Open NYC Reviews and Tickets

77%
(20 Ratings)
Positive
85%
Mixed
15%
Negative
0%
Members say
Great acting, Absorbing, Confusing, Resonant, Ambitious

About the Show

"Open" is a magic show with no magic. A woman called The Magician seems to pantomime a myriad of tricks, but her act reveals she is attempting the impossible—to save the life of her lover, Jenny. 

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Show-Score Member Reviews (20)

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50 Reviews | 19 Followers
93
Poetic, personal, moving, Refreshing, Absorbing

See it if You are OPEN to a testament to the power of love as told by a magician of words and ideas and images.

Don't see it if You’re not interested in seeing how Crystal Skillman elevates the one person show format to create a profoundly moving event.

754 Reviews | 127 Followers
85
Well thought out, Quirky, Great performance, Entertaining, Absorbing

See it if innovative solo performances interest you. Plot, theme and performance meld in a uniquely creative way. Originality and pathos nice combo.

Don't see it if you dislike magic, one women shows or plays that challenge your ability to think about the intersection of reality, theater and life.

209 Reviews | 38 Followers
85
Thought-provoking, Profound, Intense, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if This one-woman show starts out like a rather silly magic act, but soon builds and builds in emotional power that leaves you very moved.

Don't see it if If you really dislike solo pieces regardless of worth; but I think you'd be making a mistake to miss this one.

WH
448 Reviews | 88 Followers
82
Absorbing, Ambitious, Resonant, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if You like solo shows. You are interested in pieces about relationships, family, LGBTQ life, personal growth.

Don't see it if You demand high-end production values -- though the lighting and sound design, while simple, are quite effective. Read more

775 Reviews | 246 Followers
80
Intelligent, Moving, Complex, Resonant, Absorbing

See it if On the surface, the magician is trying to save her lover; underneath she is trying to find herself. Her illusions represent her facade.

Don't see it if You don’t enjoy multi-level character development stories, where a lot of the action is a subconscious struggle. You don’t like solo plays.

688 Reviews | 116 Followers
78
Slow, Resonant, Great acting, Confusing, Ambitious

See it if Megan Hill's bravado performance carries this solo drama /performance piece over its rough patches Drama's message moves stealthily over you

Don't see it if Magician/tricks up the sleeve motif can only carry drama so far; story line while very potent becomes one-note Certain detachment in writing

121 Reviews | 31 Followers
75
Great acting, Emotional, Clever

See it if You enjoy one-person shows that explore loss and Queer issues.

Don't see it if You don't like a lot of narration, if you want something lighthearted, or large-scale Read more

589 Reviews | 142 Followers
75
Great acting, Entertaining

See it if you want to see Megan Hill's excellent and absorbing "magic" in Act I.

Don't see it if you don't want to show that devolves rather than grows as it goes on Read more

Critic Reviews (4)

The New York Times
June 12th, 2019

“Kristen, the narrator and sole character of Skillman’s new play...executes magic tricks because she is the one who needs to believe. The miracle this lovely show pulls out is that by the end, she does — and so do we...’Open’ is not a postmodern deconstruction of David Copperfield, however, but a fragile love story that harbors tragedy under its seemingly goofy exterior...’Open’ reminds us that making an audience believe is a trick writers and actors can master.”
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Time Out New York
June 13th, 2019

"When the door to a theater closes, the rest of the world usually stays outside. But in Crystal Skillman’s sensitive solo show 'Open'...everything penetrates...The play feels long at 75 minutes, because the central metaphor wears out too soon. But the depth of Hill’s commitment keeps reawakening the pathos. The magic in 'Open' is all pretend, but the violence Skillman refers to is brutally real."
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TheaterScene.net
June 19th, 2019

"Skillman unfolds an achingly beautiful story, dropping bits and pieces of Kristen's thoughts and memories as she balances her tightrope of love, commitment, sacrifice, and transformation. Hill's performance as Kristen is funny, honest, compelling, and heartbreaking; one cannot take their eyes off her, and it's not because she is the sole occupant of the stage."
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Front Row Center
June 14th, 2019

“This play is music. It is that song you love. You know that song when every note of it is perfect, every instrument chosen is the correct choice, and the voice of the singer is the kind that lifts you to another realm. It is a poem, a love letter to us, crafted by an artist...Skillman mixes the world of magic, with the world of the living, all with precision and grace...Hill beguiles her actors to become dancers, magicians, clowns, mimes, musical instruments of storytelling.”
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