Return to Spoon River NYC Reviews and Tickets

62%

(27 Ratings)

Positive

41%

Mixed

41%

Negative

18%

Members say

Disappointing, Banal, Dated, Confusing, Entertaining

About the Show

In Creative Arts Lab's stage adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters' 'Spoon River Anthology,' two strangers return to their hometown to say one last goodbye to their pasts.

Julia and Ham meet and journey together through the Spoon River cemetery. There they—and the audience—encounter the town's departed who speak and sing of their lives, their loves, and their town as they guide the living in their search for truth. These memories are complemented by performances of traditional American songs and hymns such as “Down to the River to Pray,” “Simple Gifts,” and “Battle Cry of Freedom.”

Show-Score Member Reviews (27)

Enchanting, Entertaining, Refreshing, Relevant, Resonant

See it if You like musicals You like shows about returning and reflecting on the past and ones home You like talented actors taking on many roles

Don't see it if You don't like small theater

Slow, Thought-provoking, Dated, Pleasant

See it if you love Our Town, and want a similar experience without the tears. This show doesn't dig deep, but evokes enough to be worth seeing.

Don't see it if If you want to see something cheerful or happy. This is a quiet little show that settles nicely into your soul and makes you glad to see it

Entertaining, Ambitious, Dated, Slow

See it if you would like to see a Hallmark card come to life, full of sentimentality and old fashioned values.

Don't see it if you prefer modern shows with contemporary music.

Delightful, Enchanting, Dizzying

See it if Your brain needs a rest. Not much concentration required . Pleasant music, singing and dancing.

Don't see it if You like a more absorbing story or plot..

Entertaining, Clever

See it if enjoy a sweet play with music about deceased people remembering the past and 2 strangers who meet and discuss their past and future.

Don't see it if you like a sophisticated play or expect a musical with original music. There are old songs, some religious in nature that accompany stories.

Clever, Delightful, Enchanting

See it if like Edgar Lee Masters characters in his poems. Learning about their family backgrounds was interesting

Don't see it if you do not like the corny musical numbers they chose

Wonderful singer/musicians, Community theatre vibe, Tries to integrate the contemporary, Pleasant staging, Use more spoon river text please

See it if pleasant evening of poetry & music some talented actor/singers, heartfelt rendering of EdgarLeeMasters SPOON RIVER ANTHLOGY is up your alley

Don't see it if hymns & civil war standards, some less than stellar acting, non-unified design concept & poetry would keep you away

Disjointed, Not true to source material, Confusing

See it if love Spoon River. The adaptation which played live outdoors at Green-Wood Cemetery was much better. Probably the best I have seen.

Don't see it if are a real Spoon River Fan. The adapter rewrites poems, changes relationships,adds characters. Literary liberty is fine, but this too much! Read more

Critic Reviews (1)

“The individual stories lack narrative fluidity and cohesion…Under Arment’s direction, the cast’s delivery of the outdated language sounds unnatural and stilted, at times recitative, at other times cloying and histrionic, with mugging and emoting that miss the mark for either drama or comedy…The performances as a whole are generally lacking in credible emotion. As a result, the show’s underlying didacticism seems little more than an antiquated cliché."
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Trailer

Creative team