How to Live on Earth NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (5)
See it if you like intimate plays that are extremely thoughtful and lovely.
Don't see it if you prefer plays that are more showy/ostentatious.
See it if you like new plays, laced with cosmic poetry & wit, based on out of-this-world true events with resonant themes that apply to the here&now.
Don't see it if you want a play that foregrounds theme to develop that theme. The initial liftoff comes back to earth after sticking to the same low orbit.
See it if you like multiple parallel storylines, a modern premise, some comedy, an intimate venue, cool use of lighting, tech and set design.
Don't see it if you don't want the same story told from different perspectives. Actors play multiple roles so if that confuses you don't go. No intermission
See it if Open minded people who appreciate subtle humor
Don't see it if You don't enjoy theoretical drama
See it if Not so sure
Don't see it if Not so sure
Critic Reviews (7)
"The structure of the script is compelling, too. It doesn’t stop once the astronauts are chosen, but continues on past the shuttle launch. But the scenes and characters themselves don’t fascinate as they might...The characters are types rather than people and their experiences seem calculated rather than contingent...And yet, there’s poignancy to the situation, no matter how schematic the characters."
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"MJ Kaufman’s darkly funny play, directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, illuminates the absurd lengths humans will go to to avoid their daily lives, but also captures well the profound despondency of dreamers who are forever looking up."
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"Staged by artistic director Adrienne Campbell-Holt with her usual sensitive, finely tuned touch, the play asks, 'What makes us happy...?' Campbell-Holt keeps things moving at a breezy pace, and the cast handles its touchingly funny characters with love and care."
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"The play has an undeniably compelling premise (the settlement of Mars), but its execution leaves much to be desired...It should feel deeply personal and resonant, but instead it just feels small...Unfortunately, it's not enough to pull us into an otherwise soporific script."
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"Not only has Kaufman come on something you might say has a strong affinity with Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey,' but he has a work being played extremely well by the company, under Campbell-Holt's meticulously clean direction...Kaufman's recognizing profound existential sadness and the effect it has on those around them is deeply perceptive and utterly compelling."
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"'How to Live on Earth; is a wonderful concept on paper. The thesis that MJ Kaufman offers is enough to draw you in. But there were some bold choices that were mystifying, altering the big picture of the show. The relationships are present. It’s the storytelling that could be adjusted."
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"Kaufman’s conceit, which ultimately provides a gentle lesson in being present in one’s world and not dreaming of one somewhere else, refreshes. Unfortunately, the playwright’s meandering plot-lines and one-dimensional characters make portions of 'Earth' slow going. Directed with economy by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, the show does, however, spark thanks to a trio of beautifully conceived performances."
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