She Stoops to Conquer (TACT) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (79)
See it if You enjoy the classics.
Don't see it if you lack a sense of humor
See it if you like to laugh, enjoy excellent acting and want to see a groundbreaking comedy from the 18th century
Don't see it if you don't like a goofy type comedy from th 1700s; you don't like period type plays; you want a contemporary play
See it if you want to see a classic, well done and witty.
Don't see it if you are not in a mood for well-done farce.
See it if You like historical comedy, can deal with classical language and a variety of British accents, but aren't a purist about production values.
Don't see it if Classical language and period theater isn't your thing. You can't appreciate a modern take on the classics, and don't like small, innovative
See it if You appreciate theater in an intimate setting with clever staging and a talented cast.
Don't see it if you are looking for slick broadway staging.
See it if you enjoy comedic period pieces. Quite funny with a great cast that delivers the fun. Nice touch with the cast sitting on the sidelines....
Don't see it if you're looking for razzle and dazzle over the top productions or if 'older style language' doesn't appeal.
See it if you enjoy Brit humor, want to see a fun show, and have a few good laughs.
Don't see it if have trouble with British accents or looking for drama Read more
See it if you'd like to see an able, talented cast have a good time with this classic comedy of manners; you seek an enjoyable theatrical diversion.
Don't see it if you can't (for some reason) abide 18th Century British comedies; you're a linguist/study dialects. [The accents vary widely in authenticity]
Critic Reviews (17)
"The Actors Company Theatre (TACT) revival of Oliver Goldsmith’s 'She Stoops to Conquer' is enchanting. Stripped down yet keeping in the era, the actors rely on their craft, energy and their camaraderie...What TACT has done is made this play appealing for contemporary audiences...Director and adapter Scott Alan Evans keeps the piece moving and we follow along. The cast is all good but Jeremy Beck, and Richard Thieriot make the best of their parts."
Read more
"The TACT Company offers a lighthearted rendition of this classic replete with some genial audience contact between acts, occasional dissolution of the fourth wall, a couple of rousing tavern songs, and cleverly inclusive use of the entire theater, not just the stage. It’s fun...Scott Alan Evans’s adaptation is smart, witty, and economic. His direction, especially use of the aisles, arrives lively and well mannered. Accents, however, are all over the place."
Read more
"The Actors Company Theatre's revival of this classic farce works hard to be contemporary. Maybe too hard...It seems that almost every other show wants to be interactive these days. I guess producers think that will lure younger people to their shows. But I'm hoping this is a short-lived trend, particularly when it's gratuitous, as it is here...But the show still has a few pleasures. That's mainly due to the cast, a mix of vets and newcomers to TACT's resident company."
Read more
"High-spirited, funny, snappily adapted and paced by Evans, and crisply acted by a superb cast, 'She Stoops to Conquer' is a comic delight...It’s not the details of Goldsmith’s preposterous plot that make it work; it’s the skillful way he wove them together and his sly way with dialogue. And it’s not any of these fine performances individually that galvanizes this revival; it’s the brightly colored vision saddled up by Evans, and the gusto with which the actors take the reins."
Read more
"It’s very difficult to do, particularly with an American cast, for it is British to the core...Nothing wrong with minimalism, but as there are no walls, the company must lounge around against the side walls of the stage when waiting in what would be the wings if there were wings...I’ve seen several of the resident company...and a few have been well-placed here. But I found little consistency in style with the playing."
Read more
"It delights today just as it did over two hundred years ago...The TACT revival, directed by Scott Alan Evans, is pretty faithful to the original...The TACT production is exciting and vibrant in all of the best theatrical traditions...It is the boisterous, sparkling performances of the cast that make this production as funny and bright as it was when people really did wear waistcoats and hooped skirts."
Read more
"'She Stoops to Conquer' encompasses all the tricks of that trade: mistaken identity, extreme characterizations, convoluted and zany plot lines, and miraculously favorable outcomes...Staged in a bare bones’ style, Evans lets the ridiculous but guileful text speak for itself...In addition to being simply comedic, it is layered with societal elements that are universal and timeless...Performances are first-rate...A lively and entertaining evening."
Read more
"Presented in an intimate space, the company performed with heart, spirit, skill, and fire. And if the actors aren't famous, they range from good to superb. Here was one of the most charming plays in our language given a production it deserves: rousing, lively, engaging and amusing. Credit for that must start with the company's artistic director, Scott Alan Evans, who had the good sense to keep the production simple and to cast his actors largely by their talent."
Read more