On the Exhale
Closed 1h 0m
On the Exhale
85

On the Exhale NYC Reviews and Tickets

85%
(66 Ratings)
Positive
97%
Mixed
2%
Negative
1%
Members say
Great acting, Absorbing, Relevant, Intense, Thought-provoking

About the Show

Roundabout Theatre Company presents the world premiere of a provocative one-woman drama exploring one of our country’s most divisive—and urgent—issues: gun violence. Starring Tony nominee Marin Ireland.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (66)

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97 Reviews | 16 Followers
98
Smart, Relevant, Profound, Great acting, Must see

See it if you like to think and you like great acting

Don't see it if you think it's fine to have people buy assault weapons in 5 minutes with perfunctory background checks

58 Reviews | 12 Followers
96
Absorbing, Great acting, Clever

See it if You appreciate outstanding acting on a very serious

Don't see it if You cant bear to hear about mass shootings. Read more

570 Reviews | 87 Followers
96
Absorbing, Great acting, Great lighting, Intense, Important

See it if you like serious drama. Ireland is absolutely brilliant in this important piece of theatre. Now, more than ever, we need to hear this.

Don't see it if you only like big brassy musicals and hate anything that touches you and makes you think.

220 Reviews | 54 Followers
95
Riveting, Resonant, Profound, Must see, Great writing

See it if you want to be moved by one of the best written/performed solo works I've ever seen! Astonishing all around.

Don't see it if you are looking for a big spectacle. It is extremely intimate and intense.

211 Reviews | 28 Followers
95
Relevant, Resonant, Intelligent, Great acting

See it if you like good acting and the human condition.

Don't see it if you are triggered by gun violence.

50 Reviews | 11 Followers
95
Absorbing, Great writing, Intense, Profound

See it if you love great writing- this show is perfectly paced and absolutely beautiful.

Don't see it if you find monologues written in the second person off-putting.

56 Reviews | 22 Followers
95
Clever, Great acting, Intelligent, Profound, Relevant

See it if if you want to see a well written one person play beautifully crafted

Don't see it if if you aren't a fan of one person plays and have issues with gun control and violence as subject of plays Read more

126 Reviews | 26 Followers
94
Absorbing, Ambitious, Great writing, Great acting, Edgy

See it if I wouldn't change a thing - this is monologue writing and perf at its very best. Writing is Pulitzer-worthy & Marin takes us on a wild ride

Don't see it if you're the quintessential NRA enthusiast.

Critic Reviews (13)

The New York Times
February 19th, 2017

"As directed with characteristic sensitivity by the ever-busy Leigh Silverman, ‘On the Exhale’ provides a welcome opportunity to see an artist of Ms. Ireland’s caliber take a character through the stages of grief…It’s a brave and bold premise for a play. And if ‘On the Exhale’ never quite fulfills its potential to unsettle, it’s because Mr. Zimmerman’s authorial hand is too much in evidence — meticulously setting up the back story and balancing patterns of imagery."
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Time Out New York
February 21st, 2017

"As a moral construct, 'On the Exhale' has weight, but as a play, it falters. Zimmerman is skilled: he shows a cinematic attention to detail and has a clever way of using storytelling techniques to shift focus and keep us disoriented. But ultimately, the characterization rings false...Ireland's thrumming voice makes the short-story-cum-soliloquy slip through our defenses despite its unlikelihoods...It might not be till later that you realize how the text was so wide of its mark."
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The Hollywood Reporter
February 19th, 2017

"Dealing with the issue of gun violence in America in compelling fashion, ‘On the Exhale’ never feels like it’s preaching to the choir...Maintaining a relentless tension without lapsing into histrionics or melodrama, ‘On the Exhale’ makes its points succinctly and intelligently. Ireland, one of New York theater's most invaluable performers, delivers superb work that is all the more affecting for its carefully calibrated restraint. Silverman’s direction of the piece is similarly understated.”
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The Observer
February 23rd, 2017

"A remarkable one-hour, one-woman monologue by the enchanting actress Marin Ireland inspired by the heinous school shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The subject has been explored before, but never with this much emotional power. It’s a one-hour session in electroshock therapy without leaving your seat...'On the Exhale' is a shattering experience in the presence of a cogent, captivating actress who deserves a bigger audience."
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Entertainment Weekly
February 21st, 2017

"Composed in a lucid style by Martín Zimmerman and unobtrusively directed by Leigh Silverman, the material is sometimes too lumbering in convincing us of the professor’s 180-turn towards gun nuttery...But New York stage veteran Ireland gives a characteristically live-wire, throttling performance...There are a few moments during the final stretch of 'On the Exhale' where she turns so unnerving and unpredictable that we don’t know what to expect."
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Theatermania
February 21st, 2017

"Zimmerman's decision to indulge in formal gimmickry keeps the play from ever hitting the bull's-eye...We don't get the sense that the stakes are life-or-death...We are always acutely aware that she is reciting poetry. This problem is compounded by Leigh Silverman's stripped-down production...There are moments of simmering intensity…Sadly, ‘On the Exhale’ always takes a breath and backs off the ledge. The result is a drama that feels safe and unmemorable."
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Lighting & Sound America
March 6th, 2017

"Marin Ireland is armed only with Martín Zimmerman's text and her own formidable talent, but it's enough to leave us thoroughly shaken...I won't swear that, without an actress as fiercely committed as Ireland, 'On the Exhale' might not seem rather melodramatic, but Zimmerman has a poet's touch...The director, Leigh Silverman, keeps a firm hand on the proceedings, never letting the experience become exploitative...It is the most harrowing sixty minutes in New York at the moment."
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Talkin' Broadway
February 19th, 2017

"Ireland is superb; she's a fastidiously intelligent actress, and that intelligence, so right for this professor, stands in captivating contrast to the visceral warmth that emerges when she takes life and death quite literally into her own hands...This fusion of acting, direction, and writing is 'On the Exhale' at its best, because it levels out a piece that is otherwise rocky...Well-meaning but well-worn pabulum."
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