Something Clean NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (72)
See it if you want to see the best of NY theatre. Great writing, acting, staging. Nobody moved for 85 minutes.....and for $30/seat it's a bargain
Don't see it if there is no reason not to see it
See it if you want to see a work by a very promising young writer. Also, if you want to see Kathryn Erbe give a stunning performance.
Don't see it if you are uncomfortable with discussions about sexual assault. Read more
See it if you have children and care about them and your role as a parent, you are a thinking individual and want important issues to be presented.
Don't see it if you are totally disconnected from reality. Read more
See it if you like a very powerful piece about the effects of a heinous crime on the family members of the perpetrator. Very Intense and very dark.
Don't see it if you like light, bouncy shows instead of brutally honest and dark pieces. You need the trappings of more than bare bones basic theatre. Read more
See it if Beautifully written,well played. A wonderful evening of theater. Very intimate, it’s great to see off broadway like this
Don't see it if A disturbing story,well worth the time,it’s not an easy Run in the park
See it if you are interested in the experiences of collateral victims of violence & masterful writing, funny, frightening, emotional intimate theater.
Don't see it if you're looking for light hearted comedy or a big Broadway musical. Otherwise this is a show that should not be missed.
See it if you want to be knocked right in your feels with emotion. A super strong cast brings the honesty and pain of all sides.
Don't see it if you want a light fluff piece or if you see things in black & white with no shades of gray and no other points of view.
See it if you are interested in seeing a relevant, timely topic explored through a new lens. Surprisingly funny, and very moving. Strong performances.
Don't see it if discussions relating to sexual assault are particularly triggering for you. It's handled well, but it may hit very close to home for some.
Critic Reviews (11)
"The star is the wonderful, nuanced and fascinating Kathryn Erbe, and the author, Selina Fillinger, is such a good writer...Fillinger manages to keep you riveted by writing about alarming contemporary issues with a style rarely encountered on today’s stages—real people saying real things to each other. The style some people might label old-fashioned is fresh as a spring blossom after a hard winter when it’s applied to a lethal subject."
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"The play, which rapidly alternates scenes between Charlotte and either Doug or Joey, leads to an inevitable climax when the three meet and Charlotte’s subterfuge is exposed. The acting is consistently strong, with Kathryn Erbe’s performance being especially powerful...Margot Bordelon’s direction is fluid and unfussy. While the plot has a few weak spots, the play is consistently absorbing and my overall reaction is quite positive."
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“An astonishingly confident play...Watching the play gave me the disorienting sensation of constantly being on shifting ground. It’s a feeling that’s not dissimilar to real life, which gives the play an ambiguous, contemporary authenticity that many similar new plays don’t quite fully achieve. That Fillinger achieves this with grace and considerable emotional potency is a testament to her talent...The production also features the exemplary work of a trio of excellent actors.”
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"A beautifully observed, richly compassionate new drama...’Something Clean’ covers a remarkable amount of ground. Some of its plot contrivances creak a bit...But in focusing on the ripple effects of a sex crime on one unextraordinary life, ‘Something Clean’ keeps readjusting our point of view, along with Charlotte’s, on the widespread implications of such acts and the nature of the culture in which they occur...All three performers are pitch perfect."
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"Bordelon elicits spot-on performances from all three members of the cast. The writing sometimes slides into didacticism...But for the most part, Fillinger’s meticulously constructed drama smartly focuses on the personal, not the political...Watching Charlotte parse her past while trying to plan a productive future can be discomfiting; there are moments when it feels hard to muster empathy for a woman who raised a rapist. But that's what makes 'Something Clean' so heartrending."
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“It’s solid and fluid, predictable but not monotonous. Its perhaps inevitable moments of contrivance feel mostly forgivable, and in Margot Bordelon’s swift, no-frills production, the show’s three actors all eventually ease into themselves, delivering sensitive, well-observed performances. And the results are — fine...Ultimately, the play’s most daring suggestion in our current climate is that none of us are free of the human responsibility of empathy.”
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“The playwright displays a keen ability for well-drawn characterizations and astute, frequently darkly comic dialogue in her concise drama...Fillinger admirably refrains from spelling out everything too clearly, resulting in an intriguing ambiguity, even while making clear that pain is best healed through strong emotional connections...The actors deliver nuanced performances...The play's staging proves slightly awkward...But the emotions on display always ring true.”
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"The production features some well-performed scenes...Bordelon keeps the pace of this play brisk, but ultimately the play lacks the ring of authenticity, giving us instead sentimental and psychologically heavy-handed scenes that clutter an otherwise resonant story...There's much to admire in this small production...The play begins to wobble, though, in the dumpster scenes...Sensationalist missteps undermine the play's insights."
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