Mary Stuart (Hedgepig Ensemble)

See it if Elizabethan style play with poetic language and strong acting. Opposing political factions maneuver for power, crushing individual humanity.

Don't see it if Once the theme was established, it felt somewhat repetitive. Lengthy speeches & two-faced behavior.

See it if you’d like to see a clear, powerful production of one of the most important plays in the history of European theater.

Don't see it if old plays bore you.

Also There's nothing fancy about the Hedgepig Ensemble’s production of Friedrich Schiller’s classic German play from 1800, “Mary Stuart.” The play (in Mike Poulton’s contemporary English translation) is allowed to speak for itself, which is fine because it’s a classic for a reason: It's truly great drama. Having a strong cast that speak clearly is an enormous asset, & so is having 2 very strong queens, Mary Candler as Mary& Olivia Williamson as Elizabeth. The whole play pivots on their electric encounter. Anyone with an interest in theater history will want to see this.... Read more Read less

See it if well written, highly dramatic theater excites you. A classic play exceptionally well done.

Don't see it if your theatrical preference is for contemporary comedy or musicals. This is a costume drama.

See it if If you like history from that time period.

Don't see it if You want the whole story, dislike the time period. It's on the four floor so a lot of walking stairs.

Also This show moves at a good pace, it did not feel long. The acting is excellant.... Read more Read less

See it if you would enjoy a somewhat fanciful, but unique, view of the history of Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I.

Don't see it if "historical" plays and long (the running time is about 2:45) plays don't interest you.

Also the play is an "apology" for the actions of Mary Queen of Scots and the Catholic Church in the 17th century. It portrays Elizabeth as lacking resolution and Mary as "pure" because of her defense of the Church. This might say more about the late 18th century when Napoleon was replacing Catholic Kings throughout Europe than it does about the Stuart -Tudor conflict.

I saw this on opening night, but the acting, staging, set and direction were terrific. I never lost my interest.

But, if you're looking for a play that moves you this probably is not it.... Read more Read less

See it if An ambitious choice for a small theater company and a small budget but they pull it off beautifully.

Don't see it if you're not a fan of long talky plays. However, there's plenty of action and excitement and the writing is gorgeous.

See it if you like historical, dramatic plays. Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I kept the drama going with great acting and great script.

Don't see it if you have trouble with stairs as the theater is on the 4th floor; or if you have no interest in 16th century drama.

Also I found the acting to be mostly good - and exceptionally good by both queens. I would encourage one change - to shorten the hem of Queen Mary by about 4 inches as I found it distracting watching her trying to avoid tripping.

The script and plot development kept my attention so I was not fidgeting or anxious for this play to end even though it was just under 3 hours in length.

This show reminds us that greed, corruption, dishonesty, and the need to be revered has deep roots in society.

I saw this play at the Access Theater in NYC in April 2019.... Read more Read less

See it if enjoy plays of historical political intrigue that reflect issues of today

Don't see it if you have difficulty following "Shakespearean" language or actors playing multiple roles

Also The play has a surprising amount of humor

See it if you love British history, you love plays about women, power, and love

Don't see it if you are bored by history, you can't concentrate on serious works

See it if You like historical plays with strong female lead, great acting, a great dramatic story between two cousins ruled England & Scotland

Don't see it if Heavy language, history, drama, very long play (almost 3 hrs) does not interest you

Also What an amazing story, very well acted. 3 hours passed like a breeze

See it if you like historical-political drama about trying to manipulate to save or take a sad woman's life. Like Shakespearean styled performances.

Don't see it if you mind a very long running time and an iffy costuming decision. Not interested in seeing manipulation and religious intolerance portrayed.

Also So the costuming I liked as they basically set all but the Queens in oldish/modern dress clothes (stuff that you might see about but would look a bit out of place) and the Queens in period costumes. I thought it set out that they were above everyone else which is a theme. The history of the play is likely wrong, while I'm not an expert on Elizabeth my knowledge is she was well served by Burghley and Leicester and particularly Burghley served her till he no longer could. That's okay dramatically as I liked it and I loved hating Elizabeth as written and portrayed. She's so manipulative and two faced. I think there is a surprising given the play's age commentary on the danger of sexism here as many of the people stereotype Elizabeth by her sex and completely miss the skilled and ruthless, manipulator and politician and survivor they are actually dealing with. The read "typical" female traits onto her which she plays up to.... Read more Read less

See it if You like stories about strong women

Don't see it if You're upset about historical inaccuracies

See it if Female actors excellent; mixed bag of male, some quite good. Worth seeing for historical perspective.

Don't see it if Quite talky, and a disconcerting mix of acting styles

See it if you like a historical political drama that is beautifully written with excellent acting.

Don't see it if you aren't interested in the power struggle between Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart

See it if you love period pieces with a twist. Great space, moving piece.

Don't see it if you don't like long plays. But go any way its worth it

See it if If you are a fan of historical figures with a modern edge to it.

Don't see it if If you are a purist for historical rendition storytelling.

Also The acting was fantastic. Each actor put their heart and soul into the roll. There wasn’t anyone who I would give negative acting marks to. To the actors I give high marks. The staging was minimal but it was enough to contribute successfully to the play’s atmosphere. Mary Stuart was extremely well done. Kudos!... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of this play or historical figures. Great acting.

Don't see it if If you wouldn’t be interested in these historical figures and this telling of their story.

Also One of my all time favorite Broadway plays I saw in 2009 with Janet McTeer as Mary and Dame Harriet Walter as Elizabeth which is what brought me. It was different but enjoyable. Might be a bit confusing so probably a good idea to read up a little about them.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in historical dramas, know the history of queen elizabeth and mary stuart

Don't see it if You do not like long shows or intelligent historical dramas

Also Really great play, wonderful acting. Engagin story, interesting for anyone who likes historical dramas. Only negative is it was a bit long which maybe could have been a little bit shorter. Overall really great play... Read more Read less

See it if If you love plays about queens.

Don't see it if You Don’t like long plays.

See it if You enjoy historical dramas and like small productions with a lot of monologues. Great female leads but lack a balanced counterpart

Don't see it if The modern approach of the play fell short and some of the performances although passionate felt long and overwhelming.

See it if You like slow moving historical plays that consider themselves modern bc the male actors inexplicably wear modern clothing

Don't see it if You expect a modern take on Mary Stuart. Literally the only thing modernized is that a few male actors wear modern clothing. It’s strange.

Also Why bother calling it a modern twist? Was hoping for the plot or something the be modernized. Weird choice - and disappointing.

The acting of the two leads was decent, but some of the other actors were laughably bad — and the worse the actor, the more roles they seemed to play.

Honestly, the bad acting was my favorite part of the play. But it wasn’t quite bad enough to be worth seeing ironically. Sad.... Read more Read less

See it if The story and acting were compelling and powerful.

Don't see it if Its was a "tad" on the long side (2+ hours with an intermission). Probably could have been tightened a little but I enjoyed every minute

See it if You're interested in British history, you like political stories.

Don't see it if you want something action-packed - it's fairly slow paced and ruminative.

See it if Creatively staged and mostly very well acted historical drama from a terrific young theatre company.

Don't see it if You can't climb stairs and three hours is too long for you to sit in uncomfortable seats. Otherwise, support the work of this company.

See it if You want to see powerful acting and beautiful use of the language. The writing is captivating and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Don't see it if Don’t see the show if you are not a fan of classic language and period pieces. Also, if you’re not in the mood for huge chunks of history.