Novenas for a Lost Hospital NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (23)
See it if Fictional vignettes of life at St. V's hospital during the 1849 cholera epidemic & the AIDS crisis. Touching group walk to the AIDS memorial
Don't see it if The eulogy would be more meaningful to a longtime resident of the Village. Informative history, but mostly goopy nostalgia.
See it if you enjoy moving between physical locations, miss St. Vincent's Hospital, recall the AIDS epidemic, learn about role St. John's in pt. care
Don't see it if don't want to recall Village life during AIDS, don't want to move between 3 locations, don't care about St. Vincent history or AIDS memorial
See it if Elegiac, immersive portrayal of the history of St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village; mourns loss of both hospital & village's spirit
Don't see it if Drama's tone veers between historical & fantastical often w/clumsy dialogue but it's open & vulnerable Strong cast led by Chalfant & Keith
See it if you are a fan of Kathleen Chalfant.
Don't see it if the reminder of the death on St. Vincent Hospital is too much to bear. Read more
See it if Ingratiating to a bit of NY history. Insightful. Disappointingly, didn’t do walk due to weather.
Don't see it if No connection or interest in history of the Village, HIV, healthcare and St. Vincent’s.
See it if You have a connection to St. Vincents, to the AIDS epidemic, like experimental theater, or want to see a show that reaches beyond boundaries
Don't see it if You want a tidy plot line, a neat ending, a linear story, or just don’t like the subject matter. There was a lot to like, but incoherent.
See it if you're a fan of New York City's lost history. It's a moving show literally and figuratively as winds through time and the Village.
Don't see it if history plays or AIDS themes don't interest you. It could be trimmed by 20 mins but a strong cast make for a thoroughly enjoyable journey.
See it if You like an historical New York.story told in an unusual and creative way
Don't see it if You want to see a fast moving story on a proscenium stage.
Critic Reviews (12)
"‘Novenas’ Offers Prayers for a Hospital That Died: The epicenter of New York’s AIDS epidemic, St. Vincent’s (1849-2010) is the subject of a memorial service that’s also a play."
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3/5 Stars "There are lovely sequences and forgettable ones; the play's tone alternates between earnest sermonizing and scenes of joy amid the ashes."
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2.5/4 Stars "A roaming elegy for St. Vincent's Hospital"
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"Novenas for a Lost Hospital Exhumes the Legacy of Manhattan's Last Catholic Hospital: Rattlestick Playwrights Theater presents an ambitious eulogy to its departed neighbor."
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"NOVENAS FOR A LOST HOSPITAL is a Moving Tribute to a New York Institution"
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"The unwelcome surprise of 'Novenas for a Lost Hospital' is its essentially anodyne nature…How a story of blood and money; privilege and prejudice; and young men abandoned and ravaged by a plague was transformed into a museum exhibit crossed with a New Age prayer festival is something to ponder, and not necessarily with pleasure."
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"Directed by Daniella Topol, the play is both uneven and scattershot in its non-linear format and content. However, it conveys a great deal of information in an entertaining manner and has some affecting scenes of life in the hospital in two eras: the 1849 cholera epidemic and the AIDS crisis."
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"Enough truly rich dramatic material for several plays but Its vast scope and loose structure provide too many opportunities for audience members to lose focus (or get tired of standing)…despite its imperfections, its ambition is invigorating, and the conversation it generates is a vital one."
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