneven, production.

Don't see it if you can't get past Staller's questionable decision to frame Shaw's great WWI commentary within a half-baked, campy WWII "skit".

Also The play-within-a-play gimmick (wherein a cast of actors are trapped in a theatre during an air raid in WWII London & decide to mount Shaw's Heartbreak House) feels unnecessary & ill-conceived. During a short break in the play (after Alison Fraser collapsed on stage & recovered backstage), the director vamped & gave a dubious explanation for the framing device. The claim that it was based on actual events doesn't make it any more effective & will be completely lost on anyone who doesn't know that in advance.... Read more Read less

See it if Partner's 85% and my 70%. Had seen the 1960-61 version but unable to match them up. Loved the cast.

Don't see it if Lion theater not the best of T. Row.. Almost 3 hours will not do it with today's theater expectations. Not clear e the time periods.

See it if first rate actors act up a storm as iconoclastic characters; anti-war script continues to shock showing society on brink of disaster

Don't see it if variety of acting styles don't mesh; production under rehearsed; frame tale: performance of play waiting out WWII air raid distracting

See it if Its a play in a play during an air raid in London WWII, that performance in the basement of the theater. Funny at times.

Don't see it if Its long play around 3 hours. In a small theater.

Also Parts of this play is funny. When you going in you receive a booklet with five words to songs. During the play they ask you to sing along with them. The cast is great.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy classic, British comedies. The performances are great and the show does a great job of lightly integrating the audience.

Don't see it if you have a hard time sitting through long shows (2 hr 40 min) and maintaining focus. My mind wandered off several times; I missed things.

See it if You are a George Bernard Shaw fan and enjoy campy stories of the British upper class. Set in the 1940’s. Alison Fraser & Karen Ziemba.

Don't see it if You dislike sitting for 2 hours 40 minutes. Actor playing muti-characters. Dislike talky dramas. Expect lots of action.

Also I am a big Shaw fan and this cast is engaged in the campiness of the production. The fun is in the overacting of each role. It is like watching a live soap opera.
The young ingenue is played by Kimberly Immanuel, who is perfect in her role as the manipulating young woman who is seeking a rich man to ensure her financial security.
The women rule as the family gathers during WW II, as air raids continue overhead.
Also - the audience joins along in song!... Read more Read less

See it if You’re a fan of Shaw and cast.

Don't see it if You want a good Shaw production.

See it if you like singing in a group. Audience singing is encouraged. You know HH so well you won't notice how underdeveloped these characters are.

Don't see it if I can’t recommend it in its current state. Cast/director just didn’t pull it off. A chore to sit through.

Also It might get better. First performance flopped but I don’t think the show’s unsalvageable. It has a ways to go, though.

Phony English accents set the bar for the rest of the acting. It’s weird because most of the cast is seasoned. There’s hamminess that’s not genuinely funny. The actors aren’t yet melting into their roles—roles that are vague until they’re explicitly narrated by other cast members. There needs to be a much stronger sense of character expressed nonverbally because the dialog is insanely boring when generic, broad performances don’t square w/ the specificity in the script. I want to be able to respond to/laugh about the characters and their behaviors, not just listen for Shaw’s witticisms. There are supposed to be absurd surprises and revelations, but they come off as random occurrences because the characters aren’t well-defined or convincing enough to make their contradictions pay off.... Read more Read less

See it if It's Shaw, so naturally some clever, pointed dialogue. Talented cast

Don't see it if you prefer your Shaw without gimmicks. I saw the 3rd preview so the timing was not where it should be.

Also I'd be interested in seeing it again after the kinks are ironed out.

See it if Reimagined 1920 GBS play now set in theater basement during London blitz. Appealing cast, charming beginning.with singalongs.

Don't see it if Anti-war, anti-big business points are never made clear in 2:45 hour play. Heavy British accents, lots of declaiming, fusty humor.

See it if you'd like to experience the original Shaw take on this play (it's a premiere) before he rewrote it. Seasoned performers worth seeing.

Don't see it if you expect a full-on production. Charming but a bit stagnant, doesn't really go anywhere. Felt a little flat, like Chekhov's Cherry Orchard.

Also Last night, Alison Fraser "fainted" first 10min in.

She seemed to flub her first few lines, said she couldn't go on, then fell. The other 2 performers on-stage @ the time didn't go to her, so it seemed like part of the show. Director David Staller (sitting behind us) got up, walked to the stage & carried her off like a log-throw competition. He then sat on-stage & spoke for a little under 10min re: the show & his research (made a comment that they'd been in rehearsals all day). His story about his godmother Hermoine Gingold & the premise of Shaw's play was actually helpful & interesting.

Alison reappeared, seemed fine, & told us she wasn't used to the tight corset she was wearing. Show went on.

It's LONG, bit repetitive, kind of sweet & charming, a showcase for these seasoned actors, but a little bit disappointing. No major highs, no real lows, no settling conclusions about anything.

If it had a longer run, I'd consider a revisit later on, to see if the performances have settled.... Read more Read less

See it if You like these super actors playing together.

Don't see it if if you don’t enjoy new interpretations of classic plays. I found the prologue disturbing. And it took Me out of the play

See it if You love Shaw, can tolerate the gas-bagginess, and will appreciate the (overly) enthusiastic acting.

Don't see it if The awkward contrast of opera buffo acting and serious political ideas will irritate you. The tone, acting, and direction are inconsistent.

Also The framing of a WW2 London bomb shelter gives this a bit of Dorothy-and-Mickey-put-on-a-show energy and amateurishness. Shaw deserves better.... Read more Read less