Idiot NYC Reviews and Tickets

58%
(77 Ratings)
Positive
32%
Mixed
39%
Negative
29%
Members say
Confusing, Quirky, Ambitious, Great staging, Disappointing

About the Show

Robert Lyons' new play is inspired by Dostoyevsky's novel of the same name, and staged by HERE artistic director Kristin Marting.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (77)

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393 Reviews | 101 Followers
72
Clever, Visually inviting, Original, Well cast, Slow

See it if Alternative theatrical approaches to stripped-down Russian classics interest. Engaging cast, set & audio but loses steam & doesn't resolve.

Don't see it if Russian drama or experimental, interactive plays with long speeches, strobe lights or techno music are issues.

984 Reviews | 1052 Followers
72
Creative, Great staging, Entertaining, Confusing, Fun

See it if You enjoy immersive staging. It's a fun experience but it's primarily due to the creative and engaging staging.

Don't see it if It's confusing at times & at only 75 minutes the show could benefit from cutting 10-15 mins. That being said, I stil had a good time.

74 Reviews | 29 Followers
71
Absorbing, Clever, Confusing

See it if You know/liked the book, you enjoy creative staging and more artys shows.

Don't see it if You like more traditional plays, if you aren't into Russian Lit

76 Reviews | 21 Followers
70
Ambitious, Great staging, Entertaining, Confusing, Great acting

See it if You want to see something different in theatre.

Don't see it if You only enjoy traditional stagings.

1009 Reviews | 950 Followers
69
Performatic, Quirky, Ambitious, Enjoyable, Great staging

See it if you like perfomance pieces with your dialogue. Very creative staging/projections. Good distillation of the original for 75 min. Solid acting

Don't see it if you want more theater & less "art". The performance pieces should be shortened to be more illustrative than demonstrative. Niche style.

139 Reviews | 75 Followers
69
Quirky, Original, Poetic, Poor physicality, Philosophical

See it if You appreciate Dostoevsky's existential ruminations and are open to creative staging

Don't see it if You are expecting "42nd Street," only like plays that work completely, or are driven nuts by awkwardly moving actors

55 Reviews | 76 Followers
68
Ambitious, Confusing, Quirky, Great staging

See it if you appreciate mashups of old works with modern tech. You like plays that use audience space.

Don't see it if you don't like Russian karaoke or plays that make you go WTF?

214 Reviews | 61 Followers
66
Great staging, Indulgent, Quirky, Repetitive, Original

See it if like a close view of experimental theatre, especially if you have some familiarity with the characters and themes of the novel.

Don't see it if you prefer a clear, linear narrative or are uncomfortable with being extremely close to the actors.

Critic Reviews (11)

New York Theatre Review
May 13th, 2016

"It is a novel conceit...Kublick is superb as Prince Myshkin, crafting his performance into a blend of dashing hero and sad clown. His seizures are powerfully underscored by Ray Sun Ruey-Horng’s disquieting video designs...Director/choreographer Kristin Marting juggles all of these moving pieces with a strong eye for color and shape. Indeed, the visual impact often rivals Dostoyevsky’s text...'Idiot' is state-of-art Dostoyevsky."
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Off Off Online
May 10th, 2016

"There were arresting moments in this production…But, for the most part, inventive use of video, gesture and dance, the dramatic story and interludes of deeper rumination do not, finally, cohere to immerse us in anything more than that spectacle itself. We are entertained but, finally, not enlarged in the course of this production."
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Village Voice
May 11th, 2016

"The play doesn't live up to its conceptual or theatrical potential, in part because Lyons's script slashes Dostoevsky's massive novel down to 75 minutes and four characters. Neither the scenes nor their set elements ever fully cohere. The show has some high points: Daniel Kublick plays Myshkin with a touching naïveté, and multimedia elements bring his seizures vividly to life...But ultimately, like Dostoevsky's Prince, 'Idiot' doesn't ever find its way."
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