Lured NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (56)
See it if you're interested in a powerful piece about horrific real events, that pulls no punches and leaves you thinking. Terrific young cast.
Don't see it if you'd prefer not to be exposed to nudity, realistic violence, scenes of humiliation and vulgar language up close.
See it if You are socially aware of some of the horrors that happen to LGBT people in Russia. Riveting story by a fantastic cast.
Don't see it if you are uncomfortable with harsh brutal depictions of violence and language that show demeaning and humiliating situations to LGBT .
See it if you dare witness lgbt hate crime theme w/ nudity up close in a small theater. The experience is intense & abdorbing - kudos to a great cast!
Don't see it if you dislike lgbt theme, violence, nudity & Russian inspired true events - all of which are essential aspects of this well staged 3-act play.
See it if the harsh dark realities of LGBT rights (or lack their of) outside of 'our world' concerns you. Just a small taste of what you DON'T know.
Don't see it if 75min of (simulated) gratuitous violence, full-on nudity, humiliation & verbal abuse would make you squirm. Just GO. It's an important show. Read more
See it if You have forgotten how homophobic persecution exists in Russia and is mirrored in some circles in the U.S. even today.
Don't see it if strong scenes of brutality and forced sexuality are too much for you to handle
See it if you are looking for a serious play that is well written and has an interesting structure
Don't see it if you are offended by gay themes, violence, strong language, or brief male nudity
See it if You can stand up-close violence and want to see a horrific story beautifully told. Great insight into gay life in present day Russia.
Don't see it if Your tolerance level to depraved violence and full nudity is low. You’re not a fan of LGBT culture.
See it if you like plays that give you insights to situations, you like intense theater, you are interested in LGBT topics
Don't see it if you don't like intense situations, graphic portrayals, nudity, or desire a larger production value Read more
Critic Reviews (6)
"Playwright/co-director Frank J. Avella's Lured at the Theater for the New City practices a bit of theatrical legerdemain. Ostensibly about the perils of being gay in today's Russia, Avella takes an unexpected turn into revenge melodrama that almost defeats his main political/social theme. Considering that Lured is based on real events, at the very least he dulls the important political and social points he is making by having the victims and perpetrators behave equally abhorrently."
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“An uncomfortable experience. ‘Lured ‘ is sheerly violent, graphic, and unapologetic about it...The intent is to provoke the audience into righteous anger, and it works...It's a brisk hour and change, with a lithe cast undertaking the difficult material with guts and moxie...At times it's genuinely difficult to watch, but the cast and director succeed in their mission. By the end there is no way to not talk about this play and the uncomfortable facts of our reality it presents.”
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"It is hard to watch the show because it makes you want to yell and scream at the inhumane treatment happening on stage...My one slight criticism of this provocative, in-your-face play is when Tatiana speaks about her brother. I know the playwright, Frank Avella’s reasoning for including this. But instead of making the oppressed and the oppressor connect, it seems unnecessary and forced into the play...'Lured' is timely, relevant to our political climate, and heart wrenching."
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"This grotesque violation of humanity is dramatized in an ingenious way that contextualizes the trend while never flinching from portraying the depravity...'Lured' tackles a topical theme in an artful, non-exploitative way. It is never satisfied preaching to the choir...It doesn't force-feed us any easy resolution, either, ending with a question mark in the best possible sense...Not an easy play to watch, but it is 70 minutes of truth — you can't ask for more."
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"Avella’s play focuses a myopic lens on the entrapment, humiliation and torture of human beings. The spectacle of such cruelty and inhumanity is disturbing enough for any audience to witness. The subject matter is certainly horrific and Kudos to Mr. Avella for being brave enough to bring it to the stage. However, most of the characters are representative either as perpetrators or victims...Their personas need to be more fully realized."
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"The power of 'Lured,' a gutsy new political drama exposing heinous crimes against gay men in present-day Russia, is felt well before the actors take the stage...Among the most arduous and exhilarating 80 minutes I’ve spent at the theater in recent memory...If the dialogue is at times overwrought and the staging a bit clunky — the pacing and fight scenes are not as fluid as they could be — the performers, employing Russian accents, are committed and thoroughly convincing."
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