J&K: 1965 NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%

(28 Reviews)

Positive

96%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Clever, Intense

About the Show

Live in Theater presents an immersive, outdoor theater piece inspired by 'Life' magazine's 1965 photo essay about two New York City junkies: John and Karen.

These pictures shocked readers by bringing the grim reality of addiction into the American living room. The infamous “Needle Park” is the backdrop for an interactive journey where 14 participants are immersed in the world of John and Karen. You will traverse the Lower East Side and play roles—friends, family, fellow drug addicts—as you bond and become complicit in the love story at the heart of these “two lives lost to heroin.” The 80-minute show is performed entirely outdoors, rain or shine. To make your experience more comfortable, please try to avoid bringing any bags and wear comfortable shoes as there is some walking. Ages 16 and up.

Member Reviews (28)

Great acting, Intelligent, Romantic, Clever, Eye opening

See it if You like "Immersive Theatre". The acting is great and the story is fun, educational and romantic.

Don't see it if You're not up to wandering around the Lower East Side for an hour and a half.

Quirky, Intense, Immersive, Funny, Some parts were slow

See it if You enjoy immersive shows in non-traditional spaces. You like being outdoors. You like shows based on real people.

Don't see it if You don't want to participate: no hiding in the back row here. You have trouble walking. You're uncomfortable w/addiction themes. Read more

Intense, Awkward, Great acting, Edgy, Thought-provoking

See it if you're looking for an engaging and unique experience. These actors are so phenomenal and committed. Gets uncomfortable, but never boring.

Don't see it if you don't want to participate in the action or be put in awkward situations where you have to improvise an unsavory scene. Read more

Absorbing, Great acting, Intense, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if You enjoy outdoor immersive experiences dealing with themes that are as relevant today as they were in the 60's.

Don't see it if Uncomfortable being part of the lives of addicts, or if you expect to sit, relax and watch a story unfold.

Ambitious, Great acting, Quirky, Intense, Thought-provoking

See it if You like immersive interactive theater about a serious subject and walking around Lower East Side

Don't see it if You want your theater nice n easy it is a Black Mirror experience nothing new in content. But still powerful

Like sleep no more but with junkies

See it if You are up for interactive theater about the underbelly, drug addict scene of the 1960's and liked the movie "Panic in Needle Park".

Don't see it if It's not a passive exp--so if you don't want to interact with the actors/other audience members or feel uncomfortable improv-ing when asked Read more

Clever, Refreshing, Dramatic-improv, Highly-participatory

See it if you are intrigued by the idea of immersive interactive participatory theatre, especially if you have never seen a good example of that genre

Don't see it if you want a scripted play or anything traditionally staged, or you would be terrified at being called upon to do improv acting Read more

Absorbing, Interactively dyamic, Great acting, Thought-provoking, Creatively unpredictable

See it if you want to try a novel, interactive, unpredictable, fun yet relevant street theater experience that'll keep you guessing from start to end

Don't see it if you are too timid or a killjoy to participate in such interactive show as there will be a lot of impromptu reactions & some acting required. Read more

Critic Reviews (2)

"The ensemble is obviously great at what they do...The main source of my discomfort: by using the same two characters from a 1960s photo essay, are we not continuing the whitewashing (read: Black erasure) of history?...We are asked to remove ourselves from the realities of this park, to ignore the actually homeless people...There is a difference between the discomfort of experiencing a difficult reality through theater, and being asked to participate in something tactless and in poor taste."
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"D’Amore’s chilling new interactive production...The drama is staged completely outdoors, and the less-than-polished part of LES effectively invokes the grittiness of 1960s New York drug culture...Both actors are deft at developing their characters and giving three-dimensional life to images from the photo essay...They don’t allow us to be passive observers, and it’s purposefully uncomfortable at points...There is no fourth wall, and no escaping the bid for intimacy."
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