Shadow of Heroes

See it if you like straightforward historical content. Hungary's history in mid-20thc is harrowing and highly relevant. Mostly strong acting. Good set

Don't see it if you prefer lite fare. SOH is grim w/ torture/betrayal. Impt history that's engaging, but not entertaining. 2 3/4 hrs. In-the-round staging.

See it if 3 idealists help the USSR take Hungary from Hitler, only to be oppressed by the Soviet occupation. Devastatingly personal view of history.

Don't see it if You aren't interested in watching carefully researched history come to life. 5 acts, 2.5 hrs. Effects of police state, betrayal, torture.

See it if Roe's sterling production of Ardrey's dramatic epic of post Nazi Hungary & later uprising Taut staging, excellent ensemble highlight evening

Don't see it if Long evening (close to 3 hrs) w/exposition plot points slowing pacing Some confusion w/multiple casting & political alliances Still gripping

See it if historic &/or fact-based shows are your thing. High-drama here, fascinating & weirdly nostalgic, conjuring up memories of HS History class.

Don't see it if you prefer lite shows, & aren't into world history or politics, factual stories of Nazism, Communism, espionage, betrayal, torture, etc.

Also Regardless of how you choose to slice your politics...

...this is a must-see for all history nerds & fact-based shows aficionados (ME). Anyone interested in world politics, & in learning how it all went down from actual "witnesses" (as the narrator explains in helpful detail) will revel in this powerful play.

Corruption, false promises, inhumanely dismissive, bloody, divisive, mind-boggling Eastern-European history. Extreme? Absolutely. Relevant? You decide.

Daunting task to see a 2+1/2hr Hungarian-history play w/o prior research of each Act's synopsis (time well-spent!). Mercifully, there's a narrator (amazing Joel Rainwater) playing the "Author" (playwright Robert Ardrey) feeding us tid-bits & factoids thru-out. Brief research on each historical figure is fascinating & even more enlightening afterwards.

Standouts: excellent Trevor St John-Gilbert (stoic hero "Laslo Rajk"); fantastic Michael Turner (best friend "Janos"); palpably strong Erin Beirnard (heart-breaking wife "Julia").... Read more Read less

See it if I loved the way the show was staged and blocked and some of the actors were very good. Informative play.

Don't see it if I was confused at times and needed more explanation.There's no real tension, despite the material and it's very long and humorless.

See it if You care about the ways in which even well-meaning people are corrupted by power and how idealism can fail by degrees.

Don't see it if It's long, it's depressing, it has an onstage narrator, and it has some pretty tough to watch depictions of violence. Caveat emptor.

See it if you are interested in the life of several Hungarian people from 1945-56 or more generally how power can lead to corruption and betrayal.

Don't see it if you are not interested in historical plays or serious matters or if you are not patient enough to watch an almost 3-hour play.

Also I think "Shadow of Heroes" is a great reminder how people are "brain-washed" during dictatorships to serve the dictator's cause and how seemingly easily they betray their trusted friends (with possibly fatal consequences). And, it is timely and still relevant today where power and lies seem more important than trust, friendship and truth. And, if we don't learn from the past, when will we learn?... Read more Read less

See it if you like revival of historical and political plays. this one by the little off off Broadway Metropolitan Playhouse which always mount great

Don't see it if you do not like lengthy historical plays

Also productions did it again. this one dealing with politics idealism friendship and betrayal which reverberate our own time.... Read more Read less

See it if You like history plays and actually know the history before you go.

Don't see it if You do not find history interesting.

See it if you are interested in the history & communist occupation of Eastern Block Countries, specifically Budapest Hungary.

Don't see it if "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" could be the motto for this obscure rarely produced play, its a cautionary tale of power and corruption

See it if you enjoy a historical play in an intimate setting about Hungary from liberation in 1944 to soviet invasion in 1956.

Don't see it if you are not interested in political plays, deeply troubling stories of betrayal and opportunism as well as a play 3h long.

Also Couldn't be more relevant story of extremism, corruption and opportunism.
Another great Metropolitan Playhouse production!... Read more Read less

See it if You want to understand the intricacies of the 1956 Hungarian revolution in a moving, intense, relatively evenhanded portrayal.

Don't see it if You prefer light fare and don’t like historical retellings.

See it if you like plays that are well acted, and well staged.

Don't see it if if you don't like historical dramas from a time and part of the world that might have little meaning to you today's world.

See it if You're interested in seeing a "forgotten" chapter of history brought to life in a moving, sparely-staged and powerfully acted revival.

Don't see it if You don't like intimate theater spaces, or have no patience for long (almost 3 hours) plays.

Also "Shadow of Heroes" examines the political and social upheaval in Hungary in the periods between WWII and the Hungarian Uprising of 1956, through the lens of three characters. The production is intelligently realized and beautifully acted - bravi to all!... Read more Read less