Man Cave NYC Reviews and Tickets

75%

(16 Reviews)

Positive

75%

Mixed

25%

Negative

Members say

Intense, Great staging, Ambitious, Absorbing, Slow

About the Show

A world premiere from John J. Caswell, Jr, 2020-21 recipient of the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award.

Imaculada gathers her friends in a fortress-like mansion belonging to her absent employer, a wealthy Republican Congressman. Together the four women convert his luxurious basement man cave into their own spiritual war room and protective sanctuary from the violence of men, both real and supernatural. This debut production is directed by Taylor Reynolds (Plano).

Member Reviews (16)

Slow, Relevant, Great staging, Quirky, Ambitious

See it if you want to support a show with potential to be better as it deals with issues of violence against women, witchcraft & immigration politics.

Don't see it if technical excellence is important - lightning strike lighting is opposite of what it should be & English captioning is quick and faint.

Suspenseful, Thought-provoking, Uneven, Great staging, Absorbing

See it if you are interested in an ambitious horror/magical realism piece that focuses on the Latine experience in Arizona; you like cool stagecraft

Don't see it if you aren't into stories that involve the paranormal; you are troubled by domestic violence Read more

Confusing, Cliched, Banal

See it if Supernatural plays that is a mess, with terrible character development and a 3rd act that is insipid.

Don't see it if The last act is also only in Spanish with subtitles. Give me a break

Spooky, Quirky, Great staging, Thought-provoking, Ambitious

See it if You like the issues of feminism, immigration, identity, violence discussed in a way that doesn't beat you over the head

Don't see it if You are easily scared or spooked, you like light fare with no political content

Intense, Thought-provoking, Confusing, Absorbing, Ambitious

See it if Caswell's horror-noir drama packs spooky atmospherics & domestic predicaments in true soap opera fashion Well acted with an A+ production

Don't see it if As in all domestic fright dramas, there's one plot line too many and too many false endings (3 in this case) for comfort Confusion insues

Intense, Riveting, Great writing, Great acting, Ambitious

See it if you like great writing, enjoy witchcraft, love a wonderful off-off broadway show, love a good story with heart!

Don't see it if you don't like dramadies, bilingual shows, or off-off broadway shows, not a fan of witchcraft, or are triggered by violence or drugs. Read more

Refreshing, Great writing, Funny, Clever, Absorbing

See it if this is a really cool play. it’s a generational tale of latin american women. it’s a revenge tale. it’s a horror movie.

Don't see it if i wish this play had like …. twice the budget. some of the scenes drag on a little too long.

Lengthy well-intentioned mess

See it if You love supernatural horror tropes or any play with Latina characters.

Don't see it if You like coherence and character development. I couldn’t figure out why I was supposed to care about these women. Read more

Critic Reviews (2)

Caswell occasionally indulges in overt editorializing about the state of world, most of which is unnecessary since his ideas are so well embodied in the story. Also, the last scene -- despite a nifty twist that raises new questions about the effectiveness of the death-walking ceremony -- struggles to find a conclusion, seeming to end about three times. But I'm betting that you won't be bored, not even for a split-second. Man Cave wraps potent social criticism inside a ghost story that will have you eager (and afraid) to find out what happens next. -
Read more

Page 73’s world premiere of John J. Caswell, Jr.’s Man Cave is an exciting, riveting supernatural horror story. While at times it seems overwrought and overstuffed with too many issues, Taylor Reynolds’ production works beautifully holding our attention until the final moment. Its satisfying ending seems totally in keeping with the events that precede it and its ensemble of four is completely believable as they attempt to deal with seemingly overwhelming contemporary problems.
Read more