See it if You want to see acting supreme. I found it to be an emotional, riveting and relevant drama with comic undertones. Loved it so much.
Don't see it if You dislike plays about loss, life, being stuck - generally about life's highs and lows.
See it if You like great writing and acting. Characters that bring you to understand mourning w/just the right amount of humor to lighten the story.
Don't see it if You only like musicals or comedies. This is a true to life drama with some humor. Read more
See it if You want to see an honest story about a gay relationship between an older and younger man. Excellent writing, acting, set-near perfect.
Don't see it if If you’re homophobic. This is a drama but it’s not a downer. Quite the opposite. Read more
See it if Moving story of a man dealing with grief. Wonderful acting, directing, set and script. Would love to see it on Broadway.
Don't see it if If you prefer a musical or comedy then skip this one.
See it if you want to see a wonderfully acted and directed play, by Joe Brancato, about getting over the loss of one's spouse.
Don't see it if you have a problem with homosexual issues.
See it if if you plays that tell an interesting gay story.
Don't see it if if you have no interest in gay themes.
See it if you want to see life after your partner dies.
Don't see it if if you are triggered by gay characters and nudity.
See it if You want to see a well acted play about dealing with loss and moving on. All 3 actors were phenomenal.
Don't see it if You have issues with nudity onstage or dislike gay plays.
"'Mr. Parker' is not the kind of play that springs surprises on the audience, so its denouement is entirely predictable. And that is perhaps the show’s biggest asset: Real life can be ho-hum, too. One day you can’t move on, and the next, you can."
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The kind of attraction often booked in June when LGBTQ tourists come to town for Pride month, it doesn't really fall into the gaysploitation category although there is enough nudity in one scene to require audience members to deposit their cellphones in Yondr pockets. But it knows its target audience, who may very well overlook its soapier aspects. And it provides three skilled actors with a solid workout. At the same time, it never solves its central problem: Who is the title character of Michael McKeever's play and why should we care about him?
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"Beautifully performed by its cast of three, the play borrows tropes from stories of widowhood and rearranges them into a tender tale of a heart and a life on the mend."
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Mr. Parker, the latest play by Michael McKeever whose Daniel’s Husband has been produced twice Off Broadway, has been given a stylish production by director Joe Brancato who also directed the earlier play. David Goldstein’s one room studio set situated in the East Village is elegant and cozy. The costumes by Myra Oney are chic. The acting by its trio of actors is polished and urbane. Even its premise of a gay man dealing with the sudden death of a long-time partner and husband is up-to-date and timely. However, as written the play seems superficial and slight. Dramatically it avoids all the big scenes that might have been included. It remains entertaining but without the payoff one wants in such a drama.
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There’s nothing in Mr. Parker that’s artistically or thematically groundbreaking, and the situations and characters are familiar; but, in the capable hands of its director and three actors, it maintains a level of solid interest sufficient for an hour and a half of quality theater. One of the play’s dominant themes is about “legacies”—what we leave for those who come after to remember. Whatever else Mr. Parker’s legacy turns out to be, I’m afraid that in many minds it’s going to have something to do with a pouch and a penis.
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"'Mr. Parker' is well-structured, literate, economical (it clocks in at about 85 minutes), and intermittently touching. It has an important drawback: We’re not buying it. What does Justin see in Terry, beyond the fancy duds and dinners at Blue Hill that Terry buys him? Why has Terry soured on all his friends, and why is Cassandra always so cross? And why does Justin ... appear to have so little life outside of this one room?"
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