Lonely Planet NYC Reviews and Tickets

69%

(18 Ratings)

Positive

56%

Mixed

39%

Negative

Members say

Thought-provoking, Great acting, Slow, Relevant, Intelligent

About the Show

Greasepaint Productions revives Steven Dietz's 1994 AIDS drama, which is a love story, an existential meditation on human isolation, and even an absurdist comedy..

'Lonely Planet' tells the story of Jody, a 40-year-old shopkeeper who has become a shut-in, and his younger friend and caretaker Carl, who wants him to go outside and take responsibility for his life. First, Jody must come to terms with the fact that his community is being decimated by AIDS, and that he needs to be tested before he becomes a casualty, too.

Show-Score Member Reviews (18)

Clever, Great acting, Great writing, Intelligent, Profound

See it if brilliant writing, great acting, intense drama, two actors with smart material, sensitive subject matter.

Don't see it if Looking for big staging lots of action, fun easy going story.

Great acting, Great staging, Relevant, Intense, Slow

See it if You have an open mind and don't mind a play about a relevant issue we are faced with today. You want to see great acting.

Don't see it if You don't want to see a play about a serious issue with some humor. You are sensitive to hearing about aids related deaths. Read more

Great acting, Slow, Thought-provoking, Confusing, Relevant

See it if You want a personal look at the early AIDS crisis. You want to see very talented actors.

Don't see it if You want sharp writing & clear transitions: the writing is repetitive & the scene endings trail off-I didn't know the act or play was over!

Slow, Great staging, Thought-provoking, Indulgent, Overwritten

See it if you enjoy careful, intimate, indulgent character studies where the plot and world are ever-so-slowly unfurled over the course of two acts.

Don't see it if you prefer taut writing with well-defined narrative arcs. Also, the plot is slow enough that you can guess the ending before it's revealed.

Thought-provoking, Intelligent, Relevant, Great writing

See it if Touching story of friendship and crises..Well acted--dated concerning the Aids epidemic, but a gentle reminder much has not changed,

Don't see it if You don't like quiet thought provoking intelligent story telling.

Relevant, Great acting, Thought-provoking

See it if you would like to see how a friend helps one deal with the aids epidemic in a unique way. more in the early years.

Don't see it if you are not interested in that topic

Slow, Great acting

See it if you are interested in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and appreciate strong acting and a surprisingly nice set given the size of the venue

Don't see it if you expect a driving plot. Not much happens. The writing is frequently too on the nose.

Alright

See it if You're interested in LGBT stories

Don't see it if For me the writing wasn't very appealing or compelling

Critic Reviews (1)

"The actors overact their parts while trying to drive home the profundity of Deitz’s language…Jody's reserved personality feels more affected than lived in. Smith’s Carl is another kind of affected—the stereotypical gay man…Given that both actors, clearly talented, suffer from the same issue, the problem may lie more in a lack of direction…Yet given these drawbacks, 'Lonely Planet' is still a beautiful play, something this production both understands and is able to communicate."
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Trailer

Creative team