Marjana and the Forty Thieves NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (5)
See it if you enjoy theatrical exuberance, flashy costumes, multiple styles of presentation, complex storytelling, slapstick, mid-Eastern atmosphere
Don't see it if you need straightforward storylelling, get confused by actors taking turns playing the same part, not a mid-Eastern or slapstick fan
See it if you enjoy a beautiful, well thought out environment with gracious interpersonal moments between the performers and the audience.
Don't see it if you love the Arabian Nights. The oddly repetitive telling of the stories in modern language is disturbingly false to the magic of the tales
See it if You enjoy lovely ambiance. You want to explore storytelling rather than stories.
Don't see it if You want a single, clear narrative. You dislike atypical seating.
See it if you're a fan of fable-based, ensemble-created/performed pieces that feel a little bit old-fashioned in focus or scope.
Don't see it if you want to see a truly inventive or thoughtful take on a classical piece of the literary canon. Read more
See it if You are a fan of very abstract theater pieces that use unconventional story telling methods. There are also snacks.
Don't see it if You are a fan of strong narrative lines.
Critic Reviews (2)
"The narrative is dotted with much contemporary vernacular...This does not make the rambling proceedings any more compelling, though sound designer Goodman mixes in fairly entertaining modern music...The cast takes over a traditional stage to act out the titular story in an old-fashioned, broadly comic style that nods toward pantomime and vaudeville but lands like a sluggish children’s show. Scheherazade may not have approved."
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“It’s a story about stories...Perfect source material for a director like Herskovits...The entire cast was solid...The character work is extraordinary, including the seamless passing back and forth of different roles. You never feel like you’re struggling to remember who’s who because it really doesn’t matter. Thanks in part to the gorgeous set...and the inventive music performed live by Eamon Goodman, you’re well immersed in the world of the play."
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