Mirrors NYC Reviews and Tickets

78%

(13 Ratings)

Positive

85%

Mixed

15%

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Great writing, Great acting, Thought-provoking, Ambitious

About the Show

Set in the sleepy Mississippi town of Etheridge in the summer of 1960, "Mirrors" depicts the lives of three African-American women bound by love and loss and family, and the secrets of their shared past.

From the show:

When 17-year-old Alma Jean finds her mother dead, she must pack up her life and move in with her mother’s ex-lover, a woman she doesn’t know. Her new guardian, Bird Wilson, is the town pariah and unused to sharing her home. Will mourning the death of a shared loved one bring Alma Jean and Bird together or push them further apart?

Show-Score Member Reviews (13)

Great writing, Great staging, Great singing, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you want a queer love story about fighting for your truth in a society set against you. This is a classic me vs. world story with new twists

Don't see it if you want the usual song and dance. This is a different kind of story, a bit rough around the production edges, but refreshing.

Great singing, Great writing, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if You want to see a thought-provoking play about the black experience that addresses homosexuality, discrimination and dealing with grief

Don't see it if You would be offended by a play that depicts lesbian love, don't want to hear about grief or don't want to see an all black cast

Creative use of small space, Intense, Romantic, Extraordinary a cappella hymns, Absorbing

See it if characters struggling against their position in time & place, gorgeous singing, intimate setting & fabulous costumes seem like entertainment

Don't see it if Southern Black culture, lesbianism or death seem hard topics to watch on stage although this beautifully romantic play carries them well

Excellent acting propels moody story of a black lesbian in the small-town south in 1960

See it if You want to take a trip back in time with a vivid and uncompromising protagonist.

Don't see it if You’re looking for a comedy. Read more

Needs editing, Relevant, Fine performances, Great story, Absorbing

See it if you are interested in life, love, death, traditions & relationships of a gay black woman in a small Southern town; enjoy lovely singing

Don't see it if you're not interested in complicated relationships; offended by a haunting spirit, exaggerated "church ladies,' LGBTQ issues Read more

Well acted, Well staged, Intelligent, Thought-provoking, Absorbing

See it if for the strg cast, inventive staging, gr singing, touching story, gr costumes, clever plot (w flashbacks), strg characters, poignant ending.

Don't see it if you want strident politics; M quietly argues for black gay dignity in 1960 Missipp. Script a bit repetitive, drags. Sh be 90 mins no intermn

Ambitious, Thought-provoking, Slow, Resonant, Great acting

See it if You want to see a well acted play in an intimate setting that takes a complex look at queer issues as they relate to the past & present.

Don't see it if Queer issues don't interest you, or you want a heavy plot driven play. This was slow paced, both from a directing & writing standpoint.

Mostly absorbing, Some characters one note, Lead is excellent, Earnest, Pace needs tightening

See it if OK w sad story about cultural attitudes, bigotry, living in the shadows, family, love, and grief. Singing is divine.

Don't see it if Story deserves to be told but this production is underwritten, slowly directed and has a jarring plothole at its heart.

Critic Reviews (3)

"The first-time playwright makes a number of rookie error…he keeps harping on the characters' precarious position in the community -- a point that is glaringly obvious -- using up time that would be better spent fleshing out the characters and their relationships."
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Score: 70%. "My friends and family know that I will cry at the drop of a hat. I can't watch anything with hurt animals or children...Which is why I was perplexed by my lack of emotional response to Azure D. Osborne-Lee's 'Mirrors' presented by Parity Productions at Next Door @NYTW."
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"'Mirrors'…offers a sensitive view of a black lesbian's existence within her church-going, rural Mississippi community. Its rough edges need finer directorial sanding, but strong performances and…gospel and New Orleans music help grip one's attention for much of its nearly two-hour length."
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Trailer

Creative team

New York Theatre Workshop

Presenter

Azure D. Osborne-Lee

Playwright

Ludovica Villar-Hauser

Director