On the Exhale NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (66)
See it if Do! This compelling solo piece lulls & plants you, powerfully, vividly into the arena of gun violence. Transformative, poignant experience.
Don't see it if grief for gun violence victims fresh. Who should not be exempt: members of Congress & all w/ means to work toward eradicating gun violence. Read more
See it if you want to see an intense, powerful performance; you want to explore a difficult subject and its resulting emotions; you want to think.
Don't see it if the subject matter is triggering for you, or if you don't enjoy watching just one actor and no props; you want something light and happy.
See it if You enjoy the terrific Marin Ireland.
Don't see it if You dislike Marin Ireland.
See it if you like intense, no-frills, raw theater that deals with current sensitive issues and you like great acting. Marin Ireland never disappoints
Don't see it if You hate one-person shows or are sensitive about issues of gun violence.
See it if You would like to be challenged emotionally and intellectually; if you are open to alternative theater forms (one-woman, one-hour monologue)
Don't see it if You are sensitive to topics of gun violence, death; you do not condone criticism of gun licensing laws
See it if you want to see a powerful performance by Marin Ireland in a heart-wrenching solo show.
Don't see it if you don't want to feel the pain of a victim of gun violence.
See it if you want to see a provocative, painful play addressing guns in our society.
Don't see it if you prefer comedies or musicals.
See it if You love one woman shows or if you're interested in the topic of gun violence
Don't see it if The idea of gun violence is triggering to you or if you want a more traditional theatre going experience
Critic Reviews (13)
“For the first few minutes of this extraordinary play, Marin Ireland rushes through the text and uses some old saws of expression that feel like leftovers from other productions. Luckily this does not last long, and soon Ms. Ireland is not only in full control, she has chosen a direction to take and is unhesitant about leading us to her destination...Where writer Martín Zimmerman and director by Leigh Silverman guide the story has a depth and stunning resonance.”
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"This uncomfortable but important topic is made palatable by a wonderful team comprised of actor Marin Ireland, playwright Martín Zimmerman, and director Leigh Silverman, who brilliantly present the nuances of a woman going through something unimaginable...Directed with a light touch by Silverman, 'On The Exhale' has an intimacy that feels more like a therapy session than a play. The drama is there but Ireland doesn’t play it up."
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"Marin Ireland, one of our most talented stage actors, seems incapable of giving a less than compelling performance...While the acting is impeccable, the material seemed a bit formulaic. During the last 15 minutes, the play took what I felt was a wrong turn that undermined some of its force...Leigh Silverman’s unfussy direction is assured. It’s only an hour long, but it’s a very intense hour."
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“The mother in ‘On the Exhale’ is played by the brilliant Marin Ireland, who, under Leigh Silverman's delicate direction, has never been better…Ireland so persuasively conveys the mother's grief that there were moments when I literally shook with the sorrow and the rage that having a beloved so savagely ripped away would arouse. It's not that I didn't know intellectually what the horror of such an experience might be but ‘On the Exhale’ made me feel it.”
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"Zimmerman’s powerful show about a woman devastated by the most tragic gun violence hits every emotion of fear, tragedy, loss, and revenge. But it never becomes predictable and offers enough twists to keep you constantly riveted...Though the language tries to be detached, Ireland is deeply engaged in every word, motion, and emotion. Ireland is emerging as one of our great character actresses...Ireland is captivating and has all the power she needs—with or without a gun."
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