Holden NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (10)
See it if You're a die-hard Salinger fan, or if you're fascinated by assassins. The more you know about Salinger, the more you'll appreciate it.
Don't see it if I can't imagine anyone enjoying this if they don't have at least a rudimentary awareness of Catcher in the Rye and/or Salinger.
See it if you are concerned about violence and can appreciate a intelligent dialogue of how people justify their awful actions.
Don't see it if you need to care about the characters and prefer to immerse yourself in a story.
See it if see it for the kernels of a really exciting narrative and strong ensemble performances
Don't see it if unfortunately the play's undercooked and not fully realized moments outweigh the exciting fully fleshed out ones. Worth wild nevertheless... Read more
See it if you like JD Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, plays with dark themes (violence, war, assassination, terrorism) starring all white men.
Don't see it if you want something light and fluffy, good writing that matches the ambition of the themes/material brought up, a coherent story. Read more
See it if watching a bunch of men spend their time acting ridiculous while babysitting a writer who is trying to finish a book
Don't see it if if you have better things to do
See it if You enjoy spending 90 minutes trying to figure out what you are watching and why ! You don't mind pretentious drivel mascarading as art !
Don't see it if You are expecting a well thought out new way of appreciating and looking at A Catcher in the Rye. Very loud sounds of gun shots throughout !
See it if you absolutely loved Salenger.
Don't see it if if you like the play you see to make sense and be entertaining
See it if you don't mind wasting your time.
Don't see it if you have standards.
Critic Reviews (13)
“What George creates by encompassing not only the facts of Salinger's life, but of those affected by him, is brilliant…There is so much about this show that requires extreme recognition of detail and sticking to the facts while also just letting loose and allowing almost animalistic instincts to take over, all of which these actors understand…It is truly a wonderful, unique experience that brings theater to its finest element and will undoubtedly give us something worthwhile to think about."
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"Anisa George's solid direction and the tight-knit cast keep us fully engaged. Even a tangential discussion about the Hindu epic 'Bhagavad Gita' fits well into the overall structure, and mostly the play maintains a balance between the darkly comic and darkly violent. It only loses its footing when, towards the end, the examination of violence takes over completely, and we are paying more attention to the interloper Zev than we are to Salinger."
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"Absurdly compelling writing-wise, performance-wise, design-wise, and idea-wise…The aspect of the writing for which I commend George the most is her ability to create humanity in assassins, to show us depictions of real, sympathetic human beings…What is equally frustrating and exactly perfect about 'Holden' is that it does not try to simplify or bluntly state its point; it knows it is dealing with complicated ideas, and it seems almost to take pleasure in complicating them even more."
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"For a long time, I’ve been obsessed with J.D. Salinger...For someone like me, the exploration of the myth and the man in 'Holden' is compelling...On the rare occasion, the production loses its precise grounding...Make no mistake about it, this is a polished work, one undoubtedly other critics will deem 'relevant'...It is a familiar story to us, part of the document of American life, documented and seen so often, and yet so rarely truly confronted."
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"With Anisa George serving as the creator and director, 'Holden' was a mark of a singular vision. For the most part, her consistency in creating her world followed through but there were moments you wished a trimming or two would occur...As it stands now, the balance is off kilter causing the piece to be unintentionally slow moving, even during those bursts of excitement...The characters were well lived in. They moved independently of one another yet had a cohesive bond."
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"The current remount of George & Co.’s critically-acclaimed 'Holden' is as relevant and unnerving now as it was then...The intense tragicomedy interweaves fact and fiction, fantasy and absurdity, in its exploration of the psychopathy of violence...Across the board, the characterizations are indelible. The outstanding cast and direction are supported by an effective design...We should all take heed of the timely messages inherent in 'Holden,' which are masterfully delivered by George & Co."
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"Part of the humor of the play is to watch this spirit-trio try to influence Salinger from within…The choice of the two assassins is intriguing…In this telling, Salinger is not just his own tortured recluse, but with these other notorious presences becomes a kind of caged embodiment of a fractured America…If the book that made the title character famous has a golden sheen of youth and wizened romance about it, this strange, stunning play has anything but."
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"A fascinating if sometimes baffling exercise...Those first two-thirds are riveting...After that the action sags, the pacing loosens. It seems as if George & Co. weren’t sure how to bring things to a close...Still, if you have some tolerance for the avant-garde and the unexplained, 'Holden' will be well worth your time. The actors and creative team have put their heart, soul, and blood into a powerful imaginative portrait of the psyche of one of literature’s most fascinating characters. "
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