A Number / 'Night, Mother

See it if you've never seen Night Mother. Message (right to suicide) is controversial, but tension thru-out is impressive. Well acted, esply Thelma.

Don't see it if you're impatient w subpar work. A Number is interesting, but not well written/acted.. Inferior to Nt Mother. Long evening, depressing.

See it if You enjoy The Twilight Zone. Both shows (but especially A Number) reminded me of TTZ episodes. A little dark, odd and timely.

Don't see it if You can’t appreciate downtown theatre done in a basement on a shoestring budget. I love it but...this ain’t Phantom!

See it if A number is about cloning. Night mother is about suicide

Don't see it if A number was awful bad acting, confusing story. Night mother much better mother was great. If you want 2 good shows

See it if #1: Your secretly cloned kids come back to haunt you. #2: Your kid wants to give you a manicure, then kill herself. Sinister humor.

Don't see it if You don't enjoy dark comedy that is mostly dark but ultimately ridiculous. If you are willing to accept the premise, you will enjoy the ride

See it if Brandon Walker is great in 3 roles. Both shows needed this re-showing. Small intimate space makes one "WITH" the actors.

Don't see it if Both shows are two-handers. Both shows should be checked out re: info or old descriptions before attending.

Also Erin C. and Brandon W. not only act... they also direct, they produce, they do sound and costumes and the set.... Read more Read less

See it if you are willing to spend a long, intense evening looking at some of the darkest, most intractable of human problems.

Don't see it if you want something short, funny & light.

Also I’ve followed the work of The Seeing Place Theater closely for 3 years now. It never disappoints. It puts on ambitious productions of contemporary & classical work—often current takes on classical material—so that different offerings in a season complement & amplify each other. Some seasons are political; this season is oh-so-human. Its latest production is an ambitious double-bill of strong, probing work by 2 great contemporary woman playwrights, Caryl Churchill & Marsha Norman. If, like me, you feel Churchill is far too infrequently revived in the US, see Seeing Place’s revival of “A Number.” It is swift, uncomfortably funny & pokes so deeply at the complexities of generation that it hurts. Most US play-goers will be more familiar with Norman’s shockingly inevitable 2-hander between mother & daughter: see this version anyway. Seeing Place finds colorings & inconvenient truths I had never seen. With the sparest of means, this company continues to do everything I go to theater for.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy good acting in short plays that explore dark subjects. These two pack a lot of impact in minimal budget productions with good tech

Don't see it if you value time and comfort as it was uncomfortably warm and the seating is harsh for two productions which each ran long.

See it if Two shows around 70 minutes each Both plays are dark in their way. Worth Seeing.

Don't see it if Cloning is subject on one play, Second is suicide.

Also The Seeing Place does great shows, with great actors. First show is about father cloning his son. We meet three, one is the son and two clones.
The second show about mother and daughter relationship. Both dark drama and makes you think.... Read more Read less

See it if Curious mash of Churchill/Norman and cloning(giving birth)/suicide(taking life away). 2nd act is more grounded & absorbing than moral 1st.

Don't see it if The dull first act doesn't justify the 3hr.-running time, though "'Night, Mother" always remains compelling drama. Tiny performance space.

Also Up for debate upon exiting: The morality of duplicating life and the morality of ending one's life.... Read more Read less

See it if A Number: human cloning, individual identity, and getting a do-over. ‘Night Mother: depression, suicide, and futile intervention.

Don't see it if You aren’t prepared for very dark subject matter. An intense and intimate production in a small black box theatre.

See it if You want to see two old one act plays that you’re probably not familiar with

Don't see it if You are not interested in seeing two separate plays that both deal with family issues

Also I scored the first play “a number “A 70 and I gave the second play night, mother and 83. Overall I am scoring this and 83 because the second play is so touching and amazing and needs to be seen by everyone. Both actresses did a fantastic job. Even though it was only a one act there is a tiny bit of fluff that could be cut out. The first play seems to me like it was written really well. I don’t know if this was the writing or the direction but for some reason both of the actors were fumbling over there lines to make it look more realistic and uncomfortable. I truly believe the actors knew their lines but they wanted it to look realistic but I feel went way too far. Both plays are really weird and uncomfortable and I mean that in a good way. This is the first time I have ever seen anything by this theater group and I’m really looking forward to seeing more that they do... Read more Read less

See it if you’ll make allowances for strong plays that for some reason aren't staged often enough. AN is a solid script; NM is an exceptional one.

Don't see it if Of the 4 actors only Brandberg (Thelma) is spot on. Others a bit off the mark. One sounds like she has laryngitis & it's distracting.

Also I’m torn. These are excellent plays. I feel like everyone should know them. Norman’s ‘Night Mother is a masterpiece of characterization. The impulses Churchill describes in A Number are believable even though the play involves futuristic human cloning. The performances are enough to hold attention but didn’t fully pull me in—except for Carla Brandberg’s (perfect!).

Briefly: A Number concerns a father’s guilt & extreme measures to correct his parenting mistakes. ‘Night Mother concerns a daughter’s regret of failed childhood & adulthood and last attempt to be of use to her mom. A lot of humor in these scripts but it doesn’t always fully come across.

These plays are so different I’m not convinced that they form a natural dialogue when shown together. But I’m not complaining. Two strong playwrights for the price of one.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy theater that touches on real life issues such as nature vs nurture, cloning and end of life issues

Don't see it if quirky odd characters and edgy story lines don't appeal to you

See it if You want to see two very interesting plays in their own right performed by some talented performers. One play about life and one about death

Don't see it if You are not comfortable seeing a play about human cloning and one about suicide. You want something light and fluffy.

Also "A Number" was interesting to see one performer performing three roles and you can clearly see him "transform". You can see that he transformed into another role but pay attention to the dialogue which I found quite interesting to see how each "clone" felt about the cloning.
"Night Mother" you saw it coming but I felt so bad for her because she felt that this is what she had to do to get peace. A troubled person feeling that her only out was to commit suicide.... Read more Read less

See it if You know this theatre company and enjoy their work, or if you want to see two short pieces done exceedingly well given the limits of space.

Don't see it if You're not up for an evening of intense drama or if the topics are not of interest.

Also I've been aware of The Seeing Place for several years and always try to see whatever they are doing. They NEVER disappoint, contrary to many of their uptown confreres. This is theatre as theatre should be--raw and emotional when it needs to be, and never pandering or patronizing.

This latest offering is quite compelling, and I'm glad I got to see the Churchill piece--this is probably the only time/place it will be done in my lifetime. I have seen the Norman piece when it was on Broadway, and so feel quite qualified to say that despite knowing the ending, it was still thrilling to watch.

If you don't know this group, resolve now to get over to the East Village to see the magic they can create with minimal everything. You won't be disappointed.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy 1-act plays. I wouldn't call the 1st one a psychological thriller.

Don't see it if slow moving plays with only 2 actors don't interest you. The material felt very superficial.

See it if You want an intimate night of theatre, even if it's not that great.

Don't see it if You want well paced performances. You're bored of "classic, American" acting styles.

See it if You are interested in one-acts about family dynamics with great acting in an intimate setting. 'Night Mother is particularly wrenching.

Don't see it if You are triggered by stories of suicide and murder, or cannot tolerate small theatres.

See it if Well done 'NIGHT MOTHER paired with so-so companion piece on cloning intrigues you

Don't see it if You're looking for a light evening.

See it if you want to see two full length classic but absurdist plays dealing with family dysfunction. Both have great acting.

Don't see it if If two full length plays back to back with a short intermission is too much. If you want characters with explained motivations.

Also 'Night Mother is much better than A Number.

A Number has a protagonist with poorly explained motivation seemingly trying to get the raising of a son right by producing a new one whenever he screws up. There is also a strong warning about the "search for identity" and the disaster it can be.

"Night Mother" is the much better play. About a mother who controls her daughter's life and is more concerned with getting the approval of her son and neighbors than she is with her daughter's happiness. Even the daughter's suicide cannot motivate her to break the pattern of abuse.... Read more Read less

See it if intimate plays in intimate space appeal; to support fine actor-director-producers & their mission to deliver meaningful work affordably. Go!

Don't see it if averse to intense two handers that will stay with you long after you leave the theatre; if fraught parent-child dynamics a painful topic.

See it if 2 terrific plays that make a good set. A couple of fabulous actors-esp Carla Brandberg. Support this small theater co!

Don't see it if You can't handle a downer evening. One performance not up to the mark. Very small venue. Some sight line problems.

See it if two interesting plays about controversial topics. Performances are good, but could be better.

Don't see it if human cloning or suicide are triggers for you. You don't like family dramas or small cast productions

See it if Sci Fi about cloning ,identity and family relationships and a serious study about suicide 2,Long 1 acts great acting

Don't see it if Talky serious drama is not your thing in a small intimate space a bit claustrophobic

See it if you like dark one-acts

Don't see it if you dislike dark topics or want a big flashy show

Also 'Night Mother is one my all-time favorites, and it is beautifully done here! I wasn't familiar with A Number before seeing it, and I do think it was the weaker of the two (it takes a bit to kind of get going), but I enjoyed it as well.... Read more Read less