Pity in History

See it if Intellectually challenging satire about the necessity and folly of art and war, and the people that pursue them. Witty and deep.

Don't see it if You are looking for more of an emotional connection to the characters.

See it if think that one can solve the problems of war.Better than I expected. Great talent

Don't see it if were looking for a fun musical. Clever work but only 65 minutes

See it if You love everything from the BBC & want to see on of their tele-plays on stage. You like shows about big ideas.

Don't see it if You want a play w/a traditional plot or characters: it's a series of scenes where characters spout philosophies & ideologies.

See it if You want to see a very raw and bare-bones type show

Don't see it if You want to see something that is polished and well thought out

Also I wonder who writes these reviews on here? I can't imagine anyone seeing this show and liking it. Nothing about it is good. Please stay away.... Read more Read less

See it if Another Barker artist trying to deal with authority -- this time with an Army officer and a chaplain. Written for TV, just over an hour

Don't see it if you don't like gunshots, violence and torture. Fine acting and staging of a war drama. Very grim, though Tindle as the dying cook is a riot.

See it if you are trying to understand today's political environment and the conflicts between art and ideology

Don't see it if you don't like dark comedy and satire

See it if you are interested in a powerful message about the evils of war, with some humor thrown in.

Don't see it if you want a linear plot, that is easy to follow without much thought.

See it if your a fan of British war history.

Don't see it if you are looking for a fast moving drama with interesting character development..

See it if You are ok with big ideas and abstract concepts discussed on war, religion, art, and greed.

Don't see it if You need a strong narrative style and clear ideas

See it if an intellectualized take on what conditioning and propaganda can do to a societys' way of thinking

Don't see it if forceful dialogue (not always discernible because of heavy accents) and not a cheerful play

See it if You want to see a production whose process is more interesting than its message

Don't see it if You are looking for something light

See it if if you like black comedy

Don't see it if you like musicals

See it if the wars we are getting into don't make sense

Don't see it if you think God and country are always on our side

Also John Lennon's song "Imagine" would be a good musical accompaniment

See it if You just love wordy and multi-layered plays that steam roll to a conclusion.

Don't see it if You don't want to have to concentrate. This one is not easy to take.

Also Faultless acting and direction. Personally I do not want to have to work so hard to be entertained or enlightened. Some will love this script as it looks at the selfishness of war, people in general, art patrons who are totally bereft of human feeling. A very cold script (and the theatre is freezing as well...take a scarf). Funny, perhaps, but not laugh out loud funny. Only an hour.....which is kind of a blessing.... Read more Read less

See it if You're interested in a script that draws a heavy allegory between two historical times other than our own

Don't see it if You're looking for something light, low-rhetoric, and action-heavy

See it if You want to see a play with tremendous mordant wit, performed by a sold ensemble with a brilliantly effortless central performance.

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

See it if You don't mind wading through a lot of dielect to get to the play. It wasn't bad...but it seemed to take forever to not get very far.

Don't see it if You want a clear play that touches on subjects relevant to today, this does that but in so much metaphor that it mostly got lost on me.

See it if you enjoy a modern day setting of the English Civil War. You get a good feel of how soldiers and artists feel in wartime.

Don't see it if you enjoy comedy. This is not a pretty show and there is violence.

See it if You want a great night at a small theatre.

Don't see it if You're needing a musical or a feel good piece

See it if enjoy shows with good acting that deal with relevant issues such as art, politics, class, war and fanaticism.

Don't see it if don't like shows that are loud, both difficult to understand and obtuse and somewhat pretentious.

See it if You will go to anything of Howard Barker, like me. You will be content with some very witty dialogue

Don't see it if You will be annoyed to not understand some of the dialogue (poor delivery) or elements of the plot (the playwright, the direction?)

See it if you think about whether "We need art to know who we are" and current societal elements through historical lens, apprec. Barker/British plays

Don't see it if you can't understand British dialect, humor and historical references, sit 90 min. w/out interval, focus and think critically/open-mindedly

See it if you want to see & cheer on a repertory company of mainly young (undergrad) actors regardless of a seemingly aimless production of 65 minutes

Don't see it if you need a clear, compelling plot or dialogue, or you're looking for something light, humorous, or with elaborate production design

See it if you're interested in the writing of playwright Howard Barker; are an alum of Middlebury's drama department, have a friend in the cast.

Don't see it if you are expecting a strong historical drama with good acting, dislike "updating" a play inconsistently

Also This was originally a radio drama. While I don't think the script is that good to begin with, it doesn't translate well into a staged drama IMO, or at least this "translation" doesn't work. It detracts from rather than enhancing the script. The "updating" is inconsistent and, IMO, just plain silly. The two oposing armies are still Cromwell's and the king's--no updating here. But the soldiers wear modern uniforms and carry assault rifles.

A young man is still an apprentice mason, but the woman who has hired his master is dressed as if it's the 1940s. Lots of smoke and strobe lighting.

If the themes of a play are still relevant, we don't need strobe lights or assault rifles to make the point.... Read more Read less

See it if want to see something different that tries to show the importance of art and artifacts (but is overshadowed by war, religion, greed, etc.)

Don't see it if you don't like harsh, loud sounds of military marches, strobe lights, angry dialogues with only a dash of humor

Also Beware if you sit in the front row. I had on sandals and was frequently concerned about having something heavy land on my toes (that did not happen).

I saw this at The 16th St Theater in July 2017.... Read more Read less