Red Light Winter

See it if You like shows done on a shoestring that are a hit in every department: acting; writing; sets; lighting; costumes; direction.

Don't see it if You don’t like plays done on a small scale.

See it if How important our roles are to ourselves and others. We need imagination to survive. Great acting: vulnerable, brave, heartbreaking.

Don't see it if You don’t want to see partial nudity and simulated sex on stage. You want something lighter or happier.

Also Ironic how people being their real selves can be cruel. (Spoilers below)

The three times Christina/ Christine/ Annie strips/dresses are significant. The first time she sheds her fake self for a different fake self more desired by Matt. The second time, at the end of Act 1, she sheds her fake self for her real self and leaves a part of her fake self behind for Matt. The third time, in Act 2, she sheds her real self for her fake self, to comfort herself. At the end, after Davis refuses to be his fake self and cruelly takes Annie as his real self, Anni can’t bear to go back to being her real self again.... Read more Read less

See it if you have a lot of patience. The actors are working hard.

Don't see it if you have anything else to do. The characters are thin with obscure motivations and weak plot.

See it if You want a non-traditional love triangle. You're OK with frank discussions of sex.

Don't see it if You want originality:2 of the characters are lazy cliches. You want a mature discussion of sex:High School stuff to shock: it doesn't.

Also Yet again, the brute Alpha Male & the Hooker with the Heart of Gold. The Hooker is more bearable, since she was given some variations to play with. The Alpha had no variations, so he was cartoonish & I cringed every time he entered the scene. The set was unnecessarily noisy: wooden slats on & off stage, making for a lot of clomping.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see the best play written by the greatest playwright of all time

Don't see it if If you are looking for something light and fluffy. Also, if you are the type of person that needs the "good guy" to win this is not for you

Also Adam Rapp has been my favorite playwright even since I saw his first play. I've been waiting to see this play performed for years and finally got to see it tonight and I was not disappointed. My email address is alvarano@comcast.net not sure if you're supposed to put an email address on here but if anyone reading this loves this play and knows any other playwrights like Rapp please get in touch with me. This is perfection. I guess when you score a play a perfect 100 I should be perfect and this is. I had extremely high expectations going in and I was not disappointed. I could say so much more but I want to get this review out and hope people see this play before it closes. This is a life changer... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see some great acting.

Don't see it if You're looking for good time entertainment

See it if you want 2 experience a lab of putting all the pieces of a project perfect for actors & design personnel involved, bleak but perfectly tuned

Don't see it if prostitution, simulated sex, nudity, publishing, playwriting, sharing hookers, red dresses, cross-dressing, are outside your comfort zone

See it if very interesting 1st act. Sharp dialogue. Excellent acting. Provocative characters. Held my interest.

Don't see it if nudity & sexual situations bother you. Some inconsistencies and poor choices in the writing in act 2 are a letdown after a much better act 1

See it if you are interested in delving into a seedy world with fascinatingly flawed characters grappling with a very unusual romantic triangle.

Don't see it if you are offended by simulated sex or nudity, or you just want something happy. Although it has its humorous moments, this is a tragedy.

See it if you missed the original Steppenwolf/Barrow Street production

Don't see it if If like me, you were expecting to absorbed by the story betrayal and ironic revenge.

Also The set is MUCH too large ( a strange thing to say about a 70 seat theater). Max Hunter's Matt is more ADD than depressed. And Hunter and Claire Edmonds direction forgets that there are five major characters in this play but only three actors. The updating done is necessary, but as alluded to in the new show AIDs is no longer the death sentence that made the original so poignant. That leaves the "revenge" incomplete. The rape scene is far too consensual.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see three actors doing a great job in this performance.

Don't see it if You are not interested in seeing a play about two guys who hire a prostitute and what happens after that.

See it if you want to see some good acting in a provocative play.

Don't see it if you'll be bothered by nudity and graphic sex scenes.

Also There were many clever lines and the acting was good. However, the basic premise simply wasn't believable and the ending was beyond the bounds of credibility.... Read more Read less

See it if Talented actors with fully fleshed out complex psyches in a complicated pas de trois relationship.

Don't see it if You like clear-cut heroes. None here.

See it if you want to see good acting and staging in a flawed story. Act 1 much better, it fizzes out in act 2. Held my interest, though.

Don't see it if you get frustrated when the elements don't add up. Some choices and behavior of the characters didn't make sense to me.

See it if You like a drama about people relating to each other in really unhealthy ways, and are okay with not getting any satisfying conclusion

Don't see it if You're triggered by sexual violence, don't like nudity or simulated sex.

See it if A bro themed drama about being young in Amsterdam

Don't see it if You are offended by crass anti feminist stereotypes and seek a happy ending

See it if you enjoy a dark drama with a good premise, but very slow moving

Don't see it if you are offended by discussion of sex, profanity, violence, with some nudity. Want a lighter,faster moving show

Also The show was over written, with much unnecessary dialogue referencing literary subjects of little interest to most in the audience. Ending was a bit unclear/... Read more Read less

See it if very well done version of this play; all three actors were excellent in their parts and well cast

Don't see it if you are offended by nudity or frank discussions about sex

See it if A loves B. B loves C. C loves C. Another play about loving the wrong person. Intensely unmotivated behavior.

Don't see it if A little overacting goes a long way. A little nudity and graphic simulated sex.

See it if you want a comprehensive take on everything that's messed up about modern romantic culture, from a variety of angles.

Don't see it if you're sensitive to depictions of sexual assault - there's a scene towards the end that was tough for me.

Also First, the acting is wonderful.

The play makes you uncomfortable, which I suspect is why it has a lowish average score. But that discomfort is SO IMPORTANT. The play examines how often we as a culture romanticize tragedy and pain, and the dark places that can lead. It invites you to question whether anything the characters say or do is really romantic - I land on the side of "hell no," but I'm open to the idea that others could see it differently. Two very different forms of toxic masculinity go on display, and the audible responses of my fellow audience members both horrified me (when they romanticized obsessive/possessive behavior) and gave me hope (when they wanted the female character to find her own path).

The idea of the tortured artist falling for the tragic whore, who falls for the asshole is a bit overwrought in general, but is used so well in this play that by the end, I didn't mind at all.

I can't recommend this highly enough - it's an important discomfort.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a play about depressed and sad characters. Performances are good but a flawed script makes for an unpleasant experience.

Don't see it if You have something better to do for two plus hours or are offended by the nudity, and simulated violent sexual intercourse.

Also The actors were believable. This play would have been better if they had shortened it by about an hour. You will be left with no resolution at the end and it seems that evil ultimately wins out. Not a feel good experience at all.... Read more Read less

See it if you are up for some fine performances in an overly written play that tries just a bit too hard; a solid first act that loses momentum in 2nd

Don't see it if you are uncomfortable with sex, cursing or nudity; you want to care about the characters at the end.

See it if like plays about flawed humans. excellent acting and a story that you won't find in most big playhouses.

Don't see it if you are offended by nudity or sex on stage. you only want upbeat happy stories or don't want to believe that all people have flaws.

See it if You like off Broadway productions about falling for the wrong person and suffering the ramifications.

Don't see it if You like only big productions.

See it if You're looking for something dark and intense...

Don't see it if You're looking for something cheerful and simple...